How to achieve a great SAT score!

What is the SAT?

A standardized college admissions test in the US, which has been running since 1926. Over the years the SAT has gone through many changes adjusting to the modernization and innovation in education.

Let’s break down the SAT and understand the main concepts

The SAT aims to prepare the student for college entry. Each individual is measured in key skills like, computation ability, reading comprehension and clarity of expression. The new adaptation of the SAT has changed to the following: Each section must be done in the following order with an allocated time to each question.

At International Academic Centre we can give you some tips on how to do well on the SAT, so let’s crack on!

The writing section can be slightly tricky but here are our methods to achieve an awesome grade in the SAT. The most important part during your preparation for the writing section of the SAT is to read! What, when and how much you are reading will definitely help you to develop your skills in this section. It’s good practice for what you will be facing during examination time. Understanding the logic of each question is vital, and you should take time to really break down the question as quickly as possible!

Read!

Familiarizing yourself with a solid English vocabulary, will enable you to develop better understanding of the problem at hand. Psychologically speaking, you perform better in things you know or feel more comfortable with, the same happens with reading. As we already mentioned, the SAT reading section has five passages. Unless you feel comfortable reading and understanding passages in general, this part could be a bit difficult for you. To do this, the SAT preparation classes that International Academic Centre, will prepare you to read daily, you can take simulations of the exam every two weeks and you will have at your disposal a preparation book and additional material, which will help you get a good score on the SAT exam.

Analyze all kinds of readings

The SAT reading section deals with many subject areas during the exam. We advise you try to read a variety of texts. This will improve your understanding in grammar and expand your vocabulary, and in turn, will help you in other areas of the SAT exam. At International Academic Centre, we advise you read the following: Literature of the 19^th century, articles on science, (physics, biology, physiology, math).

Increase your reading speed

Your reading speed will make a big difference in your performance. After all, you have to answer 52 questions based on 5 passages and 65 minutes. You must concentrate and capture all the information in one read. If you read too fast or too slow, you will only be adding more pressure to your test. During your SAT exam preparation classes, evaluate your speed and work to improve it. One way to know your ideal reading speed is to verify your retention level. What you must do, is read a passage at a certain time and write the essence of the passage in 5 sentences. In short, these 5 sentences should summarize the reading without diluting the author’s meaning or intention. The time you took will be your current speed. Once you know this, work to improve it.

Our tips during the SAT exam

Take a quick read

If you have read enough, your speed has improved and you will now be able to summarize the passage, you might then be ready to ready passages quickly during the SAT exam. After carefully reading the passages and questions, quickly read the text to locate all the necessary details you need to answer the question.

Take notes

The SAT exam passages are not the most interesting things you will read. On the contrary, they could be some of the most boring passages ever written. To avoid reading the passage again a third time, mark the sections of the passages that mention the main idea or take notes as you read. This will help you find the answers quickly.

Answer the easiest questions first

The questions in the reading section are not in order of difficulty but placed randomly and you do not have to answer them in chronological order. What we want to say, is that if you find a particularly difficult question, do not waste time and move on. In short, answer the easiest first.

Answer randomly

The new version of the SAT exam does not subtract points if you answer a question wrongly. In case you have many difficult questions to answer, do not hesitate to guess. You’ve got nothing to lose.

Breathe

The most important thing to do during the SAT is to stay calm and focused. Every time you feel pressured or blocked, remember to breathe. If you want to maximize the effectiveness of your preparation and minimize your time, SAT preparation classes will always be your best option. In Bogota, International Academic Centre (IAC) is a leader in the preparation of international exams such as the SAT.

Let’s get to work!