6 easy ways to improve your SAT score
Exam: SAT Test - Scholastic Assessment Test: Reading, Writing and Language, Mathematics
SAT can be entrance not only to the college of your choice but also to path of improving English. With whatever purpose SAT is given, people always strive for good scores. Thoughts of improving SAT scores could be nail-biting-even more nail-biting for the mediocre students.Students can find in market different books giving so called 'formulas' for good SAT scores. While these formulas may work for some student, those simply don't work for another.It might sound quite discouraging; but, truth be told, there isn't any simple formula for success in SAT. Although excuse can't be given to the hard work, there are some easy points, which if given consideration, will significantly improve your SAT scores. Here are such 6 points
1) Vocabulary-If given painstaking attention to vocabulary in SAT, one can improve the critical reading section by good points, which eventually results in higher SAT scores. There are 67 vocabularies in context and paragraph reading questions in critical reading section.Out of them, there comes 19 sentences completion question, not to forget vocabulary in context question from paragraphs, both of which demands good knowledge of vocabulary. Good insight into vocabulary gives good understanding of passage as well, which can further aid in improving scores.
Wait! Don't take this as hard task. In SAT, you don't always have to know exact meaning of words. Sometimes, only distinguishing positive and negative words also leads to the correct answers. Learning more about suffix and prefix and word roots significantly decreases the burden of learning vocabulary. To avoid the boredom, the students can also create a card game with vocabulary. Doing this one can learn while enjoying.
2) Time Frame-It’s not concealed fact that SAT should be given in fixed time frame. So, obviously, time frame is of great importance. Even by knowing this fact some students disregard it. There are some sections to be completed in 25 minutes, some in 20 minutes and one even in 10 minutes. Finishing the test in time requires students to allocate fixed time to each question. This trait only develops, if students put into consideration the fact f time frame while giving a practice test.
If one gets stuck in any questions, one should move ahead and come back to the question if there is any time left. With developing this demeanor, students can easily succeed in attempting all questions leaving behind chances of not attempting all answerable questions. Even in different SAT preparation books you can find 'one of the handiest tools' title given to the 'time frame' for it helps in increasing scores with little effort. So, keep a good track of time even while you are practicing.
3) Guess-This point might have often put you baffled but the explanation below will efface your confusion. Students are aware that College Board gives penalty for each answer; but, don't panic, it penalizes only one-fourth while rewards one entire point for correct answer. If the student is able to eliminate out of 5 answers only one wrong answer, the probability of getting right answer increases. Just think, how significantly the probability can be increased if students can narrow their answer choice to two answers. Even if you get wrong, thanks to your elusive luck, you don't get that big penalty. If guess went fine, high score is yours. So, guess only when you are able to eliminate wrong answers.
4) Avoid reading instruction-In the beginning of SAT, what you will see is the long instructions written inside box. Students should avoid reading instructions; but beware, not all instruction should be avoided. Instructions that you see at the beginning of all sections are always same for specific sections. So, it is only redundant to reread it again and again. However, weight should be given to the instructions of math section. The students who seek high score must memorize all the formulas and properties given in the box of instruction. Remember, SAT is the exam in which even 'seconds' count. So, no one wants to kill time simply turning the paper to look a instructions.
5) Tackle easy questions first-If the students have ever gave their eyes to the entrance practice books, then they must be aware of the 'difficulty level' of SAT questions. If not, they shall learn it here. The questions on SAT, except the questions of paragraph based reading, follows a difficulty level pattern; the questions from any sections which appear at the first are easiest and at the hardest. Try not to focus on easy question, which you can solve rather than being stuck in hard questions. If the students bog down at hard questions then they might lose confident which in turn can be lethal for their desire to get good score. So, always tackle easy questions first.
6) Process of Elimination-The process of elimination applies both to the questions and the answers. To get the good score, the students must learn when to eliminate the questions and the answers. To answer the question of SAT, you don't have to exactly know the correct answers. As mentioned in the point 'Guess'', the probability of getting right answers increase with elimination of wrong answers.
Learning to eliminate the answers won’t be sufficient. Students must also learn to eliminate the question. Don't attempt the questions if all the answers are obscure.Remember this mantra, ' you don't have to attempt all the questions to do well in SAT.’ So, don’t ever try to answer too many questions as by answering fewer but correct answers, you can increase your score significantly.
These points can come handy to increase your scores. But wait; there is one more point to be made, in fact, a most fundamental point. Just imagine a scenario when one has to cross the mountain but never dare to move out from his house. Similarly, now think how one can apply their knowledge about getting higher score without practicing.So, practice as much as you can.Take the practice test.Judge your score. Set target. There are many free online websites which offers the students the opportunity of taking full practice test as of real SAT. Doing more and more questions ill not only increase your acquaintance with the content of SAT but also increase your confident.To be more explicit, there is no substitute to hard work. So, the more you practice, the more successful you can become in your attempt of getting high scores