How to get faster at SAT?

RHSclassof16 · October 12, 2014, 6:48pm

So I’m planning on taking the December 6 SAT, I’ve taken 2 full on practice tests from the blue book where I timed myself, and I’ve taken one where I just worked out these problems. By using the site college panda to approximate my score, I’m getting these scores. (I’m giving myself an 8/12 on most essays unless I feel it’s really bad one time I gave myself a 6/12)

First Timed Test

Math-580-5 incorrect, 12 blank/omitted/wrong on a non multiple choice
Critical Reading-560 (13 incorrect, 11 blank/omitted)
Writing-490-gave myself a 6/12 on essay (8 incorrect, 11 blank/omitted)

Total:1630

Second Timed Test (Took 2 weeks later after going over stuff a little more)
Math-630 (4 Incorrect, 8 blank/omitted or incorrect on a non multiple choice
Critical Reading-560 (12 incorrect, 12 blank/omitted)
Writing-520-Gave myself an 8/12 on the essay (9 incorrect, 10 blank/omitted)

Total:1710

I just worked through all of them without timing myself, my scores were significantly better

Math-710 (3 MC incorrect, 1 non MC incorrect)
Critical Reading-650 (10 incorrect, 3 omitted)
Writing-580 Gave myself an 8/12 on the essay and had 10 incorrect, 2 ommited

Total:1940

I’m taking the December SAT, my goal for the first attempt is 1800 or higher, I feel like it’s possible I just need to get faster at all of them. Especially the math, I know how to do almost all the math but just not that fast. Writing I’m also pretty slow at. Reading to an extent but not near as much as Writing and Math. I just rush the reading sometimes and get easy passage questions wrong. So I want to stop that.

My goal scores by section for my first attempt in December would be

Math-670
Critical Reading-610
Writing-580

Total:1860

Then eventually by the end of my Junior year if I retake it in the spring (Which I probably will)

Math-700
Critical Reading:640
Writing:620

Total:1940

So does anybody have advice (Other than the obvious practice a lot which I’m already doing) to get faster and more efficient over the next 2 months? Any good strategies or any book/site for such strategies that you recommend? Thanks.

Harsh1296 · October 12, 2014, 10:22pm

Time yourself 5 minutes less. Do the sections for 20 minutes. The key is to do it with speed and efficiency. At first, you will be annoyed and intimidated because you obviously won’t finish it on time. With practice, you WILL finish sections within the time limit. Review why you got the questions wrong. Learn the basics. Learn faster methods. Check the official methods and how they differ from yours. Use the faster one. On test day, time will actually go by faster than that where you take a practice test home. This is because you will be paranoid and nervous. After mastering sections within 20 minutes, test day will be a breeze. Good luck.

meriks · October 13, 2014, 2:49am

For the Critical reading, my advice is to not read the passages at first. First do all the questions that ask about specific lines or words. For instance if the question asks about something from line 9 to 11, you can read from line 8 to 12 and answer the question accurately most of the time. When you are done with these questions, do the general questions, like “what is the general message of the passage” or stuff like that. By doing the general questions at the end it is likely you will be able to answer them as you did all the other specific questions.

Reading the passage as a whole without reading the questions at first is a complete waste of time imo.

For the math, learn all the quick tricks. All questions can be answered in a long manner. But there is always a trick, most questions, even some of the hards can be answered in less than 30 seconds if you know all the tricks.
I recommend the book “Dr.CHUNG’S SAT MATH” to practice, it is very hard, so if you get good at the hard questions you will likely get quicker at the easier ones.

How to get faster at SAT?

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