| Contrary to popular belief, the SAT is not the single | | | | juniors and seniors are well equipped for the SAT in |
| most important moment of a high school student's | | | | terms of the subject matter they have studied in |
| academic career. Perfect SAT scores will not get a | | | | school. |
| "D" student into Harvard, and weak SAT results will | | | | Of course, if the SAT were that simple, many |
| not keep a valedictorian out of college altogether. | | | | students would receive 2400s. Students often |
| While this may be reassuring to many students and | | | | struggle with the SAT due to the test's timing, |
| parents, the truth is that SAT scores remain a | | | | scoring, and question style. At three hours and |
| significant component of the college admissions | | | | forty-five minutes over ten separate sections, the |
| process at nearly all schools, so strong SAT results, | | | | SAT can make for a grueling Saturday morning, |
| along with academic achievement and extracurricular | | | | especially for students who have not practiced taking |
| excellence, can often help a student gain admission to | | | | such a long test. It can be very difficult for an |
| the college of his/her choice. Despite the importance | | | | inexperienced student to maintain proper pacing, |
| of SAT scores, many students take the test without | | | | stamina, and focus over the span of nearly four |
| ever preparing or knowing what to expect, which | | | | hours, making SAT preparation a wise investment for |
| can be disadvantageous given the increasingly | | | | students. The test's scoring can also make things |
| competitive nature of college admissions. So what | | | | difficult for some students since incorrect answers |
| should students expect from the SAT? | | | | deduct a fraction of a point from each section's |
| Administered by The College Board, the SAT is | | | | overall score. As such, leaving questions blank can |
| designed to assess a student's capability for logical | | | | sometimes be advantageous, while other situations |
| reasoning. The current SAT, which was revised to its | | | | may necessitate educated guessing. Students who |
| current state in 2005, tests students in critical | | | | are unfamiliar with how the test is scored will be at a |
| reading, writing, and mathematics. Students receive a | | | | competitive disadvantage since they will not know |
| scaled score between 200-800 (with 800 as the | | | | when it is best to leave a question blank versus |
| highest score), for each of those three sections. | | | | guessing. Furthermore, the SAT often includes |
| Combining the three section scores provides a | | | | confusing phrasing into its questions, requiring careful |
| cumulative SAT score, making a 2400 the "perfect | | | | reading and a consistent approach. Students can also |
| score" on the test, although students can often still | | | | take many shortcuts on the SAT, particularly on the |
| miss a question or two and receive a 2400. The | | | | mathematics test, but they usually not obvious to |
| national averages for the SAT vary slightly from year | | | | students who are not already familiar with them. |
| to year, but they tend to hover around 500 for each | | | | For these reasons, preparing for the SAT ahead of |
| section, making an "average" cumulative score around | | | | time by reviewing subject matter and taking practice |
| 1500. | | | | tests can be an invaluable way to cut down on |
| While the SAT incorporates certain strategies that | | | | anxiety and improve test performance. While the |
| may be counter-intuitive to some students, its | | | | SAT is stressful, it is manageable as long as students |
| subject matter is relatively straightforward for most | | | | realize what they are being tested on. Strong SAT |
| high schoolers. The mathematics test only covers | | | | scores can make the difference between acceptance |
| algebra and geometry topics, so unlike the ACT, no | | | | and rejection at many colleges, and can also help |
| experience with trigonometry or precalculus is | | | | students win scholarship money at many institutions. |
| required to score well. On the critical reading test, | | | | So although the stakes are high, a good performance |
| passages are designed to be at or slightly below a | | | | on the SAT can be an extremely rewarding |
| standard high school reading level. And finally, although | | | | accomplishment. If students prepare for the SAT by |
| the writing test includes a timed essay, its other | | | | planning to approach the test in a logical and |
| questions focus only on common grammatical errors | | | | organized fashion, they typically score well and enter |
| while ignoring difficult areas such as punctuation and | | | | the college admissions process with confidence. |
| conventional expressions. In short, most high school | | | | |