HOSTED BY

JUSTIN VAN WELY & KEVIN ROOT

WELCOME BACK TO TEST TAKING WITH PROWESS:

THE SAT COURSE

Day 3

1. ETQ – we’ll go over this later2. Weekly maintenance – questions, comments,

concerns, the exam this weekend3. The clock!4. Scores are in! – A&E is on the home page. Set

goals responsibly. Be sure you are visiting the website regularly.

5. Materials – everyone should now have a blue book and a course book. Bring the course book to every class.

6. A new method – QCT7. A not so “mathy-looking” way to get to the

right answer8. HW

Agenda:

Check = you did it!

Minus sign = you did it after it was due.

Zero = you didn’t do it YET. Note that this will be changed to a (-) once/if you do complete it.

First thing’s first – Homework Review

GETTING TO KNOW THE SAT 

The test is offered __7__ times a year in Oct, Nov, Dec, January, March/April, May, June.

To register go to www.___collegeboard.org__.There are __3__ main areas tested on the SAT: the

__math__ , the __critical reading___ , and the ____writing____ .

The best you can do is __2400__. That’s __800__ for each of the 3 areas.

The worst you can do is __600__. That’s __200__for each of the 3 areas.

Your raw score = the total number of questions you got right – _1/4_of questions you got wrong.

For Reading, the best raw score is _67_.For Math, the best raw score is __54__.For Writing, the best raw score is _49_.On the test, you will have 3 Math sections, 3 Reading

sections, 2 Writing multiple-choice sections, the SAT __essay__, and an __experimental __ section for a grand total of __10__ sections.

You always start with the Writing (the Essay) and finish with the __writing__ (a 10-minute multiple-choice section).

In general, you will have __3__ 5-minute breaks during the test, one every __2__ sections.

The sections and the time get __shorter__ as you go (1 – 7 = 25 min, 8-9 = 20 min, 10 = 10 min), but you will have less questions so the pacing __stays the same__.

The SAT Essay and the 2 20-minute sections (sections 8 & 9) are what separate the SAT from the __PSAT__.

Most colleges use __superscoring__: this means they will accept the best 3 sections no matter how many times you take the test.

Your __raw__ score is a 2-digit number that relates to the number of questions in each section

Your __scaled__ score is a 3-digit number that is a function of the number of questions and the difficulty level

Your __percentile__ is a 2-digit number that tells you how well you did compared to others from 0 – 99%

The __mean__ score is just under __500__ per section, or just under 1500 composite. We call this the __50__th percentile.

To translate from your PSAT scores to an SAT equivalent, we just add a _0_ to each PSAT number.

Inside the SAT (cont.)

SAT Course Intro and BTSProwess’s Path to 2400:

Focus on Form, not Score

In the beginning, you will mostly be getting comfortable with new ways of thinking about and taking standardized tests. Don’t worry too much over how many questions you are answering right during your first few homework assignments or on the first practice test; instead, concentrate on finding strategy in your process, using the Prowess methods, and developing a test-taking routine. Higher scores will come inevitably as a result of this.

Keep Track of Your Progress

Every new assignment and every test section you complete on your own will provide you with an opportunity for assessment. Use a notebook to record what types of problems are consistently giving you difficulty. Keep track of how many minutes it takes you to read a passage, and then see how many minutes it takes to answer each question on that passage. The more information you can obtain about how you are taking the test, the better you will be able to find ways to improve what you’re doing.

Don’t Give Up

The nature of a test like the SAT is to challenge you, so you can expect to find moments of frustration, irritation, and even hostility. It is important that you don’t let these frustrations lead to overall despair about the test. Instead, fight through the difficulty. If you are having trouble answering a question the usual way, try a new approach. Leave the question and come back to it a few minutes later after you’ve cooled off. The last thing you want to do, however, is leave that question unanswered. The same type of question that you can’t get now will be the same type of question you don’t get on Test Day—unless, of course, you do something about it.

Use the Resources

Prowess provides copious resources to help you achieve your max score on the SAT. When you are just starting out learning a new approach or even a whole new system, plan to have the reference guides out next to you. Let these resources guide you along like training wheels until you are ready to take them off and tackle the mean streets of the SAT alone. The beginning is all about learning. Once you start to memorize some of the techniques and strategies, then it will be time to focus on time management and application without using your notes. If you are worried about time now, keep in mind that almost every student who struggles with time is really struggling with how to answer questions. Time management problems are just the end result of a lack of familiarity with the content of the test.

