Applying AP & IB Courses to the SAT Subject Tests
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Applying AP & IB Courses to the SAT Subject Tests How much strategy and content can students take away from AP & IB courses to utilize on the SAT Subject Tests? www.arborbridge.com | [email protected] www.arborbridge.com | [email protected] What’s in this book? Oftentimes students have already built up an arsenal of strategy and content to tackle the SAT Sub ject t ests from AP or IB courses in school. In this book, we break down nine Subject Tests and their corresponding AP and IB (SL and HL) courses by four dimensions: Strategy Covered, Strategy Gap, Content Covered and Content Gap. Additionally, we provided students with the specific topics in each Subject where Strategy and Content are inconsistent to ensure more targeted studying. We’ll cover the following Subject Tests: • Biology (Ecological) • Biology (Molecular) • Chemistry • Literature • Math Level 1 • Math Level 2 • Physics • World History • U.S. History www.arborbridge.com | [email protected] Plus we have added... Subject Test Quick Guides Your go-to guides for each of the SAT Subject Tests. Get to know exam format, content, question types, and key test-taking strategies from ArborBridge test prep experts! Flip to the next page to check them out. www.arborbridge.com | [email protected] Biology Subject Test Quick Guide Format Scoring • Students can choose to take either the • Raw score converted to scaled score Ecological (E) or Molecular (M) section. from 200–800 Pick and master one! • Average score (Biology E): 618 • 80 questions • Average score (Biology M): 650 • Time: 60 minutes (1 hour) • Question type: Multiple choice Content 60 of the 80 questions are “Common Core” Biology questions. The remaining 20 questions are either Ecological (E) or Molecular (M) questions. “Common Core” Subjects: • Cellular and Molecular Biology Helpful Skills • Ecology Brush up on these before the test! • Classical Genetics • Organismal Biology All content assumes knowledge from a one-year Biology course (with lab), • Evolution and Diversity as well as a one-year course in Algebra. Make sure to review your notes from these classes (or your school curriculum’s Question Formats equivalent) in great detail! • Classification • Five-choice completion Key Test-Taking Strategies From ArborBridge Test Prep Experts! Always identify exactly what the question is asking. This sounds simple, but many students find it difficult to pinpoint the most important information under the guise of complex word problems. www.arborbridge.com | [email protected] Biology Ecological Biology Ecological (Biology-E) Subject Test Breakdown 10% 90% Strategy Content AP Biology Course 7% 3% 75% 15% Strategy Strategy Content Covered Content Gap Covered Gap Strategy Gaps Content Gaps • Pacing • Greater depth in topics tested on Ecological • Guessing penalty Emphasis section • Deciding between Molecular and • SAT-specific content on organismal biology Ecological Emphasis (plants, human physiology, animal phyla, etc.) • Vocabulary gaps in cell division and embryonic development IB Biology (SL) Course 8% 2% 68% 22% Strategy Strategy Content Covered Content Gap Covered Gap Strategy Gaps Content Gaps • Pacing • Greater depth tested in all topics, especially • Guessing penalty molecular biology and genetics • Lab design www.arborbridge.com | [email protected] Biology Ecological IB Biology (HL) Course 8% 2% 86% 4% Strategy Strategy Content Covered Content Covered Gap Gap Strategy Gaps Content Gaps • Pacing • Greater depth tested in Ecology questions • Guessing penalty • Lab design www.arborbridge.com | [email protected] Biology Molecular Biology Molecular (Biology-M) Subject Test Breakdown 10% 90% Strategy Content AP Biology Course 7% 3% 80% 10% Strategy Strategy Content Covered Content Gap Covered Gap Strategy Gaps Content Gaps • Pacing • SAT-specific content on organismal biology • Guessing penalty (plants, human physiology, animal phyla, etc.) • Deciding between Molecular and Ecological • Vocabulary gaps in cell division and embryonic Emphasis development **For AP Biology students, the Biology Subject Test with Molecular Emphasis is usually the best option. IB Biology (SL) Course 8% 2% 68% 22% Strategy Strategy Content Covered Content Gap Covered Gap Strategy Gaps Content Gaps • Pacing • Greater depth tested in all topics, especially • Guessing penalty those tested on Molecular Emphasis section • Lab design www.arborbridge.com | [email protected] Biology Molecular Biology Ecological (Biology-E) Subject Test Breakdown 8% 2% 80% 10% Strategy Strategy Content Covered Content Gap Covered Gap Strategy Gaps Content Gaps • Pacing • Greater depth in Ecology questions • Guessing penalty • Lab design www.arborbridge.com | [email protected] Chemistry