College Entrance Exams

A lot of people are intimidated by the SAT. I think this has to do with the enormous amount of pressure to do well because the exam plays a bid part in college acceptance and scholarship money. But in truth, all it takes to do well is a good bit of preparation. The SAT is split into three sections: Critical Reading, Math, and Writing. However, many colleges do not even pay attention to the Writing score and are only concerned with the Critical Reading and Math. In order to do well on the Critical Reading section, you really need to brush up on your vocabulary. There are a lot of books available that are especially put together for SAT vocabulary and purchasing one of these can be really helpful. I got one of these, and I felt a lot more prepared for the section on test day. The Math sections consist of a lot of Algebra, which can make things tricky. My biggest complaint about this section was that there really wasn't an adequate amount of time provided, and you can easily feel rushed and flustered. Make sure that you have a graphing calculator with fresh batteries, too. It is a life saver on some of the problems. One last tip: get a good night’s sleep the night before and eat a hearty breakfast. You’ll feel a lot more refreshed and prepared for the test.

If you have any aspirations of doing well on the Advanced Placement English Literature and Composition exam, you have to be well read. There are no loop holes around this. Typically, the best way to achieve this is to enroll in the Honors level and Advanced Placement English classes in highs school, but you need to be prepared to read outside of the school curriculum as well. Make sure that your reading includes fiction, poetry, drama, and nonfiction from all time periods. The other thing you should brush up is your grammar. Make sure that you know what a direct object, indirect object and etcetera are. There will be multiple-choice question pertaining to these terms on the test. The final thing you need to make sure that you have a grasp on is “the language of literature.” There are tons of vocabulary terms that you will need to be familiar with. Do you know what an “epistolary novel” is? What about an “ekphrasis”? Or what is meant to “apotheosize” someone? You better make sure that you do before exam day. To familiarize myself with these terms, I used the glossary found in the back of the Barron’s Practice Book for Advanced Placement English Literature and Composition. I thought that it was extremely useful, and I would recommend it to anyone taking the exam in the future.

 When it comes to the SAT, ACT, or GRE, I always tell people that prep courses won't do much good. They don't teach you any new information. Rather, they give you practice tests and give you strategies on how to take the test in a smarter way (ie when to skip a question and when to guess). You can take the practice tests on your own, so there's no real point in taking an entire prep course for it.  That being said, there is one way in which the prep course is valuable, and that is that it forces you to practice. If you are someone who won't be able to make yourself study, a prep course might be a good option. Otherwise, I suggest you skip it.

I did not take my GRE until 25-year post-college graduation.  I don't recommend this.  There is a lot of review necessary, and you get out of the habit of taking tests.  I also don't recommend taking your general contractors' licensing exam if you are pregnant.  Too many hormonal interventions to think clearly.  I did pass the contractors' exam the second time, but only due to extensive coaching from my instructor.  It was a really big relief to pass the GRE.  I hadn't wanted and tried for anything similar in a long time.  Try to ensure you are in the best possible health as well.

When I was applying to college, I took both SAT and TOEFL examination. In my SAT exam, I had 720 in maths, 620 in writing skills and 640 in critical reading. I remembered that I had a lot of problems in English, especially critical readings but the following strategies were what I used to pass English outstandingly. 1. Practice many of this SAT prep textbooks like Kaplan, Barron, Princeton review, official SAT, and so on. Try to take note of all the mistakes that you make when grading your practice test. 2. After you have practiced about five to ten tests, you should be able to know your strong point and your weak points. Spend more time on the section that you perform badly in them. 3. Take note of vocabularies and unfamiliar words and try to know the meaning of as many as possible. On the average, I would recommend that you know at least 300 vocabularies. You could use flash cards, or you could just jot them down. 4. Avoid random guesses and guess only when you are able to narrow the correct options to two or three choices. These were the strategies that I used, and it worked for me. I hope they work for you too.

My entrance exam wasn't so much of a determinant for me to get into the school, but to determine what classes I would be taking. I scored exceptionally high in math, and therefore, went straight to Algebra for College Students.I believe it is above three other classes. I also scored somewhat high in English. I remember the admissions officer talking to me and telling me that I did very well, and that he was very impressed. It wasn't that hard, to say the least. The essay was pretty fun to write. It was all about myself.

