Table of Contents Table of Contents Introduction The Magoosh Team What is Magoosh? Featured In Why Our Students Love Us Meet the Authors From the Author of this eBook The SAT Changed! (In 2016) Meet the Redesigned SAT Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes! The Format of the Old SAT vs the New SAT General SAT Tips and Strategies How Long Should You Study for the SAT? The 70-150 Point Increase = One Month The 150-250 Point Increase = One Summer The 250-350 Point Increase Club The 1350+ Plan How to Make Your SAT Prep Stick Enlist a Friend as a Study Buddy Really Pick Apart Practice SAT Questions Locate Your Weak Areas and Focus on Them Don’t Trade Speed for Accuracy How to Take a Practice SAT (The Right Way) Build a Foundation First Time Yourself Don’t Get Interrupted Figure Out Your Wrong Answers Keep an Error Log SAT Writing Test Intro to SAT Writing What You Need to Know Basic Tips for SAT Writing Standard English Conventions sat.magoosh.com 1 Sentence Structure 1. Sentence Boundaries 2. Subordination and Coordination 3. Parallel Structure 4. Modifier Placement 5. Inappropriate Shifts in Verb Tense, Mood, and Voice 6. Inappropriate Shifts in Pronoun Number and Person Conventions of Usage 1. Pronoun Clarity 2. Possessive Determiners 3. Agreement 4. Frequently Confused Words 5. Logical Comparisons 6. Conventional Expression Conventions of Punctuation 1. End-of-Sentence Punctuation 2. Within-Sentence Punctuation 3. Possessive Nouns and Pronouns 4. Items in a Series 5. Nonrestrictive and Parenthetical Elements 6. Unnecessary Punctuation Expression of Ideas: The Art of Writing Development Organization Effective Language Use Style and Tone Putting it All Together: Practice Passage SAT Reading Intro to SAT Reading The SAT Reading Test: Strategies 1. Read the Entire Reading Passage First 2. Get the Big Picture 3. Watch Out for the Swamp! 4. Take Snapshots 5. Get Really Excited Active Reading Passive Reading Active Reading sat.magoosh.com 2 The Three Tenets of Active Reading Applying What You’ve Learned Active Reading in Action One Final Point Pacing Time Per Question Time Per Passage Time to Spend Reading A Note on SAT Reading Passages Key Points About SAT Reading Passages Passage Types The Literature Passage The Nonfiction Passages The Paired Passage The SAT’s Favorite Paired Passage Questions Your Approach for Paired Passages Passage Complexity A Note on Passage Topics SAT Reading Question Types Command of Evidence Words in Context Analysis Questions Direct Reference/Line Reference Questions Inference Questions How to Improve on New SAT Reading Wrong Answers on SAT Reading Reading SAT Passages Faster How to Stay Focused on SAT Reading Passages Why SAT Reading Can Be Boring How to Stay Sharp Taking Notes on SAT Reading Passages Mental Snapshots at Work Written Notes A Tip if You Are Still Finding it Impossible to Focus Practice Passage SAT Math Test Intro to SAT Math What to Know about SAT Math sat.magoosh.com 3 SAT Math Concept and Section Breakdown Heart of Algebra Combining Like Terms Solving Equations Passport to Advanced Math Coordinate Geometry and Passport to Advanced Math Problem Solving and Data Analysis Ratio, Proportion, Units, and Percentage Proportions Graphs, Tables, and Scatterplots Scatterplots A Best Fit Line Data and Statistics Histograms The Median The Mean Median vs. Mean Subjects and Treatments Takeaway Additional Topics in Math Geometry: Triangles Geometry: Circles Geometry: Rectangular Solids Geometry: Cylinders Coordinate Geometry Trigonometry Geometry Formula Cheat Sheet Tips and Strategies for Preparing for New SAT Math SAT Study Schedules Making the Most of Your SAT Study Schedule How to Use an SAT Study Guide Which Strategy Will Work Best for Me? How Do I Know if My Study Plan Works? Finding and Using Great SAT Resources SAT Scoring Scoring On The Redesigned SAT Calculating Your SAT Score How to Calculate Your SAT Math Score sat.magoosh.com 4 How to Calculate Your SAT Reading/Writing Score One Last Thing About SAT Score Calculations What Your Score Means Types of Scores Old vs. New SAT Scores SAT Score Ranges Score Ranges for the Top 10 Universities Ivy League Score Ranges How to Improve Your SAT Score Range Avoid Score Drama SAT Resources Test Day Tips Book Reviews A Quick Summary Detailed Reviews The Official SAT Study Guide 2016 Barron’s NEW SAT, 28th Edition and Barron’s Strategies and Practice for the New PSAT/NMSQT Barron’s 6 Practice Tests for the New SAT Kallis SAT Pattern Strategy Kaplan’s 8 Practice Tests for the SAT 2017 Kaplan New SAT 2017 Strategies Kaplan New SAT 2016 Strategies, Practice and Review with 3 Practice Tests Princeton Review 500+ Practice Questions for the New SAT Cracking the SAT Premium Edition with 