The SATs

A Complete Overview

The Circassian Education Foundation

Topics of Discussion College Application Recap What is the SAT? The Writing Section The Critical Reading Section The Math Section General Test Taking Approaches FAQs Review Q&A

College Application Recap

General Timeline to Keep in Mind

• Talk it out• Begin

researching • Start

preparing for the SATs

Fall

• Speak with counselor

• Attend college fairs

• Make a list of schools

Winter

• Register for an SAT course

• Register for the SATs (May or June)

Spring

• College Visits

• Narrow your search

• Get apps ready

Summer

• Get Letters of Recommendation

• Begin applying

• Try for Early Decision

Fall

• Keep applying

• Get ready to complete FAFSA

Winter

• Time to see the fruits of your labor

Spring

• Discuss the acceptances

• Make a decision

• Submit paperwork

Summer

Junior Year

Senior Year

**Remember to Keep Those Grades Up All Four Years**

Start researching scholarships-there are thousands of them!!

• SAT I• SAT II• ACT• PSATs

• Grades are the major distinguishing factor

• Clubs• Volunteering• Sports

• Four years of English

• Three years of math• Three years lab

science• Three years social

studies• Two years of a

foreign language

Standardized Tests Grades

Extra-curricular activities

Prerequisites

What Colleges Look for in Students

Speak with your high school counselor to make sure you are taking the courses needed to prepare for college. Keep in mind, some college majors have additional course requirements, and different colleges have different standard requirements.

The SATs

The SAT Reasoning Test measures critical thinking skills you'll need for college.

The SAT assesses how well you analyze and solve problems—skills you learned in school that you'll need in college.

Typically taken by high school juniors and seniors.

Each section of the SAT is scored on a scale of 200—800, with two writing sub-scores for multiple-choice and the essay.

It is administered seven times a year in the U.S.

What are the SATs?

SAT Question Types The SAT includes several different question types, including: an essay,

multiple-choice questions, and responses (grid-ins). Subject matter covered

Critical Reading Mathematics Writing

The Unscored Section 25 minute section. Does not count toward score. Could be any subject

section. Used to try new questions out and ensures fairness on the test. Test Order

10 total testing sections. The first section is always a 25-minute essay and last section is always a 10-minute multiple-choice writing section. Sections two through seven are 25-minute sections. Sections eight and nine are 20-minute sections.

SAT Question Types

Test-takers sitting next to each other in the same session may have test books with entirely different content orders for sections two through nine (math, critical reading, and writing).

The Writing Section

Overview

•60 minutesTime•Grammar, usage, and word choiceContent•Multiple choice questions (35 min.) and student-written essay (25 min.)Item Type•200-800Score

The short essay measures your ability to: Organize and express ideas clearly Develop and support the main idea Use appropriate word choice and sentence

structure

You'll be asked to develop a point of a view on an issue, using reasoning and evidence — based on your own experiences, readings, or observations — to support your ideas.

Short Essay

Important Reminders: A pencil is required for the essay. An essay

written in ink will receive a score of zero. Do not write your essay in your test book. You

will receive credit only for what you write on your answer sheet.

An off-topic essay will receive a score of zero. If your essay does not reflect your original and

individual work, your test scores may be canceled.

You have twenty-five minutes to write an essay on the topic assigned below.

Sample Essay Questions

Directions are always the same. Familiarize yourself with them now and don’t waste time reading on test day. Move along to excerpt and assignment

Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below.

Many persons believe that to move up the ladder of success and achievement, they must forget the past, repress it, and relinquish it. But others have just the opposite view. They see old memories as a chance to reckon with the past and integrate past and present.—Adapted from Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot, I've Known Rivers: Lives of Loss and Liberation

Assignment: Do memories hinder or help people in their effort to learn from the past and succeed in the present? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

Sample Essay Questions Continued

The essay is scored by experienced and trained high school and college teachers.

Each essay is scored by two people who won't know each other's score. They won't know the student's identity or school either.

