Last Minute SAT Thrive Guide

The SAT changed, rendering my old thrive guide useless. Let's try this again, here's a last-minute cheat sheet for the new online SAT.

Format:

Part	Time (Minutes)	Number of Questions
Reading & Writing (Grammar)	64 (Two 32-minute modules	54
Math	70 (Two 35-minute modules)	44
Total	134	108

Notes:

• The first module for each section is a mix of easy, medium, and hard questions

• Second module for each section is leveled, easier if you struggled in module 1, harder if you didn’t.

• First half of each English module is reading, second half is grammar

• Math generally goes easy to hard, most math is multiple choice, with a few short answer

• All calculator active

Reading Reminders:

• Read the question first, to know how to answer

• Anything not underlined is there for a reason, you need to figure out why.

• Word choice can be based on denotation (Actual definition) or connotation (how it’s used)

  • For connotation:

    • Precision (Most accurate/perfect word)

    • Scale (Strongest or weakest word)

• Purpose = Big picture. What’s it there for?

  • Why did the author write a passage? OR

  • Why did the author use a sentence/

  • If you threw that sentence out, what would happen to the text?

• Structure = Order. 

  • Why did the author use that order? 

  • Look for time words that give away where things might go. 

  • What does using a particularly strange structure help the piece?

• Point and click vs. Reasoning

  • P&C:

    • Find the answer.

    • Questions like: What? When? Where?

  • Reasoning:

    • Find out why

    • Questions like: How? What purpose? Why?

• Graphs

  • Typically less about accuracy and more about how it can be used

  • Spend less time reading the graph and more time using the graph to answer the question.

Writing (Grammar) Reminders:

• Question will ALWAYS be the same (“Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?”)

  • Read answer choices FIRST and decide what has changed. Whatever is different between answers will tell you the precise grammar rule in question.

    • Ex 1: If words are same, but punctuation is changing, the question is asking about punctuation

    • Ex. 2 If words are different, but a similar part or function of speech, it is asking about that part or function of speech (I.e. four transition words as choices tell you to figure out the transition between sentences).

• Use Process of Elimination to get rid of wrong answers.

• Stop Punctuation:

  • When you see Stop Punctuation in answer choice, evaluate parts before and after potential Stop punctuation.

    • If BOTH before and after parts are COMPLETE sentences, ONLY use Stop punctuation. If EITHER before OR after is INCOMPLETE, DO NOT use Stop punctuation

    • Will usually eliminate all wrong answers, if multiple left though, eliminate wrong answers and re-evaluate between remaining possibilities.

  • Types of Stop punctuation:

    • Period

    • Semicolon

    • Question Mark

    • Exclamation Point

    • Comma FANBOYS (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so)

• Commas:

  • No. 1 comma rule: When in doubt, leave it out.

    • Look for a reason to use one, not a reason to not use one.

    • If you can’t find a reason to add one, don’t.

  • Two methods: Feel and Function

  • Feel:

    • Where does this sentence feel like it needs a pause?

    • Read sentence with dramatic pauses at each potential comma spot. If pause interrupts flow, eliminate that as a potential comma spot

  • Function:

    • Is there a grammar rule that tells me I need a comma?

    • DO use commas:

      • After intro clause (Before I go to the store, I should make a list)

      • In a list (I need apples, bananas, and peaches.)

      • To surround unnecessary info (Sarah, a teacher, majored in education)

    • DO NOT use commas:

      • Between adjectives and nouns (I have a small dog)

      • Between two complete thoughts, it is NOT Stop punctuation unless followed by FANBOYS (My dog is very small. He weighs around eight pounds)

      • Around necessary information (People who go to bed late are typically more tired) — without “who go to bed late” the sentence would mean something different.

• Other Punctuation

  • Colons

    • SAT colons are easy: they must have an independent clause (complete thought) before the colon.

    • Colons can do two things: introduce a list or provide an explanation

    • The first bullet above is two independent clauses and provides an explanation, the second bullet is an independent clause followed by a dependent clause and introduces a list.

  • Dashes

    • Two functions:

      • Between unnecessary info, just like commas

        • You must—for the SAT or otherwise—use two dashes together when separating unnecessary info

      • To introduce a list or explanation, just like a colon

        • Here, you’d only use one dash—at the break between the two parts of the sentence you’re separating.

• Verb Tense

  • Can be about time (past, present, future tense) or plurality (Singular or plural)

  • Look for “giveaway words”

    • Time: Match to other verbs, especially in a list (Last night, I ate dinner and watched TV)

    • Plurality: Find the word that is doing the action. Is it similar or plural? If singular, which verb matches that tense (Careful, singular present nouns usually do actions with an -s at the end)

      • Ex. My friend plans to wash his car today.

      • Ex. My friends plan to wash their car today.

      • Careful, sometimes there are both singular and plural nouns in the same sentence, which word is doing the action?

  • Know pronoun tenses as well.

    • Singular (his, her, him, her, he, she)

    • Plural (their, them, they)

    • People are not:

      • Whiches

      • Thats

      • Whats

• Transitions

  • Where is the transition?

