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General SAT Strategy, Part 1: Taking the Test

  • Pace yourself. Don't spend too much time on any one question: you get the same number of points whether it's hard or easy.
  • Skip questions that you find difficult. If a question will take you a long time to figure out, skip it, then come back after you've done the others.
  • Write in your test booklet. It helps you solve difficult questions, keeps you engaged, and let's you know what to come back to later.
  • Once you learn the instructions to the test, don't waste time reading them on future tests. They're always the same instructions, so you only need to read them the first time.
  • Wear a watch and pay attention to the time. Since pacing is so important to taking the test, you need to constantly be aware of the time.
  • In general, question difficulty increases the farther you get in a section (or in a sub-section, if the section is broken into parts). This means you should budget more time for questions at the end of a section and be more prepared to skip them.
  • If you can eliminate at least one choice (you almost always can), it's worth it to guess. The more you can eliminate before guessing, the better.
  • Sometimes it can help to set a "goal score". Figure out what a reasonable goal is for you, then look up what kind of raw score you need. Use this information to help you figure out how many questions you can completely skip.
  • If you're studying far in advance (6 months or more), look into the "Question-and-Answer Service". If you order it, they'll send you a copy of the test, the correct answers, and what you put down. This can be useful for figuring out what you need to practice.

General SAT Strategy, Part 1: Taking the Test

Lecture Slides are screen-captured images of important points in the lecture. Students can download and print out these lecture slide images to do practice problems as well as take notes while watching the lecture.

  • Intro 0:00
  • Disclaimer 0:32
  • A Common Misconception 0:42
    • Your Goal is to Get the Highest Score You Can
  • Pacing 1:19
    • Every Problem is Worth the Same Number of Points
  • Skipping Questions 2:47
    • You Should Skip Questions
  • Writing in the Test Booklet 3:31
    • Cross Out Wrong Answers, Take Notes, Work in Margins
  • Instructions - Who Needs 'Em? 4:49
  • Pay Attention to the Time 5:42
    • Clocks
    • Watch
  • Increasing Difficulty 6:31
    • Exception: Reading Comprehension Section is Not Ordered by Difficulty
    • Budget Less Time for Questions at the Start of a Section
    • Be Prepared to Skip Questions
  • Guessing 9:09
    • Why Blindly Guessing Will Not Help Your Score
  • Educated Guessing 10:39
    • How This is Beneficial
    • You'll Almost Always See a Wrong Answer Right Away
  • Eliminating Wrong Choices 13:08
    • Some Questions, It's Easier to Find the Four Wrong Choices than to Look for the Correct Answer
    • If You're Unsure, You Can Make an Educated Guess
  • Last Couple Minutes 15:16
    • Do Easy Questions You See
  • Finishing with Extra Time 17:07
    • Cannot Go Back to Other Sections
  • Goal Scores 18:58
    • Example
    • Example: You Have 11 Freebie Questions to Skip
  • Questions and Answer Service (QAS) 21:14
    • What Is QAS
    • Only Offered a Few Times Each Year

Related Books

Related Books & Services

Vincent Selhorst-Jones

Vincent Selhorst-Jones

General SAT Strategy, Part 1: Taking the Test

Slide Duration:

Table of Contents

Section 1: Introduction
Meet the SAT

13m 20s

Intro
0:00
Legal Disclaimer
0:09
What Is the SAT?
0:17
Standardized Test Used in College Admissions Administered by The College Board
0:19
Why Do You Care?
0:44
What About Those Other Tests?
1:27
Makeup of the SAT
2:05
Three Different Categories: Writing, Critical Reading, Math
2:22
Writing Category is Special- It Has the Essay Section
2:59
Timing of the Sections
3:09
Writing
3:11
Critical Reading
3:16
Mathematics
3:20
Total of 60 Minutes for Writing and 70 Minutes on Critical Reading and Math
3:22
The Experimental Section
3:45
This is an Extra 25 Minute Section
3:51
Do Not Try to Skip This Section
4:09
This is For College Board to Test Out New Questions
5:07
Order of the Sections
5:21
First Section: Essay
5:28
Eighth and Ninth Sections Are Short Critical Read and Math
5:36
Last Section: Short Writing
5:48
Visual Interpretation of the Ordering of the Sections
5:54
Scoring the SAT
6:42
Raw Score
6:52
Two Graders Read Your Essay
9:06
The 800-Point Scale
9:19
Distribution of Scores
10:18
Percentile
11:34
Taking the SAT
12:06
Register Online
12:07
Make Sure You Register in Advance
12:21
Tests in General