Each reader gives the essay a score from 1 to 6 (6 is the highest score) based on the SAT essay Scoring Guide.

Check www.collegeboard.com for samples of scored essays

Essay Scoring Guide

The multiple-choice writing questions measure your ability to: Improve sentences and paragraphs Identify errors (such as diction, grammar,

sentence construction, subject-verb agreement, proper word usage, and wordiness)

Multiple Choice

The Critical Reading Section

Overview•70 min. (two 25-min. sections and one 20-min. section)Time•Critical reading and sentence-level readingContent•Reading comprehension, sentence completions, and paragraph-length critical readingItem Type•200-800Score

Formerly known as the verbal section, Includes short as well as long reading passages. Questions can be based on one, or sometimes two, reading passages. Some questions are not based on reading passages, but ask you to complete

sentences.

Measures your: Knowledge of the meanings of words Ability to understand how the different parts of a

sentence fit logically together

Directions Each sentence below has one or two blanks, each

blank indicating that something has been omitted. Beneath the sentence are five words or sets of words labeled A through E. Choose the word or set of words that, when inserted in the sentence, best fits the meaning of the sentence as a whole.

Sentence Completion

Directions are always the same. Familiarize yourself with them now and don’t waste time reading on test day. Move along to excerpt and assignment

Example:Hoping to _______ the dispute, negotiators proposed a compromise that they felt would be ______ to both labor and management.

(A)  enforce . . useful (B)  end . . divisive (C)  overcome . . unattractive (D)  extend . . satisfactory (E)  resolve . . acceptable

Sample Question

The reading questions measure a student's ability to read and think carefully about several different passages ranging in length from about 100 to about 850 words.

Passages are taken from a variety of fields, including the humanities, social studies, natural sciences, and literary fiction.

They vary in style and can include narrative, argumentative, and expository elements.

Some selections consist of a pair of related passages on a shared issue or theme that you are asked to compare and contrast.

Passage-based Reading

The following kinds of questions may be asked about a passage:

Vocabulary in Context: These questions ask you to determine the meanings of words from their context in the reading passage.

Literal Comprehension: These questions assess your understanding of significant information directly stated in the passage.

Extended Reasoning: These questions measure your ability to synthesize and analyze information as well as to evaluate the assumptions made and the techniques used by the author. Most of the reading questions fall into this category. You may be asked to identify cause and effect, make inferences, recognize a main idea or an author's tone, and follow the logic of an analogy or an argument.

Passage-based Reading Continued

For each set of sample materials, you should: Read the passage carefully, Decide on the best answer to each question, and

then Read the explanation for the correct answer.

Directions The passages below are followed by questions

based on their content; questions following a pair of related passages may also be based on the relationship between the paired passages. Answer the questions on the basis of what is stated or implied in the passages and in any introductory material that may be provided.

Approaching Passage-based Reading

Sample QuestionThe questions below are based on the following passage.

"The rock was still wet. Theanimal was glistening, like it wasstill swimming," recalls HouXianguang. Hou discovered the unusual fossil while surveying rocks as a paleontology graduate student in 1984, near the Chinese town of Chengjiang. "My teachers always talked about the Burgess Shale animals. It looked like one of them. My hands began to shake." Hou had indeed found a Naraoialike those from Canada. However,Hou's animal was 15 million years older than its Canadian relatives.

In line 5, "surveying" most nearly means

(A)  calculating the value of (B)  examining comprehensively (C)  determining the boundaries of (D)  polling randomly (E)  conducting a statistical study of

Line 5

Line 10

Line 15

•70 min. (two 25-min. sections and one 20-min. section)Time•Multiple-choice questions •student-produced responsesQuestion Type

•200-800Score

Overview

Includes mathematics topics from up through a third-year HS courses, Can I use a calculator?

Yes. Students can use a four-function, scientific, or graphing calculator. The College Board recommends that students use at least a scientific calculator for the SAT, although it's still possible to solve every question without a calculator.

