SAT Facts & Checklist: Get Oriented to the SAT

SAT

SAT prepIf you’re taking the SAT this fall, you are probably tired of hearing about test-taking strategy, sentence completions, grid-ins, analogies, geometry, and the never ending list of possible topics on the exam.

Take and break from problem-solving and  prepare yourself for the SAT by familiarizing yourself with the SAT’s history, trivia, what to expect on test day and best practices for the night before.

Lest you get too bogged down in test strategy, let’s establish some basics facts:

The SAT was launched in 1926. High School students in the United States have been taking the exam, in some form or another, ever since.

  • “SAT” stands for Scholastic Aptitude Test.
  • About two million students sit for the SAT worldwide each year.
  • The mean SAT score is 1520 (out of 2400).
  • The SAT lasts 3 hours and 45 minutes.
  • There are 10 sections in total on the SAT.
  • There are 3 Math Sections on the SAT.
  • Every SAT has an experimental section used to test the efficacy of new questions.
  • Your score on the SAT could qualify you for scholarship opportunities.

The best prepared students know what to expecct on Test Day:

  • The SAT (and all other College Board exams, for that matter) begins at 8am sharp. Plan to arrive at your testing center at least 15 minutes before.
  • You should bring your admissions ticket, a photo ID, two #2 pencils, a soft eraser and an acceptable calculator.
  • You will be provided blank scratch paper.
  • No Food or Drink will be allowed in the testing room. Eat and drink before!
  • Do not bring your cell phone (you won’t be able to use it anywhere in the test     
  • center), electronic devices, or anything extraneous (don’t know that word? look it up!).
  • You will have three short breaks between sections.

* The College Board put together a FUN video that simluates the test day experience: http://sat.collegeboard.org/register/sat-test-day-simulator#tdsFlashContainer

 

Here’s a quick SAT Math Check-List to make sure you’re on the right track:

  • Familiarity with Exam Format & Question Types
  • Mastery of Math and Verbal Content
  • Regular Practice Tests before Test Day
  • A Stock of #2 Pencils and Eraser & A Calculator Ready
  • Lots of Sleep the Night Before
  • Sound Breakfast & Water

Keep in mind that countless students have been in your shoes:

If 2 million students sit for the SAT each year, and the SAT has been around since 1926, how many student have taken the SAT?

Try that for an SAT math problem!  

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