15m 14s

Intro
0:00
Legal Disclaimer
0:06
Introduction
0:15
Pacing
0:35
Skipping a Question
0:48
Educated Guess
0:59
Preparing and Studying
1:09
Course is Designed to Teach Specifically the SAT
1:29
Answering Test Questions
1:59
Multiple Choice
2:06
Student-Produced Responses
2:21
Tests Given in Schools Tent to Use Both Methods
3:00
Multiple Choice Questions Are Easier to Answer
4:12
Standardized Tests, Ahoy!
4:52
SAT is Most Commonly Taken Standardized Test
4:53
Course Focus
5:07
Look Into Prep Materials
5:24
Standardized Test Petting Zoo
6:16
Tests Similar to SAT: PSAT and NMSQT
6:26
ACT
7:46
Subject-Specific Tests
9:20
SAT Subject Tests (SAT II)
9:27
AP Tests
10:24
IB Exams
10:57
College and Post-College Tests
11:25
GRE
11:48
GRE Subject Tests
12:27
Specialized Tests
13:26
MCAT
14:00
LSAT
14:22
GMAT
14:38
Studying for the SAT

36m 6s

Intro
0:00
Legal Disclaimer
0:15
Practice, Practice, Practice
0:24
Seriously: You Must Practice
1:00
If You Want to Improve
1:24
The Book
1:47
The Official SAT Study Guide
1:49
Has Ten Full Real SAT Tests
2:23
Optional Equipment
4:21
Answer Key
4:27
Clear Explanations for Answers
4:42
Optional: Answer Explanations
5:00
How to Use This Course
5:57
Learn General and Specific Strategies
6:11
Practice Those Strategies
6:19
Identify Weak Areas and Focus on Those
6:30
Section-Specific Lessons
6:44
Timetables for Studying
7:57
One Week Until the SAT
9:31
One Month Until the SAT
12:25
Two or Three Months Until the SAT
15:52
Six Months Until the SAT
19:35
Two or More Years Until the SAT
24:31
Life is Full of Learning Opportunities
34:05
Section 2: Strategy
General SAT Strategy, Part 1: Taking the Test

22m 54s

Intro
0:00
Disclaimer
0:32
A Common Misconception
0:42
Your Goal is to Get the Highest Score You Can
0:50
Pacing
1:19
Every Problem is Worth the Same Number of Points
2:02
Skipping Questions
2:47
You Should Skip Questions
2:58
Writing in the Test Booklet
3:31
Cross Out Wrong Answers, Take Notes, Work in Margins
4:02
Instructions - Who Needs 'Em?
4:49
Pay Attention to the Time
5:42
Clocks
5:56
Watch
6:16
Increasing Difficulty
6:31
Exception: Reading Comprehension Section is Not Ordered by Difficulty
7:25
Budget Less Time for Questions at the Start of a Section
8:02
Be Prepared to Skip Questions
8:22
Guessing
9:09
Why Blindly Guessing Will Not Help Your Score
9:25
Educated Guessing
10:39
How This is Beneficial
10:48
You'll Almost Always See a Wrong Answer Right Away
12:16
Eliminating Wrong Choices
13:08
Some Questions, It's Easier to Find the Four Wrong Choices than to Look for the Correct Answer
13:20
If You're Unsure, You Can Make an Educated Guess
14:16
Last Couple Minutes
15:16
Do Easy Questions You See
15:51
Finishing with Extra Time
17:07
Cannot Go Back to Other Sections
18:15
Goal Scores
18:58
Example
19:12
Example: You Have 11 Freebie Questions to Skip
20:17
Questions and Answer Service (QAS)
21:14
What Is QAS
21:29
Only Offered a Few Times Each Year
22:10
General SAT Strategy, Part 2: Equipment

