MYTHS ABOUT THE SAT

According to the Princeton Review, there are four predominate myths regarding to the SAT. Here they are, along with my comments in the (**)!

MYTH #1: The SAT is a test of intelligence and my scores are a good indication of how I will do in college.

FACT: Your SAT scores reflect how good you are at taking the SAT (as well as how much time you spent preparing)–and that’s about it. Nevertheless, admissions officers continue to place great weight on this test. So it’s important to do well.

**The SAT is NOT a true test of intelligence, as there is no test that is a valid test of human intelligence. The very definition of intelligence is still debated among scholars and psychologists today! The SAT is a very important test that, in most cases, will have a large influence in your acceptance into a college or university. The time preparing is also reflected in your score, but test prep courses do cost money, and are sometimes not an option for many students.

MYTH #2: The SAT tests complex math concepts.

FACT: SAT math can seem challenging because of the way the concepts are tested, not because of the concepts themselves. The math sections include concepts you learned in the seventh or eighth grade, like arithmetic, basic geometry, basic algebra and algebra II. You won't see any calculus or trigonometry on the SAT.

**The math concepts on the SAT will not be difficult if you remember all the way back to 7^th, 8^th, 9^th, or 10^th grade where algebra, algebra II, and geometry are taught. I am the kind of person that forgets the concepts right after I was tested on them, so the math portion was extremely difficult for me. If you are in any way like me, look online for practice math problems, or borrow a younger sibling’s math book to practice problems.

MYTH #3: You can't really improve your Critical Reading score.

FACT: You can improve your Critical Reading score by expanding your vocabulary. Reading comprehension and sentence completions all rely upon your understanding of the words in the questions and answer choices. So read books, newspapers and anything else you can get your hands on, and check out our SAT prep for additional vocabulary-building tools.

**Critical Reading is a difficult portion for many students because of the time crunch. If left alone with the story, it would probably be much easier to leisurely read and answer questions from it. I suggest taking an Etymology class, a course offered to sophomores and older at some high schools. I also recommend signing up for “Word of the Day.” Here are some links for different “Word of the Day” subscriptions!

1)    http://www.askoxford.com/contactus/wotd/

2)    http://www.yourdictionary.com/word-of-the-day.php

**The New York Times offers a “Word of the Day” AND a Test Prep “Question of the Day.” SIGN UP for EXTRA PRACTICE!

1)    http://www.nytimes.com/learning/students/satofday/index.html

2)    http://www.nytimes.com/learning/students/wordofday/index.html

MYTH #4: It's better to leave a question blank than to guess.

FACT: Not necessarily. You receive one point for every correct answer, zero points for every question you leave unanswered and minus one-quarter of a point for every incorrect answer If you can eliminate even one of the answer choices, guess! From a purely statistical standpoint, this approach will gain you more points over the whole test than you'll get by playing it safe and leaving the questions blank.

**Since you do get deducted for every wrong answer, do not guess on a large quantity of questions even if you can eliminate one answer. I was always taught that if you can get it down to two answers, then you are safer to guess. But if you have absolutely no clue, and eliminating even one option still leaves you clueless, it is better to leave it blank. You can always come back if you have some time left.