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Preparing Your Child for the SAT. Priority #1 - Timing. All juniors who are college-bound or considering college should take the SAT as a junior January Test For students completing Algebra II or higher level math class Semester 1 of their junior year June Test
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Priority #1 - Timing • All juniors who are college-bound or considering college should take the SAT as a junior • January Test • For students completing Algebra II or higher level math class Semester 1 of their junior year • June Test • For students completing Algebra II or higher level math class Semester 2 of their junior year • Most students take the test at least twice • June of Junior Year • Mainly for students who are weak in English and have junior English Semester 2 • October of Senior Year • Students should complete SAT study plan during summer between junior and senior years to best prepare for this retesting date
Retaking the SAT • Seniors taking the test a second time • 55% Improved their scores • 35% Had lower scores • 10% Had no change in score • On average, juniors repeating the SAT as seniors improved their combined critical reading, mathematics, and writing scores by approximately 40 points
Priority #2 - Preparation • The best preparation for the SAT is a rigorous high school schedule comprised of Honors and AP courses
Priority #3 – Use the PSAT • Take the PSAT in Grades 9, 10 and 11 • Why the PSAT? • Best preparation for the SAT • Uses similar questions and same directions • Qualify for scholarships • Compare scores with other college-bound students across the country • Forecast SAT scores • Get personalized feedback on skill strengths and weaknesses • Identify your child’s potential for AP courses in high school
Priority #4 – Test Prep Sessions • Test Preparation Sessions @ NCHS • Sessions Occur During SET • 2 Test Confidence Sessions • 4 English Sessions • 4 Math Sessions • SAT Blast • Occurs day prior to the SAT • Students take two 80 minute sessions • 80 minutes on English • 80 minutes on Math
Priority #5 – Preparation at Home • Use online resources to prepare a study plan sat.collegeboard.com/practice/sat-skills-insight • Complete practice tests including at least one full-length practice test • Can be found online • Can be purchased in SAT study guides • Take mock SAT in March @ NCHS • Carefully evaluate test taking strategies to figure out what works best • www.sparknotes.com/testprep
Other Suggested Ways to Prepare • Take SAT Prep class at NCHS • This year there was only one section Quarter 1 • Considering offering two ½ credit options • SAT Prep – English • SAP Prep – Mathematics • All courses run based upon student request • College Board offers an online prep course • Cost $69.95 • CCPS is exploring companies who are interested in offering SAT Prep services such as Kaplan, etc. • Unclear at this time if this will be available and if there will be a cost to the student
Proven Keys to Success • Practice makes perfect! • READ, READ, READ! • Turn off the electronics (unless it’s an eReader) and pick up a book. • Students consistently tell us the most challenging part is the vocabulary • Get top 100 SAT words • Consider purchasing a SAT words book • Suggestion: Hot Words for the SAT published by Barron’s at cost of $9.99
The SAT Things You Might Not Know
How difficult is the SAT? • On average, students answer 50 or 60 percent of questions correctly • 80 percent finish nearly the entire test • Almost all students complete at least 75 percent of the questions
Timing is Everything! • Test is 3 hours and 45 minutes of testing time, plus three 5-minute breaks, for a total of 4 hours to complete the entire test. • Can’t spend too much time on any one question. • Spend seconds on the easiest questions • Hesitate to spend more than 1-2 minutes even on the hardest questions • The SAT consists of a series of small, timed, mini-tests. • Students must keep track of the time allotted for each one and how much time remains. • Test takers should wear a watch to the testing center.
Understanding the Scoring! • Test takers get a point for a right answer. • Test takers lose one-quarter point for a wrong answer. • There is no deduction for omitted answers, or for wrong answers in the math section’s student-produced response questions. • Each of the 3 sections is on a 200 to 800 point scale.