Are you looking for some SAT Tips and Tricks for your upcoming test? In this blog, we’ll cover a little bit of everything, so you can get an awesome score on your upcoming SAT.
Tip #1: Stack and Add (or Subtract)
This tip helps with systems of equations questions on the math section of the SAT. The majority of the time the SAT has questions about systems of equations, you can stack the equations together. Then, you can either add or subtract them to help find your answer. For example, if you have a system of equations, and the question is asking for something like x+2y, you don’t necessarily have to solve for either x nor y. Instead, see if you can stack your equations and find out what x+2y is that way, without having to solve for both variables. Remember to always check of adding or subtracting will help you get your desired result!
Tip #2: Perfect Answer First
This tip is for the reading section of the SAT. As humans, we are very susceptible to the power of suggestion. If we read a bunch of answer choices, we want one of them, hopefully the first one, to be correct. So instead of going back and re-reading the text, we’ll assume that answer choice is correct. It’s easier to take this lazier approach on multiple choice questions. This may help in school tests, but the SAT is testing analysis, synthesis, and nuance. Sometimes the techniques you use in school won’t be helpful. Instead of cherry-picking your way to a bad answer, try to find the perfect answer first.
When taking the Perfect Answer First approach, read the question, and DO NOT read the answer choices. Instead of looking at the answer choices, go to the paragraph or section the question is referencing, and then come up with your own answer for that question. Once you’ve come up with your perfect answer, go back to your answer choices. Examine how the answer choices match up with the perfect answer you’ve created. Make sure not to make any leaps in deduction!
Tip #3: Transitions
This is a tip for the writing section of the SAT. It is similar to Tip #2 in that we don’t want your brain to pick the lazy choice. The power of suggestion often plays into the writing section as well, because it is easy to read things in place. Your brain wants to force fit that as the right answer. To help with transition word questions, scribble out the word in the passage given (write the word next to the answer choices so you remember what it is.) Next, reread that sentence and anticipate what word you would put in that place. Next, check out the answer choices and see what answer choice matches up with the word you anticipated.