24m 47s

Intro
0:00
Legal Disclaimer
0:09
The Absolute Necessities
0:18
Admission Ticket
0:28
Photo ID
0:50
No. 2 Pencils
1:36
Why is it Called a No. 2 Pencil
1:47
What NOT to Bring
2:49
Cell Phones
3:08
Computers
4:58
Anything Electronic
5:35
Anything That Captures Images or Audio
5:56
Books, Magazines, or Any Written Materials
6:40
Mechanical Pencils or Pens
8:09
Calculator
9:46
Three Approved Types of Calculator
10:10
Calculators That Are Not Approved
10:46
The 'Best Calculator
12:49
Graphing Calculators Can Be Useful
13:52
When It's Worth It To Buy One
14:41
Watch
16:18
Get a Digital Watch
16:27
No Audible Alarm
16:44
If Your Watch Makes a Noise, You Can Be Dismissed
17:14
What If You Get a Proctor Who Carefully Checks Your Watch?
18:17
If You Really Want a Silent Watch, Try This Trick
19:27
Optional Equipment
21:01
A Drink, Snack, Bag/Backpack
21:10
Backup Batteries for Calculator, Pencils, Eraser
22:19
General SAT Strategy, Part 3: You & the SAT

31m 47s

Intro
0:00
Legal Disclaimer
0:08
You and the SAT
0:16
Endurance
1:06
Consider the Following
1:20
Total of 5 Hours
2:19
Practice, Practice, Practice
3:05
Practice tests Are Important Because They Let You Try New Strategies
3:28
Concentration
4:08
Focus on One Thing
5:14
Focus on the Question You Are Working On and How Much Time is Left
5:52
Stress
6:44
The SAT is Just One Element of Your College Application
7:25
Scoring Well Can Help You Down the Road
9:02
Low-Level Stress Can Help Keep You Alert
9:30
Massive Amounts of Stress and Fear Will Adversely Affect Your Performance
9:52
Relaxation Techniques
10:21
Practice
10:41
Breathe
11:21
Positive Thoughts
12:17
Focus On Yourself
13:03
Look Forward to Something
13:54
If You Stress and If You Don't…
14:56
Your Body: Sleep
16:42
8.5 - 9 Hours of Sleep
17:06
Your Body: Posture
19:45
Some Good Posture Helps You Think and Improves Memory
19:57
Your Body: Diet
21:49
Get a Healthy, Balanced Diet
22:16
Get Some Protein
23:20
Your Body: SAT Snack
23:53
Your Body: SAT Drink
25:16
Limited Bathroom Breaks
26:14
Clothes
27:39
Dress Comfortable in Any Temperature
27:54
Wear Comfortable Clothes
28:25
A Shower a Day
28:55
Keep a Clear Forehead
29:19
If You Have Long Hair
29:42
If You Have Short Hair
30:00
Section 3: Critical Reading
Introduction to Critical Reading

14m 17s

Intro
0:00
Legal Disclaimer
0:09
Welcome to Critical Reading
0:18
The Breakdown
0:42
Two Subsections
0:46
Sentence Completion
1:03
Passage-Based Reading
1:13
Increasing Difficulty… Sorta
1:23
Sentence Completion Questions Are Ordered by Difficulty
1:44
Passage-Based Reading Section is Not Ordered by Difficulty
1:59
Composition of Questions
2:46
Critical Reading Section Questions
3:29
Anatomy of a Sentence Completion Question
3:44
Example: Sentence Completion
3:59
Anatomy of a Reading Question
4:58
Majority of Questions Will Reference a Specific Part of the Passage
5:23
Example
5:50
Order
6:26
That's Not the Only Way to Do It Though
6:55
The Best Strategy
7:43
Read!
8:03
What to Read?
8:54
Get in the Habit of Reading Books
9:47
Level of Reading
11:30
Find Something That You Want to Read
12:18
Critical Reading: Sentence Completion