Subject Test Quick Guide Format Scoring • 85 questions • Raw score converted to scaled score • Time: 60 minutes (1 hour) from 200–800 • Question type: Multiple-choice • Average score: 666 Content Content on the Chemistry Subject Test assumes knowledge from a one-year Chemistry course as well as a one-year course in Algebra. Helpful Skills Brush up on these before the test! Question Formats Review notes from your Chemistry courses and Algebra class! In particular, it may be • Classification helpful to review: • Relationship analysis • Five-choice completion questions • Atomic and Molecular Structure • Reaction Types • Stoichiometry • Equilibrium and Reaction Rates • Thermodynamics • Laboratory Basics Key Test-Taking Strategies From ArborBridge Test Prep Experts! • Make sure to learn and memorize Reaction Types (specifically Acids and Bases and Oxidation-Reduction reactions). • Leave the Relationship Analysis (true/ false/correct explanation) questions for last—these take more me and can slow you down. www.arborbridge.com | [email protected] Chemistry Chemistry Subject Test Breakdown 5% 95% Strategy Content AP Chemistry Course 3%2% 90% 5% Strategy Strategy Content Covered Content Covered Gap Gap Strategy Gaps Content Gaps • Pacing • Greater depth in certain areas: solution • Guessing penalty chemistry, organic chemistry, radioactive • Answering relationship-analysis questions decay • Vocabulary gaps in atomic structure, acid/ base chemistry, and redox reactions IB Chemistry (SL) Course 5% 80% 15% Strategy Gap Content Covered Content Gap Strategy Gaps Content Gaps • Pacing • Greater depth in certain areas: oxidation/ • Guessing penalty reduction, rate expression, reaction • Answering relationship-analysis questions. mechanism, bond hybridization, acids/bases • Practice with measurement and analysis www.arborbridge.com | [email protected] Chemistry IB Chemistry (HL) Course 5% 93% 2% Strategy Content Covered Content Gap Gap Strategy Gaps Content Gaps • Pacing • Vocabulary gaps in atomic structure, bonding, • Guessing penalty and acid/base chemistry • Answering relationship-analysis questions www.arborbridge.com | [email protected] Literature Subject Test Quick Guide Format Scoring • 60 questions • Raw score converted to scaled score • Time: 60 minutes (1 hour) from 200–800 • Question type: Multiple choice • Average score: 607 Content Passages on the Literature Subject Test are written in English and are typically pulled from popular American and British literary works. Questions are passage-based and cover prose, poetry, and drama. Passages are followed by 6–8 multiple-choice questions testing a student’s ability to correctly identify and interpret: • Purpose • Form • Language • Narrative voice • Characterization Helpful Skills Key Test-Taking Strategies Brush up on these before the test! From ArborBridge Test Prep Experts! • Critical reading: Practice becoming Learn to take the test in the best order for familiar with readings from a variety of you. You don’t have to read and answer sources. questions in the exact order that they appear. Instead, learn to identify your • Literary terms and devices: Make those strengths and prioritize those portions of the flashcards and memorize, memorize, exam first. memorize! www.arborbridge.com | [email protected] Literature Literature Subject Test Breakdown 40% 60% Strategy Content AP English Literature Course 26% 14% 52% 8% Strategy Covered Strategy Gap Content Covered Content Gap Strategy Gaps Content Gaps • Pacing • Greater depth in certain literary terms and • Guessing penalty techniques • Strategies for more granular analysis of • Use of humor and satire in prose and drama passages and question types AP English Language Course 20% 20% 30% 30% Strategy Covered Strategy Gap Content Covered Content Gap Strategy Gaps Content Gaps • Annotation and reading strategies for literary • All literary devices used in prose passages • All literary devices and approaches for • Pacing analyzing poetry • Guessing penalty • Familiarity with vocabulary used in • Strategies for specific question types fiction and poetry 1400–1900 www.arborbridge.com | [email protected] IB Language A: Literature (SL/HL) Course 4% 36% 36% 24% Strategy Strategy Gap Content Covered Content Gap Covered Strategy Gaps Content Gaps • Answering multiple-choice questions • Greater depth in literary devices and • Pacing approaches for analyzing poetry • Guessing penalty • Greater depth in Western-centric prose • Familiarity with vocabulary used in fiction and poetry 1400–1900 IB Language A: Language and Literature (SL/HL) Course 4% 36% 36% 24% Strategy Strategy Gap Content Covered Content Gap Covered Strategy Gaps Content Gaps • Answering multiple-choice questions • Greater depth in literary devices used in prose • Pacing • Extensive work with literary