The Mathematics Section

The number of degrees of arc in a circle is 360.The sum of the measures in degrees of the angles of a triangle is 180.

Math References

In the xy-coordinate plane, line l contains the points (0,0) and (1,2). If line m (not shown) contains the point (0,0) and is perpendicular to , what is an equation of m?(A) (B)   (C)    (D)    (E) 

MC Sample Question 1

If k is divisible by 2, 3, and 15, which of the following is also divisible by these numbers?

(A)  k + 5 (B)  k + 15 (C)  k + 20 (D)  k + 30 (E)  k + 45

MC Sample Question 2

Questions of this type have no answer choices provided. Instead, you must solve the problem and fill in your answer on a special grid. Ten questions on the test will be of this type.

It is very important for you to understand the directions for entering answers on the grid!

This format allows you to enter many forms for answers-e.g. whole number, decimal, or fraction.

When there is a range of possible correct answers, your gridded response must lie within the range.

Student-Produced Responses

Sample Fill-In Sheet

Decide in which column you want to begin gridding your answers before the test starts. This strategy saves time. We recommend that you grid the first (left-hand) column of the grid or that you right-justify your answers.

If the answer is zero, grid it in column 2, 3, or 4. Zero has been omitted from column 1 to encourage you to grid the most accurate values for rounded answers. For example, an answer of 1/8 could also be gridded as .125 but not as 0.12, which is less accurate.

A fraction does not have to be reduced unless it will not fit the grid. For example, 15/25 will not fit. You can grid 3/5, 6/10, or 9/15. The decimal form, .6, can also be gridded.

Do your best to be certain of your answer before you grid it. If you erase your answer, do so completely. Incomplete erasures may be picked up by the scoring machines as intended answers.

Check your work if your answer does not fit on the grid. If you obtain a negative value, a value greater than 9999, or an irrational number, you have made an error.

Make an educated guess if you don't know the answer. On student-produced response (grid-in) questions you don't lose points for wrong answers.

Always enter your answer on the grid. Only answers entered on the grid are scored. Your handwritten answer at the top of the grid isn't scored. However, writing your answer at the top of the grid may help you avoid gridding errors.

Approaches to Student-Produced Responses

1. Of the 6 courses offered by the music department at her college, Kay must choose exactly 2 of them. How many different combinations of 2 courses are possible for Kay if there are no restrictions on which 2 courses she can choose?

2. Let the function f be defined by f(x) = x2 - 7x + 10 and f(t + 1) = 0, what is one possible value of t?

Fill-In Sample Questions

Number and Operations• Arithmetic word problems

(including percent, ratio, and proportion)

• Properties of integers (even, odd, prime numbers, divisibility, etc.)

• Rational numbers • Logical reasoning • Sets (union, intersection,

elements) • Counting techniques • Sequences and series (including

exponential growth) • Elementary number theory

Algebra and Functions• Substitution and simplifying

algebraic expressions • Properties of exponents • Algebraic word problems • Solutions of linear equations

and inequalities • Systems of equations and

inequalities • Quadratic equations • Rational and radical equations • Equations of lines • Absolute value • Direct and inverse variation • Concepts of algebraic functions • Newly defined symbols based

on commonly used operations Geometry and Measurement• Area and perimeter of a polygon • Area and circumference of a circle • Volume of a box, cube, and cylinder • Pythagorean Theorem• Parallel and perpendicular lines • Coordinate geometry • Geometric visualization • Slope • Similarity • Transformations

Data Analysis, Statistics, and Probability• Data interpretation • Statistics (mean, median,

and mode) • Probability

SAT Mathematics Review

General Test Taking Approaches

Take a prep course. Depending on your financial situation, there are a number of options available.

Buy a Prep Book and do the work. Spend time taking practice tests under

simulated conditions. Many sites offer free practice tests.

Read, Read, Read some more. Look up vocabulary that you are unfamiliar

with and make flashcards.

