Specific tips for actually taking the test:
- BEWARE THE WRONG ANSWER THEME. This is always present on the test, and there will be 3-5 questions in a row that have answers that fit an incorrect interpretation of the passage. I actually used this to my advantage; it is pretty easy to pick up on the wrong answers theme, and once you do you can use it to cross out answer choices in other questions. For example, if a passage is actually about heartbreak but the wrong answer theme is about betrayal, I can eliminate answer choices in other questions that relate to betrayal and NOT the correct theme, heartbreak. IMPORTANT: You might be thinking that there is not much difference between heartbreak and betrayal; you are right, but on the test there will be very slight nuances that you have to find and pick up on while reading the passage.
- MARK QUESTIONS YOU ARE UNSURE ABOUT. Because time is SO limited, I would speed through the test the first time, but mark with a star all of the questions I am unsure about. Once I answer all of the other Qs, I would then refer back to the starred questions. Normally, I would end up having about 10 questions that I am struggling with. I can normally narrow them down pretty easily to 2 answer choices, so my final minutes on the test are spent picking between the two. This is the hardest part, and I don't have much advice about how to pick one final answer when both are tricky or vague; most of the time, I stick with my gut. There will always be one question that you can't decide it--if after focusing on it for a minute you still don't know the answer, leave it blank. That's what I did.
- LEAVE HARDEST PASSAGE(s) UNTIL END. The first passage on all three tests I took was always a poem or sonnet. The test makers (I speculate) do this to challenge you, bc you will struggle (like I did) if you are going from doing nothing to reading and analyzing complex poetry. You really need to warm up before you can dissect a poem well; so, I would always skip the first poem and instead begin with a short story excerpt, which is probably the easiest type of section on the test. Sometimes I would then go back to the poem or other times I would leave it until the end--do whatever suits you the best. You are less likely to make dumb mistakes on a poem if your brain is warmed up (by reading something else first).
- DO WHATEVER YOU NEED TO DO TO FOCUS. After taking like 10 SATs, I developed an almost bizarre routine that worked best for me. I would wake up 2 hours before the test and drink 2 Mountain Dews and eat eggs before 8 (start time). I would also pack Mountain Dews in my bag. At around 7 I would read a poetry piece I found online or article in the NYT to warm up my brain. On the way to the test center, I would get a Starbuck's Ice coffee (no milk) with a shot of espresso--it is absolutely disgusting but the caffeine rush is amazing. Once in the test room, I would down another Mountain Dew and chew on a Cliff Bar. Thus, when I actually start the test, I am fully alert. While taking the test, I get easily distracted by noises, so I would plug my ears with my fingers (commercial earplugs are banned). Also, bc I'm super ADHD, the sight of other test takes would also distract me, so I would hunch over my test book and shield my eyes with my hand; thus, the only thing I would be looking at is the test book. This worked for me--and now I have a 1570 and 800m2 and 780lit. No matter how strange, do whatever you need to do to focus!!!!!!!