With the school year now in full swing, the October PSAT and SAT are already behind us. On October 15th, it was mandatory for all sophomores and juniors to take the PSAT, as opposed to it just being optional last school year. With all this testing underway, it can tend to get a little overwhelming. There are the regular assignments, homework, and projects on top of extracurricular. While there is much concern going on about new scoring, and which colleges are not requiring the test, as of right now everything is remaining the same. The next tests being offered this calendar year are on November 8 and December 6. The SAT is made up of 10 sections. There is a 25 minute essay, six 25 minute sections (mathematics, critical reading, and writing), two 20 minute sections (mathematics, critical reading, and writing), and a ten multiple choice writing section. The total test time is 3 hours and 45 minutes.
It’s essential to take this exam as seriously as you can, because it determines a big portion of the next step in your education: college. It’s pivotal to be prepared once the test day arrives. The test day checklist includes, #2 pencils (no mechanical pencils are permitted), calculator, watch, water, and a student ID. However, there are some things to leave at home which includes ALL electronic devices. If a cell phone even goes off on the exam site, all tests are in jeopardy of being voided. Cell phones are tempting, but for the SAT it’s best to be just left at home.
We are fortunate enough that our school purchased a full year subscription to the Official SAT Online Course. To activate the subscription, simply visit start.satonlinecourse.org before December 1st, enter the personal access code that was provided, and create a username and password. Everyone should take advantage of this generous opportunity. Also, every smart phone has a countless amount of apps to download with practice questions and vocabulary to use daily. Follow on twitter @OfficalSAT, and @SATQUESTION for daily practice on social media.
Using social media is a fun successful way to get the practice in. For additional resources, check out sat.org/practices. Taking practice tests is an efficient way to be successful as well. Many people fail to realize that a great test taking strategy is omitting questions only when you have absolutely no idea how to answer them. You don’t gain or lose points for omitting an answer. On the night before the exam, make sure to get plenty of rest, and eat a nourishing breakfast beforehand. As long as you are preparing and taking this exam seriously – don’t stress! Visit http://sat.collegeboard.org/register/sat-test-day-tips for countless information about the exam. Good luck to everyone taking the exam this school year!