I had a lot of fun taking the SAT. I did very well on it, walking away with a total score of 1910. I took a practice exam a few months before, and there were meetings after school for us to practice in the areas that we needed. I only actually went to a few of these, and did some of the exercises at home. I guess that I'm just really lucky when it comes to standardized testing. No amount of practice can really help me, because I can forget something I just looked at. I just have a knack for testing.

Most schools actually will push the effort of trying to get students ready for the SAT or ACT. In my old school, they focused on this via the development of PSAT and SAT prep programs open to most students - some  exclusively to those who scored highly on preliminary tests. I was such a student but really all they're showing you is very preliminary information and such. For example, you cannot just go to the daily, weekly class and expect to gain everything - My course lasted two years, and in the first year I didn't do anything outside of the class and only raised my score marginally. The second year I worked on some of the tests outside of class and studied SAT words - this helped when I took both tests in the long run.  But remember, each test is different, standardized, and unpredictable. Don't beat yourself apart over the inevitable.  

Months before I took the SAT, my parents signed me up for a tutoring program through the Princeton Review. I was set up with two other kids my age who were also studying to take the SAT. Although unwillingly, I begrudgingly dragged myself to tutoring for three hours every Saturday for nearly two months. My class ended up being pretty fun; we all got along and bonded over the work. And in addition, the many hours I had to spend doing exercises for the SAT greatly improved my score. The first time I ever took a mock SAT test, I got somewhere in the 1500s range. The first time I took the legitimate test, I got a 2140 (670 on math, 670 on reading, 800 on writing). While I would recommend taking a class to anyone who can, they are admittedly extremely expensive. To be honest, I think what helped me the most wasn't the tutoring, but the time. We had homework assigned to us out of a practice book, and then more practice tests on top of that. I would stay up late night after night, just trying to cram in more review or tests.The more often I practiced, the better my scores became. I guess the bottom line is that you get out of it what you put into it. Anyone can do well on the SAT; it focuses much more on test-taking strategies than actual knowledge. But there is no magical way to get a 2400 by taking a class or whatnot. If you sit down, work, and study your butt off, I can guarantee you'll get a score you're proud of.

I took the SAT exams while pretty unfamiliar with the American education system and the whole process of standardized examinations. I prepared for the SAT exams for only a month, and I must say that I did pretty well. During the one-month preparation period, I used the Princeton Review for practice exams and to familiarize myself with the whole SAT thing and just to get a hang of it. Despite being ignorant of the American system and the process of standardized examinations, I admit that these factors did not have any bearing on my performance. What I think must be emphasized upon while preparing for standardized examinations like the SAT is just the timing. Anyone preparing to take the SAT exam must take a timed exam to gauge their performance, and consequently, develop strategies to ensure that he/she is able to complete all the sections in good time. Another thing I realized while preparing for the SAT is that the examined is not in any way obligated to answer all the questions. If you do not know the answer to a particular question, I would advise that you quit wasting time thinking about it and move on to the next question. It might be easier, and you will get a point if you get it right. This will save you time and points. On the other hand, however, if you take your chances and guess the answer to a question, you will lose points for the wrong answer. Overall, I advise that students remain calm and relaxed throughout the whole exam. Believe me, being calm helps you perform better. Even in the exam room, don't think about the time. Just relax and do your best. The SATs are really not as hard as most people try to make it seem. And yes, it is possible to get a perfect score!

Oh the lovely SAT seems to be dreaded by every high school student (and for good reason).  So much seems to hang on the SAT.  I think I dreaded it so much because it was something that I did not think I could control.  I could perfect the admissions essay, I could pick teachers who I knew would write great recommendation letters for me, I could work hard in my classes to make sure that my grades looked good on the transcript, but what could I do for the SAT?  What if I blanked out on testing day?  What if I did not get a high enough score?  I was terrified of the SAT. However, I realized that I did not have to be.  The SAT is not as scary as it sounds if you prepare effectively.  Take the SAT your junior year and find out what areas you need to improve in.  It might be wise to do a couple of practice exams or practice problems before this.  Then before you take it again senior year prepare, prepare, prepare.  Buy an SAT study guide/practice book so that you can really prepare.  Time yourself when you take those practice exams.  Join an SAT study group.  Take a class.  I took a Princeton Review study class for the SAT which really improved my scores but there are a number of cheaper options available.  Put in the work and your scores should improve.  Good luck!   

