<p>Alright this is my copyright of the pencil trick to decrease seconds on the test. It has been a long tradition that everyone buy regular pencils (non mechanical), but do you really understand the reason? </p>
<p>The reason why us pros use a regular pencil to test day is because it decreases our time bubbling. For example, when writing the essay portion of the test, the regular pencil does not sharpen itself and continues to get even more blunt as we use it more. This blunt surface allows the student to quickly answer questions because more surface area covers each dot and less bubbling time is required. This is why we use them folks.</p>
<p>So remember.</p>
<ol>
<li>Use pencils on essay test, and switch off your pencil collection so that you have several blunt tips. </li>
<li>Make sure to practice bubbling like a machine until a 3 cirlce motion is established.</li>
<li>Take the dang test already.</li>
</ol>
<p>I hate writing the essay with a wooden pencil. So, if the proctor doesn’t care/observe carefully enough, I sneak in a mechanical pencil (preferable one that looks like a wooden pencil.)</p>
<p>And another piece of advice: don’t waste your time bubbling in after every question. Write the answer next to the question really big. Then, when you have like 5 mins. to go, go back and bubble in like a mad man.</p>
<p>the writing could be bad with regular pencil, however why would you write in questions on the test next to it, just do it once you finish answering in your mind. if needed go back to questions you don’t know but its just a waste to write an answer big next to it, than go back and than bubble. plus the pencil is thicker so it requires less amount of time to buble</p>
<p>“Using a blunt pencil to bubble has saved me minutes per section.”
How long does it take you to bubble with a sharp pencil???
For me it takes max like, 3 seconds.</p>
<p>With a sharp pencil it takes me a bit longer, since I’m one of those people who gets extremely annoyed if the bubbling isn’t perfect… Besides, if you save 2 seconds per question x35 for the writing section is over a minute :P</p>
<p>"How about you learn to answer the questions such that you have at least 5 minutes to go back and review.</p>
<p>That way you don’t have to resort to stuff like this. "</p>
<p>I don’t take the SAT anymore, I go to Berkeley now. Plus, I saved tons of time so that I could correct the hardest questions 3 times. I am only sharing my way to save extra time.</p>
<p>Well I think the most important advice anyone can give you regarding pencils is that… BRING MORE THAN ONE PENCIL!! (and the right kind too).</p>
<p>During my test… I met a kid who realized he had been using the wrong type of pencil and I learned my lesson when my pencil broke on me three times during the essay section.</p>
<p>I hate bubbling in with a dull pencil. It feels… nasty.</p>
<p>And bubbling is a tiny portion of the test taking time. I spend my time filling in the bubbles all nice and neat, and I still have 10 minutes on average to go back and check my answers.</p>
<p>Honestly… putting a plug in for your website when all you’re saying is ‘bring pencils, the blunt pencils will help you bubble in faster.’ That’s kinda sad.</p>
<p>Every little bit helps.
How about this method.
Write down or cicle the answers on the test booklet. Then when done with each section, bubble in the answers all at once. This way you don’t have to go back and forth between the answer sheet and the test booklet and waste time.</p>
<p>That’s what I do as well. Sometimes it sucks though, like on the Math SAT II I had to write down all of the answers in about a minute and a half xD</p>
lol.</p>