Other than how to get into college, the question students and parents are most likely to ask is how to prepare for the all-important SAT test.
Fiske Nailing the New SAT will help students and parents plot their strategy not only for how to take the test, but also for how to prepare for taking the test. Based on extensive surveys and the real experiences of students, parents and college counseling professionals, this book gives the lowdown on how to prepare.
- Evaluating the preparation options: books, software, online courses, one-on-one tutoring, classroom prep courses, etc.
- What kind of student you are, and which approaches tend to work best for your ability, style, attitude, etc.
- Keys to SAT success
- The new SAT—how the test changed (and is changing) and why
- Chapters on the verbal, math and writing sections
Introduction
1. Inside the New SAT
Goodbye 1600, Hello 2400
The New PSAT and the National Merit Program
How Important Is the SAT?
What about the ACT?
SAT vs. ACT: How the scores stack up
Is It Possible to Psych out the SAT?
What It Takes to Beat the SAT
Developing Your Own Approach
2. SAT Prep Courses: Straight Talk from Students
The Story behind the Survey
Eye-Opening Results
Princeton Review and Kaplan
Score Increase Claims: A Closer Look
Why the Myth Won’t Go Away
Students Talk about Their Prep Courses
The Test-Prep Syndrome
A Closer Look at the Questionnaires
3. Taking Charge of Your SAT Prep
When Should I Take the SAT?
How Many Times Should I Take It?
Registering for the Tests
Late Registration and Score Reporting
Students with Disabilities
Making Your Own Prep Course
Beating Anxiety and Time Pressure
Your Game Plan
The Zen of Test Day
4. Writing
The Essay
Getting Your Brain in Gear
The First Paragraph
The Body and the Conclusion
The Nitty-Gritty of How to Prepare
Know Your Audience
Hitting the Fast-Forward Button
Keys to Success
Identifying Sentence Errors
Verb Tenses
Keys to Success
Improving Sentences
Style and Sentence Structure
Keys to Success
Improving Paragraphs
Keys to Success
5. Critical Reading
Sentence Completion
Keys to Success
Passage-Based Reading
Paragraph-Length Passages
Honing Your Strategy
Finding the Point of View
Keys to Success
6. Math
It’s Not about the Math
Inside the Bag of Tricks
Taking the Pressure Off
Grinning Through the Grid-ins
Oh Yeah, the Math
The New SAT’s Math
Keys to Success
7. The Fiske SAT Practice Tests
Practice Test #1
Scoring Practice Test #1
Answer key Practice Test #1
Practice Test #2
Scoring Practice Test #2
Answer Key Practice Test #2
Acknowledgments
About the Authors
