Preparing Your

Child for the SAT

Priority #1 - Timing
All juniors who are college-bound or considering college
should take the SAT as a junior
January Test
For students completing Algebra II or higher level math class Semester 1
of their junior year
June Test
For students completing Algebra II or higher level math class Semester 2
of their junior year

Most students take the test at least twice
June of Junior Year
Mainly for students who are weak in English and have junior English
Semester 2
October of Senior Year
Students should complete SAT study plan during summer between junior
and senior years to best prepare for this retesting date

Retaking the SAT
Seniors taking the test a second time
55% Improved their scores
35% Had lower scores
10% Had no change in score

On average, juniors repeating the SAT as
seniors improved their combined critical
reading, mathematics, and writing scores
by approximately 40 points

Priority #2 - Preparation
The best preparation for the SAT is a
rigorous high school schedule comprised
of Honors and AP courses

College/Career
Ready
College/Career
Ready
PSAT
SAT
AP Tests
Honors/AP
Courses
College/
Career Ready
The Path to College/Career Readiness
Priority #3 Use the PSAT
Take the PSAT in Grades 9, 10 and 11

Why the PSAT?
Best preparation for the SAT
Uses similar questions and same directions
Qualify for scholarships
Compare scores with other college-bound students across the
country
Forecast SAT scores
Get personalized feedback on skill strengths and weaknesses
Identify your childs potential for AP courses in high school


Priority #4 Test Prep Sessions
Test Preparation Sessions @ NCHS

Sessions Occur During SET
2 Test Confidence Sessions
4 English Sessions
4 Math Sessions

SAT Blast
Occurs day prior to the SAT
Students take two 80 minute sessions
80 minutes on English
80 minutes on Math
Priority #5 Preparation at Home
Use online resources to prepare a study plan
sat.collegeboard.com/practice/sat-skills-insight

Complete practice tests including at least one
full-length practice test
Can be found online
Can be purchased in SAT study guides
Take mock SAT in March @ NCHS

Carefully evaluate test taking strategies to figure
out what works best
www.sparknotes.com/testprep




Other Suggested Ways to Prepare
Take SAT Prep class at NCHS
This year there was only one section Quarter 1
Considering offering two credit options
SAT Prep English
SAP Prep Mathematics
All courses run based upon student request

College Board offers an online prep course
Cost $69.95

CCPS is exploring companies who are interested in
offering SAT Prep services such as Kaplan, etc.
Unclear at this time if this will be available and if there will be a cost
to the student
Proven Keys to Success
Practice makes perfect!

READ, READ, READ!
Turn off the electronics (unless its an eReader) and
pick up a book.

Students consistently tell us the most
challenging part is the vocabulary
Get top 100 SAT words
Consider purchasing a SAT words book
Suggestion: Hot Words for the SAT published by Barrons at
cost of $9.99
The SAT
Things You
Might Not Know
Myth Reality
The SAT is a logic test. The SAT does not test logic abilities
or IQ. It tests a students skills in
reading, writing and mathematics.
Tips and shortcuts can help you
ace the SAT.
The SAT isnt designed to trick test
takers. It measures what they
already know and how they can apply
that knowledge.
Short-term prep is the best way for
a test taker to boost his/her score.
Quick prep courses cant replace
years of solid schoolwork. Students
who take rigorous, challenging
courses in high school will be the
best prepared for the test.
What does the test look like?
Section Content Number of
Questions
Critical Reading
70 minutes
Two 25-minute sections
One 20-minute section
Extended Reasoning
Literal Comprehension
Vocabulary in Context
Sentence Completions
Total
36-40
4-6
4-6
19
67
Mathematics
70 minutes
Two 25-minute sections
One 20-minute section

Number & Operations
Algebra & Functions
Geometry & Measurement
Data Analysis, Statistics & Probability
Total
11-14
19-22
14-16
5-8

54
Writing
60 minutes
One 25-minute essay
One 25-minute multiple choice
One 10-minute multiple choice
Essay
Improving Sentences
Identifying Sentence Errors
Improving Paragraphs
Total
1
25
18
6
50
How difficult is the SAT?
On average, students answer 50 or 60
percent of questions correctly

80 percent finish nearly the entire test

Almost all students complete at least 75
percent of the questions

Timing is Everything!
Test is 3 hours and 45 minutes of testing time, plus three
5-minute breaks, for a total of 4 hours to complete the
entire test.

Cant spend too much time on any one question.
Spend seconds on the easiest questions
Hesitate to spend more than 1-2 minutes even on the
hardest questions

The SAT consists of a series of small, timed, mini-tests.
Students must keep track of the time allotted for each
one and how much time remains.

Test takers should wear a watch to the testing center.
Understanding the Scoring!
Test takers get a point for a right answer.
Test takers lose one-quarter point for a wrong
answer.
There is no deduction for omitted answers, or for
wrong answers in the math sections student-
produced response questions.
Each of the 3 sections is on a 200 to 800 point
scale.