Could anybody give me advice on the writing section of the SAT? What are the questions of the essay like?

Question

What is the best way to score high on the writing section & math section of the SAT? Anybody who has taken the new SAT this year have advice for upcoming juniors?

Answer 1

You can find SAT prep books at a bookstore or public library (make sure it's for the new test...it needs to have a writing section!). You can also go online to kaptest.com or princetonreview.com. I think collegeboard.com also might have sample questions/exams.

The essay questions are usually written in a way that you need to pick a side of a debate and then argue for your side. There's no right or wrong answer. They might include a few quotes at the beginning pertaining to the topic...the quotes might support each other or conflict with each other. Essay topics might be something like...does technology make our lives easier or more difficult? Should athletes be expected to be role models for children or are they just paid to play the game? Is luck or hard work more important to success? They will of course be worded more eloquently than I have stated them LOL! But that's the basic idea. Here are the prompts from June:
http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/sat/after/essay_prompts.html

The number one rule is to answer the question the test makers ask. A sure way to bomb the essay is to fail to provide a clear answer to the question. Remember, there is no right or wrong answer. It doesn't matter what side you pick, just be sure to pick a side and use examples to back up your opinion. Don't be wishy-washy & argue both sides. Pick one and stick to it.

And no matter how confusing or off the wall the quotes they give you seem, remember: ANSWER THE QUESTION given in the prompt. Don't get distracted by a confusing quote.

As for the rest of the writing & math sections.... really the best way to prep is to get a book and work through some sample tests. You may need to brush up on basic algebra & geometry skills. For writing, you need to have a grasp of basic grammar. A lot of it is selecting the proper word choice and punctuation. Test prep books will have a review of the most frequently tested topics.

Good luck & try not to stress!

Answer 2

In training with the Princeton Review for SAT math, reading and the written essay, the teachers/readers are given approximately 20 seconds to review each essay.

The points that they look for are as follows: 1). Pensmanship 2) Clarity with concise educated thoughts. Do not state facts that the reader may not agree with or cannot verify. Example - Fact: that the LSAT for Admissions into the George Washington School of Law 'is not required' if selected for the dual major 6 year JD program for high school students.

Although your statement is correct and shows that you have done some extensive research prior to taking a test, the reader who has been sitting at home with the kids and watching Barney may not have read the article that you clearly state to be correct and factual.

This is one of the problems with the SAT essay part. By being too honest or factual you may offend the reader and as a result of this, your essay could be placed within a lower score. If you must state a fact that may be offensive or too controversal, list your source !!

Never state just a specific viewpoint !!. State both sides should you elect to take a stand on an issue or present a viewpoint. In reading several other students replies, I want to clarify and assist in to what we have been trained to observe and grade on.

Also note that each essay must go through two (2) readers, the difference is worked out by a third reader should the grades or numerics differ.

And.........Do not lose any sleep over this. The colleges need your money !! If your score is average (520 thru 570) so long as you can pay the cash difference outside of your standard college loans, your in...........


As for Math, the Princeton Review and Kaplan self study courses are exceptional. Read the fine print !! They will state as to how to pick the best of these seemingly incorrect answers. As we were taught, select the answer that 'sucks' the least. In reading the fine print, their is a logic pattern that is applied as part of the test. The first questions or lower number questions are the easiest. Select the first questions that you truely know the correct answer. Then go back to the questions and select the answers that you think 'Sucks' the least. I hate using that word but this is what we are taught as readers and administrators for the test as teachers.

You receive no points off if you do not answer a question.

Their is one thing that you could do, in being a former ETS employee. May I suggest the least stressful way. Get four (4) of you to take the PSAT test at the same time or weekend. But each of you will select the same answer grid on each test. Example: Candidate 1 will select all answers as 'A' on their test grid. Candidate 2 will select all answers as 'B' and so forth. See what the scores are !! If they do not differ greatly and they get you at least a 600, you have a possible solution. With this information now available to you, select an answer grid for the test and only change the ones that you truely know are to be correct !! You may find that the choices on answers #2 or #3 may yield the higher of the scores. The logic was set many years ago and the study books appear to still reflect this logic guide..............

And as stated, do not lose sleep over these test scores. The colleges need your money !!

Answer 3

I went to Kaplan. They have a high score guarantee. I really recommend it if you don't get the score you need because they had really good practice materials. I guess 3 weeks isn't enough time to take a course now though. Good luck, Jeff

Answer 4

it's all really opinionated, the one i got was about education and the importance of something...be sure to use "examples from your own experiences" they love that...keep it kinda short [they dont want 3 pages of b.s]

Answer 5

buy an SAT prep book, or go to kaplan