38m 43s

Intro
0:00
Legal Disclaimer
0:11
Introduction
0:21
What We're Going to Discuss
0:32
The Best Choice
0:53
Read All Choices Before Deciding on English Questions
1:42
Sometimes the 'Best' Choice is the Least Bad One
2:05
Read, Understand, Guess
2:54
Understand the Sentence Before you Start Considering Vocab Words
3:19
Make a Guess!
3:49
Positive / Negative / Neutral
4:44
Figure Out If the Blank is a Positive, Negative or Neutral Word
5:23
Eliminating Wrong Choices
6:43
Cross Out Choices That Definitely Don't Fit
6:46
Process of Elimination
7:29
Read the Sentence Using Your Choice
8:04
This is a Great Way to Eliminate Wrong Choices
8:41
Educated Guessing
8:59
You Can Almost Always Eliminate At Least a Couple of Choices
9:34
Double Blanks
10:03
Both Words have to Fit
10:07
This Can Be Used to Your Advantage
10:28
Negation
11:06
Examples
11:11
Pay Attention to Double Negation
11:57
Clue Words & Question Types
12:14
Pay Attention to 'Clue Words'
12:24
Clue Words
12:48
Contradiction / Opposition
12:50
Similarity / Support
14:16
Logical Connection / Cause and Effect
14:57
Three Major Types
16:04
Question Types
17:03
Definition / Example
17:15
Example
18:53
Contrast
19:28
Example
19:51
Correlation
20:44
Example
21:03
Logical Argument
21:51
Example
22:35
Review
23:37
By Paying Attention to Clue Words, You Can More Easily Figure Out Which Question Type You're Looking At
25:37
Vocabulary
26:48
Prefixes, Suffixes and Root Words
27:22
Examples
27:56
Know Your Prefixes and Suffixes If You're Going to Use This Strategy
29:01
Vocabulary: Etymology
29:38
What is It?
29:51
How can It Help?
29:59
Word Histories Can Be Interesting
30:46
Example
31:20
Online Etymology Dictionary
33:56
Cram Lists
34:46
Resources
35:47
Read!
37:23
Critical Reading: Passage-Based Reading

30m 37s

Intro
0:00
Legal Disclaimer
0:11
Introduction
0:20
Talk More About the Building Blocks of Passage-Based Reading
0:56
Types of Passages
1:09
Short Passage Is About 10-15 Lines Long
1:14
Long Passage is About 50-100 Lines Long
1:28
Double Passage
2:11
Read the Italics!
3:03
Some Questions Can't Be Answered Without Reading the Italics
3:33
Reading Skills: They Matter
3:52
Improve Reading Skills by Practice Reading
4:21
'Best' Choice
5:46
Read All the Choices
5:56
Best Doesn't Mean Perfect
6:12
Other Words for 'Best'
6:47
Look for a Choice That's Better Than the Others
7:47
Questions by Order
8:36
The Questions Usually Help You Find Where to Look in the Text by Giving the Line Number
9:05
Help! No Line Number!
9:42
Questions About a Specific Reference in Text
10:22
Consider These Questions
10:36
Order of Questions
11:09
Sometimes, You'll Be Asked About the Passage as a Whole
11:59
These Questions Come After Questions About Specific References
12:27
General and Specific Reference
12:47
Read Before and After Reference
13:25
You Need Context, Not Just Reference
13:44
Use the Passage!
14:41
The Answers Are in the Passage, No Outside Knowledge Needed
15:12
Should be Able to Point Out Your Evidence in the Text
15:43
Every Answer Must Come from the Text
16:07
Keep It Simple
16:32
The Farther You Get From the Reference, The Less Likely to Find the Answer
17:00
Example
17:14
Keep It Calm
18:13
Passages Are Calm and Responsible
19:08
What's the Author Saying?
19:45
Double Passage and Author Viewpoint
20:48
Figure Out What Each Author's Main Point Is
21:34
Need to Know the Essence of Each Author's Argument
21:43
Eliminating Wrong Choices
22:24
Necessary for Critical Reading Questions
22:56
Short Tips
24:00
Quote
24:18
New Idea: Chunking
24:34
Sarcasm
24:56
Why Is There Quotes Around a Word(s)?
26:08
Positive Light on Minority Group Questions
26:10
Careful on Double Passages
27:47
Answer to a Question is Unlikely to Contradict Established Facts
28:47
Critical Reading: Reading Strategies

