The SAT is a globally recognized standardized college admission test that universities use to evaluate student applications. SAT is administered by the College Board, a not-for-profit organization in the United States. The test is intended to assess a student’s readiness for college. Most students take this exam in 11th or 12th Grade. The SAT was redesigned in 2016 to reflect the high school curriculum as per the Common Core Standards.
Exam structure
Source: rebuildsupport.co.uk
SAT assesses students on their reading, writing, and math skills. The writing section is optional though. In the reading section, students are asked to interpret passages and vocabulary definitions. The math section covers different topics like geometry, probability, data analysis, and algebra. The writing section consists of questions on grammar and sentence structure. Students also have an option to write a short essay on the given topic.
Exam Format
The SAT test takes around 3 hours to finish. Another 50 minutes are given to complete the optional essay. SAT consists of 9 other sections:
- Six 25 minute sections of math, critical, reading, and writing.
- Two 20-minute sections of math, critical, reading, and writing.
- One 10-minute multiple-choice writing section.
Each section of SAT is scored on a 200 to 800 point scale. The writing section consists of two subscores: a multiple-choice score from 20 to 80, and an essay score from 2 to 12. The SAT costs US$49.50 excluding late fees. If you are taking the SAT with an essay, then you will have to pay US$64.50 for taking the test. Additional processing fees are applicable if the SAT is taken outside the United States.
How to prep for SAT
Source: collegeinfogeek.com
As the world is emerging from the lockdown, students are figuring out ways to prepare for SAT. SAT has canceled all test dates until late summer and many colleges have eliminated SAT as a requirement for 2024 admissions, but it remains a requirement for many universities. Thus, parents will have to play an important role in helping students prepare and stay motivated during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Studying from home is a challenging task as it is easy to get distracted by social media, TV, and siblings at home. Moreover, without proper guidance, the students get sidetracked from their goal of cracking SAT. Thus, it is important to use time at home wisely for prepping for SAT. Here are a few simple things that you can do to keep your children on track:
Stick to a schedule
It is important for students to follow a routine when learning at home. Set aside around one to two hours of time every day for studying the course material. You can create a weekly timetable about the topics you plan to study. Ensure that no one disturbs you during your study time. Pick a place in your house where there is less disturbance and noise. There are more chances of you failing the examination without commitment and discipline towards studying for SAT. Focus, dedication, and hard work will help you in cracking SAT with flying colors.
Mental math
Source: elitedatascience.com
You won’t be able to use a calculator in one of the math sections of SAT. you will just have a pencil and a paper to do all the calculations. Thus it is important that you train your brain to calculate simple math equations without having to use a pencil. By doing this, you will save a lot of time which will come in handy in solving tough problems. The internet has a lot of mental math problems. You can start practicing these math questions to train your mind.
Get a good tutor
The online learning industry is currently the best option to hire a tutor for your child. Since the tutor would be teaching through virtual sessions, you can find any good tutor from around the globe. There are a lot of e-learning portals that offer SAT customized courses for students. To get enrolled for online classes, your child has to give an SAT diagnostic test for his/her skill evaluation. Based on the assessment, your child will be assigned a tutor who will teach with complete dedication. One-on-one tutoring will be of great help to your child in clearing his/her doubts within time. If your child gets stuck or has some doubts, then the online tutor can help and ensure that the learning process isn’t halted.
Take breaks
Source: elitedatascience.com
Studying for long hours isn’t good for your mind. After a stretch of study hours, your mind gets fatigued and needs a refresh. Continuous studying will block your mind, and after some time, you won’t be able to grasp concepts. Thus, it is important to take small breaks in between studying sessions. Get up, stretch, and move around in the breaks to refresh your mind and improve your focus. Take a walk in the garden or a nearby park to rejuvenate your mind. You can even focus on your hobbies during this break to refresh your mind.
Test prep companies and Apps
The digital domain is a boon for 21st-century students. A lot of study-related apps like Ready4SAT, Vocab Genius, etc. have been designed for students to benefit from. A lot of e-learning portals like Etutorworld offer test prep services for students to practice mock tests and learn from online study material repositories. Make the most of these online portals to prep for SAT. By practicing mock tests, you will be able to train your mind to get into the examination mode.
Don’t cram
Mugging or cramping is a bad idea. You might be able to retain the concepts for a few weeks by cramming, but you will eventually forget them. Instead, you should focus on understanding the concepts by practicing and solving mock questions. Once the concepts are clear to you, solving tough questions will become easy.
As the world slowly comes out of lockdown, the SAT test dates will start reflecting on its portal. Thus it is in the best interest of the students to start their prep now to crack the SAT.