    • Read before and after

  • What direction is the transition?

    • Same (furthermore, more, plus, also etc.)

    • Opposite (but, however, yet, etc.)

    • Example (for example)

    • Reason (Therefore, because of this, so, etc.)

    • If you have two choices in the same category, those are usually incorrect

• Quick-Hitters:

  • You’ll never be asked to differentiate between interchangeable punctuation or words. If you see this, both answers are wrong

    • Ex. Two answers are identical, except one has a period and the other has a semicolon. If so, they’re both wrong.

  • Don’t forget that comma FANBOYS is Stop punctuation

  • Use Process of Elimination

  • Look for a reason to use punctuation. If you can’t, don’t use it.

  • Stop punctuation goes where you have to stop a thought. Nowhere else.

Math

• Overall Strategy (Now, later, never questions):

  • Now

    • Questions you can feel confident answering in reasonable time

    • Do the question and move on

  • Later

    • Questions you think you could do with some thought and time

    • Flag the question, pick a consistent, random answer and move on. Return to these first upon completion of section.

      • Ex. I see a complex graph. I think I can solve it with some Desmos guessing and checking and additional thought. I will:

        • Flag the question

        • Pick ‘A’ since that’s the consistent letter I like to choose (Just in case I forget to come back or run out of time)

        • Let me brain work on that question subconsciously while I actively work on other questions

        • Return to that question when I finish the section, time permitting.

  • Never

    • Questions I cannot answer, even with extra time at the end

    • DO NOT FLAG

    • Pick your letter of the day, unless that letter is obviously wrong

    • Move on

    • Ex. I see a question about three consecutive odd integers. I hate those and I’m not good at them. I will:

      • Choose my letter of the day

      • Move on

      • I see that ‘A’ (My letter of the day) is 8. I do know that 8 is an even number, not an odd number, so I pick a different answer and move on.

  • Spend time on questions you CAN answer, NOT questions you CAN’T

• Three main approaches to questions:

  • “Proper way”

    • If you know how to do the question, do it

  • Desmos/Graphing Calculator

    • If you have variables and an =, you can often use Desmos to find the answer

  • Plug in/Plug in the Answer and Process of Elimination

    • Plug In Method

      • Used when there are variables in both the question and answers

      • Make up a number for each of your variables and solve the question

      • Use those same numbers for variables in the answer choices

      • The answer that matches you target answer (The answer you got from doing the question) is your answer

    • Plug in the Answer Method

      • Used when variables are in the question, but not the answers

      • Plug in answer choices where indicated in the question

      • Pick the answer that gives you the correct answer in the question.

• Vocabulary to know/be able to find and solve:

  • Zeroes/Roots/x-intercepts

  • Y-Intercept

  • Increase/Decrease/Positive/Negative

  • Factor

  • Quadratic

  • Constant

  • Greatest/least

  • Congruent

  • Solution

  • Area/perimeter

  • Perpendicular/Parallel

    • Parallel lines have same slopes

    • Perpendicular lines have opposite reciprocal slopes (Ex. 2 and -½)

  • Right Triangle

    • Hypotenuse

  • Sum/Difference

  • Mean/Median/Mode

  • Slope

  • SOH-CAH-TOA

  • No need to memorize most of the formula page. Helpful equations to know:

    • Area of rectangle

    • 180° in a triangle

    • 360° in a rectangle/circle

    • Pythagorean Theorem

    • Slope (y=mx+b)

    • One of the following for systems of equations:

      • Substitution

      • Elimination

      • Extreme confidence in Desmos/calculator usage

Scoring Reminders

• Average on SAT: Around 50% (980-1030)

• Average in a standard class in school: Around 75% (A ‘C’)

• Knowing this should inform the way you approach the test.

  • Do NOT: 

    • Get discouraged

    • Spend too much time on one question (They’re only worth about 10 points each!)

    • Try to remember the “proper” way to do every question, unless you’re a truly remarkable student.

  • DO:

    • Use positive self-talk

    • Answer every question (Even if you have to guess randomly)

    • Spend your time on questions you can answer

    • Use strategies and smart shortcuts

    • Keep moving!

The Power of Preparation

• Things to know about your brain and the test:

• You will naturally:

  • Remember the hard questions more than the easy ones

  • Start to doubt yourself

  • Assume you missed a question, if unsure

  • Feel stressed and potentially overwhelmed

  • Attach too much importance to one test

• You will have to intentionally:

  • Remember there are plenty of easy questions you’re getting correct

  • Encourage yourself

  • Remind yourself that you’ll get some 50-50 questions right, even if you just guessed

  • Practice breathing and stress-reducing techniques

• Final, non-testing tips:

  • Take a snack

  • Go to bed early

  • Plan something fun after the test

  • Keep your normal routine the same:

    • Coffee drinker? Drink coffee

    • Not a coffee drinker? Don’t drink coffee

  • Finally, smile. It’ll help, you’ve got this!!!