By: Steve Patterson
Submitted: 2010-12-11 11:53:45 | Word Count: 526
Is your SAT test preparation program providing you with strategies to get a 2200-plus score on the SAT? There is no substitute for hard work. But in addition to working hard, you need to work in the right direction. Strategies for SAT test preparation would be of no use if you do not implement them while writing SAT practice tests, or just solving some SAT pre test questions. Most SAT test takers aim for the 2200 mark. A SAT exam score that’s even close to 2200 is possible. And you do not need an Einstein-like intelligence to achieve that. Here are a few strategies that I find important for crossing the 2200 score on the SAT test. All these strategies help you guess smartly while saving time and preventing you from making silly mistakes.
Knowing the Test Directions beforehand
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The directions on the SAT are always the same. It would be a great idea to know them from the moment you start your SAT test preparation program. This will save you time when you take the actual SAT. Let me clarify this with an example. The SAT test paper would have three main sections further divided into few subsections, making a total of eight. Now, if you spend even one minute reading the directions of each of the eight sections, you end up being eight minutes short of the total allotted time. By knowing the directions in advance, however, you could have utilized those eight minutes into solving SAT problems.
Do not be the sheep
Most SAT test preparation programs would tell you to answer the questions in order. This is totally absurd. Most scorers know the fact that moving through the test efficiently, not necessarily in the order of questions, is the key to scoring high on the SAT. If you cannot answer a question in one minute, skip the question- no need to challenge your ego there. This is because the SAT does not differentiate in terms of awarding points between easy questions and hard questions. If you feel a particular question could be solved in the next attempt, you should circle the question and move on. Circling would help you locate those questions easily.
Guessing: Forbidden or Forgotten
There is no strategy more debatable than guessing. Most people would ask you to never guess an answer. What they do not understand that guessing is a strategy, which if properly implemented, can maximize your SAT score. The SAT does not penalize you for guessing. Does it? By eliminating one or more than one answer that shouts out loud it’s incorrect you can turn the odds in your favor.
Let me explain this scenario. The SAT deducts a quarter point (1/4) for an incorrect answer. The fraction points that a student loses on the SAT actually compensate for the points that could have been won through random guessing. You should be able to eliminate one or two wrong answer choices on most SAT problems.
There are some more strategies that I would cover in the next few articles. Stay posted for some expert advice and SAT test preparation strategies.