6 Practice Tests, 2017 6 Practice Tests for the SAT, 2017 Edition PWN the SAT: Math Guide SAT Exam Secrets: Study Guide from Mometrix Media SAT Prep Black Book: The Most Effective SAT Strategies Ever Published Additional Test Prep Resources Magoosh SAT YouTube Channel ACT Prep Resources Your College Search Step 1: Take an Inventory of Yourself Step 2: Establish Your Must-Haves Step 3: Research, Explore, and Visit Step 4: Refine Your List Step 5: Express Your Interest Free College Search Resources sat.magoosh.com 5 Intro to Financial Aid Why Do I Need Financial Aid? Deadlines Financial Aid Forms and Documents Scholarships Takeaway Epilogue sat.magoosh.com 6 Introduction Welcome to the Magoosh SAT eBook for educators! If you’re not already prepping your students for the SAT, we hope this helps provide a starting point as you work with students. Or perhaps you’re working with students, but need more material and a way to stay on track throughout the year. Whatever your situation, we hope to take what many see as a grueling pre-college ritual—prepping for the SAT—and turn it into an experience that is both fun and instructive. This eBook is meant to serve as a comprehensive overview of the SAT, combining crucial information on test structure and question types while providing essential strategies and tips for helping students have the best test day possible. If you want even more materials, such as video lessons and practice questions, you can check out the Magoosh SAT Course when you’re done. If you’re reading this eBook as a PDF on a computer or tablet, you can click on specific sections in the Table of Contents if you want to skip around. If you’re already familiar with the exam and are looking for more study material, head over to the Resources section! sat.magoosh.com 7 The Magoosh Team We’re a team of passionate educators in Berkeley, California. We like word games, video games, and helping students do really well on standardized exams so that they can achieve their educational dreams! :) You can learn more about us and what we do on our Team page. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at [email protected]! sat.magoosh.com 8 What is Magoosh? Magoosh is an online SAT prep course that offers: ● 140+ unique lessons on all SAT subjects ● 400+ Reading, Math, and Writing practice questions, with video explanations after every question ● Material created by expert tutors, who have in-depth knowledge of the SAT ● Access anytime, anywhere from any internet-connected device ● Email support from experienced SAT tutors ● Customizable practice sessions and quizzes ● Full-length timed practice test ● Personalized statistics based on your performance sat.magoosh.com 9 Featured In Why Our Students Love Us “I think Magoosh definitely helped me!!! I used it only for a couple of weeks in advance of the test and I really wish I had used it months in advance. All your video lessons are incredibly helpful and I love the amount of practice questions you provide. Loved it so much and it helped my score by more than 100 points... and that was just studying the week before!” “Helped me review the fundamentals of math and writing that I have forgotten. Also provided me with useful tips to use on the test. The dashboard really helped me understand my studying performances and habits.” “Magoosh placed me in a setting where I can be right in the comfort of my home watching clear and coherent instructional videos to learn about topics I wasn't sure about or saw that I was weak in from the diagnostic. The staff also always sent out the most fruitful reminders and information in emails and I was able to increase my SAT score by 200 points in a matter of a month.” sat.magoosh.com 10 Meet the Authors Here are the awesome instructors who wrote the content for this eBook: Chris Lele For the last 10 years, Chris has been helping students excel on the SAT, GRE and GMAT. In this time, he’s coached five students to a perfect SAT score. Some of his GRE students have raised their scores by nearly 400 points. He has taken many GMAT students from the doldrums of the 600s to the coveted land of the 700+. Rumor has it he does a secret happy dance when his students get a perfect score. Kristin Fracchia Kristin is the ACT Expert who creates awesomely fun lessons and practice materials for students. With a PhD from UC Irvine and degrees in Education and English, she’s been working in education since 2004 and has helped students prepare for standardized tests, as well as college/graduate school admissions, since 2007. She enjoys marathon running, backpacking, hot yoga, and esoteric knowledge. Mike McGarry Mike creates expert lessons and practice questions to guide GMAT (and other) students to success.