Test Preparation

Answer easy questions first. The easier questions are usually at the start of the section, and the harder ones are at the end. The exception is in the critical reading section, where questions are ordered according to the logic and organization of each passage.

Make educated guesses. If you can rule out one or more answer choices for multiple-choice questions, you have a better chance of guessing the right answer.

Skip questions that you really can't answer. No points are deducted if an answer is left blank.

Limit your time on any one question. All questions are worth the same number of points. If you need a lot of time to answer a question, go on to the next one. Later, you may have time to return to the question you skipped.

Keep track of time. Don't spend too much time on any group of questions within a section.

Use your test booklet as scratch paper. Mark the questions in your booklet that you skipped and want to return to. Check your answer sheet to make sure you are answering the right question. Make sure you use a No. 2 pencil. It is very important that you fill in the entire

circle on the answer sheet darkly and completely. If you change your response, erase it as completely as possible.

On Test Day

Frequently Asked Questions

The 2007-08 fee for the SAT Reasoning Test is $43.

Students from lower-income families, that meet fee-waiver eligibility guidelines and cannot afford test fees, should see their counselor to request fee waivers. Fee waivers are not permitted with late registrations (except for the October test).

High school juniors or seniors who are eligible to receive an SAT fee waiver can order up to four additional flexible score reports at no additional charge, while they are in high school. These four additional flexible score reports for fee-waiver eligible students can be used at the time of registration to order additional score reports beyond those included with the registration fee. They can also be used to send scores after scores are reported. Only four flexible score reports for fee-waiver eligible students can be used, regardless of the number of times a student registers.

Students who have previously used a fee waiver to register for the SAT or Subject Tests automatically receive flexible score reports for fee-waiver eligible students. Students who meet our fee-waiver eligibility guidelines, but have not yet used a fee waiver to register, can still utilize the flexible score reports. Students should obtain a fee-waiver card from their counselors and use the fee-waiver code, listed on the card, to order additional reports at no cost. Learn more.

What does the SAT cost? What about fee waivers?

Unless otherwise instructed, you need to arrive at your assigned test center by 7:45 a.m. and testing should be completed between 12:30 and 1 p.m.

The total testing time for the SAT is 3 hours and 45 minutes—not including breaks, check-in time, and pre-administration activities.

The total time you should plan on being at the test center is approximately five hours.

How much time do I have to complete the SAT?

Although for security reasons you cannot open or consume food or drinks during testing, you are encouraged to bring snacks in a book bag on test day.

These snacks must be stowed under desks or chairs in the testing room. They can be consumed outside the testing room, in designated areas, during breaks.

May I bring something to eat or drink during the test?

The SAT has three scores, each on the scale of 200 to 800.

Your score includes writing (W 200-800), mathematics (M 200-800), and critical reading (CR 200-800).

Two subscores are given for the writing section: a multiple-choice subscore on a scale of 20-80, and an essay subscore on a scale of 2-12.

How are SAT scores reported?

All students have access to a free, more detailed, online score report on collegeboard.com. Using the online report, you can access a copy of your essay.

Beginning in fall 2007: In addition to providing access to your essay, the SAT online score report now shows you more about how you performed on each section of the SAT Reasoning Test.

Can I find out more detailed information about my results?

The essay question will ask you to develop a point of view on an issue and support it with examples from your studies and experience.

You can answer the question successfully in many different ways.

You won't have to have any prior knowledge about the topic to write an effective essay.

What will I be asked to write about in the essay?

A college will be able to view and print a copy of your essay only if you sent an official score report to that college.

Writing scores may be used for admissions decisions and possibly for placement in English Composition or related courses. Check with individual colleges to see how they use your scores.

Will colleges see my essay? How will they use the new writing score?

Students with disabilities, whose documentation has been validated by the College Board, will receive testing accommodations. Students with disabilities that necessitate the use of a computer for writing will be able to do so for the essay portion of the writing section.

What about students with disabilities?

Both measure reasoning skills in critical reading, writing, and mathematics.