It’s really interesting to me that you wrote how difficult the math section is. First off, I can’t really speak to the Writing section, as when I took the SATs they were graded out of 1600 and the writing was not an aspect of it. But, secondarily, I remember that most of the people I spoke to (and have since spoken to) said that although they felt that the math portion of this test (and all standardized tests) was difficult that when they got their results back they had done better on the math than they had on anything else.   As you wrote that you felt the math section was hard, I remembered that almost everyone else did too, so I wonder why it is that people always do better on this section than on others. For me, I did better on the math than the english as well, and I think that’s bizarre as almost everything I have done in the scholarly world has been either with English language, or with composition. Did you have a solid background in math, or were you (like myself and my compatriots) someone who wasn’t necessarily the best at math? Would it be terribly rude of me to ask how you did in the math section overall? I’m just interested to see how this stereotype I’ve formed plays out.  java602 wrote: A lot of people are intimidated by the SAT. I think this has to do with the enormous amount of pressure to do well because the exam plays a bid part in college acceptance and scholarship money. But in truth, all it takes to do well is a good bit of preparation. The SAT is split into three sections: Critical Reading, Math, and Writing. However, many colleges do not even pay attention to the Writing score and are only concerned with the Critical Reading and Math. In order to do well on the Critical Reading section, you really need to brush up on your vocabulary. There are a lot of books available that are especially put together for SAT vocabulary and purchasing one of these can be really helpful. I got one of these, and I felt a lot more prepared for the section on test day. The Math sections consist of a lot of Algebra, which can make things tricky. My biggest complaint about this section was that there really wasn't an adequate amount of time provided, and you can easily feel rushed and flustered. Make sure that you have a graphing calculator with fresh batteries, too. It is a life saver on some of the problems. One last tip: get a good night’s sleep the night before and eat a hearty breakfast. You’ll feel a lot more refreshed and prepared for the test.

I agree with a lot of what's already been said. Realistically, the SAT and ACT aren't that difficult and don't require studying. They test what you learned in high school, so if you paid attention in high school at all, you should be fine. That being said, I also think it's a good idea to check out strategies -- when is it better to skip a question? If you can knock out one answer, is it better to guess or to skip it? What if you can knock out two of the choices? Doing practice tests are always helpful, but obsessing over it is not. Relax, take a deep breath, and know that you know the material. If you come to a question of which you're not sure, skip it and go back before the time is up.

The last reply really resonates with me. I go to a community college, so I had to take their placement test. You should absolutely do everything you can to avoid being placed in the remedial classes. Of course, if you really do need remedial help, there is no shame in taking the remedial classes. But, if it's simply a matter of not having studied in a while, you should try to avoid it. There are lots of materials out there to help you prepare for the SAT/ACT, but I wouldn't recommend them. In my experience, a lot of them are geared to helping you find the right answer on the test and how to boost your score. You would be much better off asking what's on the placement test and just studying that. I struggled with math, so I got a math workbook. I had to start with one aimed at eighth grade students. Don't let your embarrassment stop you from getting the right material. Nobody has to know, and if you don't start at the beginning, you won't learn anything. I would recommend really trying to learn. Study as if you are taking the class again and don't think of it as just a placement test. If you really learn and understand the material, the test will be a breeze, and your classes will be much easier for you, too.

I took the SAT Senior Year before Graduation, and I studied my butt off, didn't take the classes, but made pretty good scares.  My advice to anyone who is going to take or retake the Exams, Review over the stuff you know, but spend enough time on the stuff you do not know, because most likely the stuff you don't know is the majority of the test, that's how my test was. It's a pretty big deal and you do want to do good, but don't over work yourself  or stress because that can be a set back for you, and it can cause you to worry throughout the whole test.  Also if your school offers the practice exams or prep class for free/ at low cost then take advantage of them, get in all the practice you will need because in the end it will make a difference, make sure you are reviewing and going over your stuff daily,It helped me in the long  and knowing what you need to work on can keep you focused, and you should work on that first because it's something you haven't mastered and something you may need to work on in order to get a decent score or something that you can be satisfied with. I