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Tackling the big tests: SAT
Taking the SAT is an intense experience. Be prepared, and if all else fails, guess!
By RYAN JENKINS
© St. Petersburg Times, published April 2, 2001
SAT: The very name of this 3-hour test can strike fear into the hearts of the bravest school kid, some 3-million of us who take the SATs every year. Some high schoolers took the test this past weekend. Some middle-school kids take it too, just to get ready for taking it later in our school careers.
Even though the test is the subject of controversy around the country (some colleges even are deciding to stop considering the scores), chances are still great you will be taking the test sometime, so it's useful to learn some tips and tricks.
That's what I'm here for. Being an eighth-grader who has taken the test twice, I know some stuff that may help you.
I felt a bit more confident this year, my second time around. Last year, the first time I took the test, I realized that a lot of the math questions were about geometry, which I hadn't studied then. So going into the test this time, I felt better because I now am taking geometry.
But even though this year's test had less geometry than I had expected, I remember two questions I took pride in completing because they were about what I was studying at the time.
The procedures
[Times art: Rossie Newson]
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When I went to Lakewood High School to take the test, the teachers in charge divided the group of 200 or so kids of varying ages and grades into three groups. I was in the group that had orange admission tickets, which are sent to your home after you register to take the test.
Other kids had blue or green tickets; these all seemed to be high schoolers, who were taking either SAT I or SAT II.
SAT I is the more common test; the SAT Registration Booklet says this "measures verbal and mathematical reasoning abilities." SAT IIs are one-hour tests "that measure your knowledge of particular subjects and your ability to apply that knowledge." For instance, one of the SAT IIs is on English-language proficiency.
All the SAT tests are mainly multiple-choice answers.
After about 20 of us were seated in a classroom and we had shown our IDs and tickets, a teacher read from a script: "Hello, today you will take the Scholastic Aptitude Test. . . ."
The test sections were divided this way: First, there would be two sections on either math or two on language. Whatever was not the topic for the first two sections would be the topic for the next two. To prevent cheating, people sitting near each other have test booklets with different topic sections.
After the double sections, we had single sections on either math or language, and these alternated until we had done seven sections.
You have half an hour to complete each of the first five sections; the last two sections get 15 minutes each
The teacher wrote on the board the start and stop times for each section, so you could check your watch. At the end of the time period, she called out, "Stop, pencils down."
After going through a few sections, we were given a five-minute bathroom break (which was barely enough time to get to and from the bathroom). Later we had a one-minute "stretch" break.
About those tips
Here are some of my strategies for filling all this time and answering all these questions:
I recommend guessing. If you can narrow your choices to two or three out of the four or five answers, the basic SAT booklet says it will generally be to your advantage to guess. And I am all for the joys of guessing.
I also endorse going back to check your work if you finish early. One problem I had was becoming incredibly bored if I finished a section early. But I did not go back to check, because I really did not want to read over the same 35 questions I had just gone through -- especially if it was math and there was work to check.
But you can skip a problem the first time around if you are having trouble, and then come back to it after finishing the section. Remember that the way the sections are timed, you have a little less than a minute to do each problem, so if something stumps you, skip to the next question. If you have time, come back to the tough ones.
If all else fails, remember it is widely believed that "C" is the most common correct answer on any multiple-choice test.
If you take the test
The admission ticket (it proves you have paid the basic fee of $24 for the SAT I. The three SAT II tests cost from $6 to $11 each.)
Acceptable identification (this can be your school ID, a driver's license, passport, etc.).
Two No. 2 (soft-lead) pencils.
Scientific or four-function calculator.
And this tip: Food and drink (and of course, smoking) are not permitted during the testing or the breaks.
When will I know my scores? You can pay ($20) to receive your scores by telephone about two weeks after the test date, or wait about three weeks to get them by mail; the mailed results are included in the basic fee.
The College Board, which creates and operates the testing, will automatically send your scores to up to four colleges of your choice; each additional school notified is $6.50.
After you take an SAT test, you can order a copy of that test, with the correct answers; this costs $10 and includes a report on whether you answered correctly or omitted an answer for each of the test's questions.
How can I find help? The College Board has free booklets of general test-taking information. It also sells books, videos and software to help you prepare. The Web site is:
Other Web sites that offer information or test-taking help:
When is the next test date? The SAT tests will be given May 5 and June 2. You can register online for the tests, using a credit card; or, you can mail your registration and fee using the forms inside the Registration Bulletin, which most middle and high schools have. Or you can call tollfree 1-800-921-9000, Monday-Saturday, to order the Registration Bulletin.
Ryan Jenkins, 14, is an eighth-grader at Baypoint Middle School in St. Petersburg.
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