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SAT Course Intro and BTS

Find Multiple Ways to a Solution

While you always want to find a system that works and then stick with that system for as long as it continues to work, it is critical to have a backup plan if and when that system suddenly fails. It is a common practice among great test takers to have not just one way to find an answer to a given problem, but several possible paths. For example, you may know what the formula is used to solve a highly difficult geometry problem, but what happens when the dimensions you need to solve it are not given? You’ll want to have a Plan (B) MAKE A PICTURE? or even perhaps a Plan (C) CHOOSE YOUR OWN NUMBERS FOR THE MISSING DIMENSIONS and solve the question that way? Just knowing that there is always more than one way to solve a tough problem is the hallmark of an expert test taker and can be just the ticket to get you out of a jam on Test Day.

Think like a test maker, not a test taker

It’s not just a coincidence that this happens to be our slogan at Prowess. We know that the best test takers think of the SAT as a chess match between them and the test makers. The better they understand their opponent, the better their chances will be of winning the game. All test makers have structural preferences, discernible patterns, which can be uncovered by looking very closely at a large enough sample set of their tests. For example, you might have a teacher who only includes NONE OF THE ABOVE as an answer choice when that answer is correct. Similarly, ETS—the makers of the SAT—use consistent techniques to create trap answers, to hide subtle clues, and to make sure their tests are unique but fair. As you get to know the concepts that are tested, spend a little time getting to know the people who are making the test, as well. You will start to find the “tells,” as in a game of Poker, that gives their hand away and makes them seem a much less formidable opponent than you previously thought.

Take a lot of tests

From our years in the test prep business and as expert test takers ourselves, we can tell you there is no substitute for taking a lot of tests. A common saying is “The best geologist is the guy who has seen the most rocks.” Well, the best test takers are the guys who have seen the most test questions. It’s actually quite simple—the more tests you take, the more you will become familiar with the ins and outs of the SAT, and the better the chances that you will become an expert test taker too.

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SAT Course Intro and BTS

Meet Max M.M. Score, a perfect example of test-taking prowess. Max consistently scores 2400 on the SAT. This is because he

follows all the Prowess methods and knows exactly what to expect from the test makers on Test Day. Max knows all the classic traps and how to avoid them. He even anticipates the questions that he will be asked before he finishes reading the passages. We’ll show you how to take the test exactly like Max

Score by teaching you to think and approach the SAT precisely the same way he does. Get ready to score high, because we know there’s a Max M.M. Score in you!

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SAT Course Intro and BTS

Setting your test day goalWorking towards success on the SAT exam is a journey. Like any other journey, you want to map out your starting point, the road you’ll travel, and your final destination.

In this case, your final destination is your goal score on test day. How do you set this goal? . . .

- Most importantly, research the score ranges of your target schools. What do you need?

- Be realistic about your goals. What realistically will you do to get there?

- Assign your focus areas. Where are you struggling the most?

- Understand the raw score numbers. About how many more questions will you need to answer right in each section in order to reach your goal? GOALS TABLE

Signature

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Diagnostic Test 2 Test 3 Test 4MATHCRITICAL READINGWRITINGESSAY

37⁰

58⁰ x⁰

y⁰

z⁰

Notice that “at the top” is idiomatically correct in this context, whereas “on the top” is, in fact, incorrect

ETQ (A.K.A. Entrance Ticket Quiz)

Session 1

Please put your name somewhere at the top of this paper.

(Note: There is no grade for this quiz; however, should you feel the need for some quantification to accompany this assessment, we could always say that each question is worth ∏ points.)

1]

5. In the figure above, what is the value of x + y + z ?

(A) 85(B) 170(C) 180(D) 255(E) 360

2]

10. Stacy noted that she is both the 12th tallest and the 12th

shortest student in her class. If everyone in the class is of a different height, how many students are in the class?

(A) 22(B) 23(C) 24(D) 25(E) 34

3]

10. A bag contains only red marbles, blue marbles, and yellow marbles. The probability of randomly selecting a red marble from this bag is 1/4, and the probability of randomly selecting a blue marble is 1/6. Which of the following could be the total number of marbles in the bag?(A) 10(B) 12(C) 18(D) 20(E) 30

4]

20. A Salesperson’s commission is k percent of the selling price of a car. Which of the following represents the commission, in dollars, on 2 cars that sold for $14,000 each?

(A) 280k (B) 7,000k (C) 28,000k(D) 14,000/(100 + 2k) (E) (28,000 + k)/100

STEP 1: UNDERSTAND THE QUESTION“Q” – question = note what the question is asking

- underline or write it down“C” – concept = identify the concept

- organize the mental closet“T” – terrain = assess the terrain

- certain formats are susceptible to certain shortcuts, specifically

STEP 2: CHOOSE THE SHORTEST PATHchoose #s, work backwards, eyeball, ballpark,

make a picture, or do the math

STEP 3: DOUBLE CHECKbe sure your answer makes sense logically

QCT: The Prowess Math Method

HOMEWORK (due next meeting):

Please…remove your SAT flashcards from the back of the workbook and cut them into index card size.

A Copy Of This Powerpoint Can Be Found On Your Materials Page!