The PSAT contains actual SAT questions, but it is designed to be slightly easier than the SAT.

The PSAT is 2 hours and 10 minutes, whereas the SAT takes 3 hours and 45 minutes.

The SAT is used for college admissions, but PSAT scores are not sent to colleges.

The PSAT Score Report gives you personalized feedback on areas in which you could improve, along with specific advice on how to improve.

Taking the PSAT gives you a chance to qualify for scholarship and recognition programs and is the best practice for the SAT.

What are the similarities and differences between the SAT and the PSAT?

The College Board does not report scores that are lower than 200.

In reality, if they received a blank answer sheet, with only student identifying information filled in, it would be considered an automatic request to cancel scores and no scores would be reported.

Is it true that you get a 200 on the SAT just for signing your name?

All editions of the SAT are developed using the same test specifications.

Even if there are tiny differences in difficulty from test to test, a statistical process called "equating" ensures that a score for a test taken on one date or at one place is equivalent to a score for a test taken on another date or in another place.

The rumors that the SAT in one month, say in October, is easier, are false.

Are some SAT tests more difficult than other ones?

The SAT measures the critical thinking skills you'll need for academic success in college. It assesses how well you analyze and solve problems.

SAT scores are used for college admission purposes because the test predicts college success. The Subject Tests are one-hour, primarily multiple-choice tests in specific subjects.

Subject Tests measure knowledge or skills in a particular subject and your ability to apply that knowledge.

What's the difference between the SAT and Subject Tests?

You can take the test as many times as you want.

Your official mailed score report shows your current test score, in addition to scores for up to six SAT and six Subject Test administrations.

How many times can you take the test?

Most students take the SAT in the spring of their junior year and again in the fall of their senior year of high school.

Most students who take Subject Tests take them toward the end of their junior year or at the beginning of their senior year.

Because Subject Tests are directly related to course work, it's helpful to take tests such as World History, Biology E/M, Chemistry, or Physics as soon as possible after completing the course in the subject, even as a freshman or sophomore, while the material is still fresh in your mind.

You'll do better on other tests like languages after at least two years of study.

What test should I take first, the SAT or the Subject Tests?

To find out which test(s) you should take, contact the colleges you are interested in attending to determine admissions requirements and deadlines.

Most colleges require the SAT for admission and many other schools require both the SAT and Subject Tests for admission purposes or placement.

Some colleges require specific Subject Tests while others allow you to choose which tests you take.

It's best to check directly with the college admissions offices.

Which test should I take?

Wrap up & Review

The College Application Check List

Completed Application (Common or Individual) Transcripts-Sent by the Guidance Counselor Fees

• Each school requires a fee with each application-can range from $50-$75 dollars

• Fee Waivers-Available for both college applications and SATs• A Request for Waiver of College Application Fee may be obtained

from your child’s guidance counselor SAT Scores-Results are sent to the colleges your child designates on

the SAT registration form. College Essays - Appendix Letters of Recommendation – Appendix

NOTE: Get to know your child’s guidance counselor; they are an invaluable resource.

Useful Links www.commonapp.org - Common Application

Information www.collegeboard.com – Register for the

SATs/PSATs/ACTs http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/ - Financial aid information

resource. FAFSA is the form that determines your eligibility for federal and state aid.

www.usnews.com – US News & World Report rates the best schools for many different disciplines.

www.fastweb.com – Free Scholarship search engine. www.kaplan.com – Register for prep courses (Check

with CEF before joining) . www.youtube.com – Look up Eprepper.

Future CEF Events

Financial Aid: Get the aid you deserve. Sunday, 16 March 2008 6-8 PM, Nalmes Hall-CBA

Any Questions?

Contact US

Please feel free to contact us should you need additional information. Rasha Altidoka - rasha.altidoka@gmail.com Tamara Barsik – tamara.barsik@gmail.com Lisa Jarkasi – ljarkasi@gmail.com

Good luck and thank you!

The Circassian Education Foundation