36m 34s

Intro
0:00
Legal Disclaimer
0:12
Introduction
0:22
Stay Positive: Yourself
0:55
'Whether You Think You Can or You Think You Can't - You're Right'
1:16
Get the General Idea
2:03
Stay Positive: The Passage
2:51
If You Convince Yourself It's Interesting, It'll be Easier to Understand and Read
3:23
What Makes Reading Hard?
4:34
Understanding
4:39
Focus
4:59
Strategy: the Default
6:43
Read the Passage from Start to Finish, Then Answer Questions in Order
6:53
Good Strategy for Strong Readers Who Find it Easy to Focus
7:08
Write While You Read
7:55
Takes Notes
8:10
Underline Important Ideas
8:13
It Keeps You Aware of What's Important in the Text
8:40
It Gives You Something to Actively Do
9:12
Strategy: Chunking
9:54
Break the Passage into Smaller Pieces
10:10
Draw Lines on Your Paper to Divide Each Chunk
11:24
Keep Summary Short
11:58
Summarize the Whole Passage
13:16
Answer Questions
13:58
Pros
14:24
Cons
15:58
Strategy: Treasure Hunt
17:39
Read Italicized Introduction to the Passage But Don't Read the Passage Yet
17:54
Skim Questions for Lines with Passage Reference
18:09
Mark the Line Reference in the Passage
18:27
Flip Back to the Corresponding Questions When You Get Near a Mark
19:27
Continue Reading With the Question in Mind
19:56
Pros
21:06
Cons
22:33
Special Strategy: Double Passages
24:07
How to Read Two Passages at Once
24:51
Special Strategy: Smash and Grab
25:47
Skip Reading the Passage and Find a Questions About a Specific Line Reference
26:11
Pros
27:21
Cons
27:35
Terrible Strategy: Keep Track of Your Time!
28:37
Practice
29:25
Figure Our Your Strategy
31:33
There is No 'Best' Strategy
31:41
Practice Reading
33:06
Any Reading Material That You Find Interesting and Slightly Challenging is Great
33:52
Section 4: Writing
Introduction to the Writing Section

26m 37s

Intro
0:00
Legal Disclaimer
0:12
Welcome to Writing
0:21
How Important Is the Writing Section?
0:55
It's Important, But It's the Least Important of the Three Sections
1:08
Colleges View Score
1:30
The Writing Section Matters
2:17
If Your Score is 80+ Points More Than the Other Sections, Focus on Writing
2:46
Why Colleges Care So Little About the Writing Section
4:10
A Caveat
8:06
You're Applying to a School with a High Number of Applicants
8:38
You're Not a Native English Speaker
14:13
How is The Writing Section Set Up?
15:26
Three Different Writing Sections
15:37
Two Distinct Types That the Writing Section Comes In
15:54
The Essay
16:38
How It's Scored
17:12
The Grammar Subsection
17:35
Improving Sentences
17:43
Identifying Sentence Errors
18:32
Improving Paragraphs
18:52
Composition of the Writing Section
19:42
Breakdown of the 49 Questions
19:50
The Order
20:36
Scoring the Writing Section
21:16
Have Someone Else Look at the Scoring Guidelines and Then Score Your Essay
23:19
Read
25:03
Writing: The Essay

1h 10m 10s

Intro
0:00
Legal Disclaimer
0:06
Introduction
0:15
The Essentials
0:51
Passage
0:56
Assignment
1:07
25 Minutes to Write Your essay
1:39
The Official Scoring Rubric
2:05
Score of 6
3:00
Score of 1
3:22
Look in the Essay Section of SAT Book for More Specific Scoring Rubric
3:58
The Reality of Scoring
4:40
You Can Write a Simplistic, Formulaic Essay That Will Still get a Pair of 6s
5:32
Why? Because the Readers Spend Two or Three Minutes Per Essay
6:41
This Mean You Want Your Essay To Follow the Formula for Writing Essays
7:49
Quantity Over Quality
9:34
'History is a Set of Lies Agreed Upon'
11:02
Write Legibly
12:43
Try and Write Bigger
13:36
Do Not Write About Something Other Than The Assignment
14:59
Clearly Choose One Side
15:59
Make Your Thesis Obvious
16:20
Never Try to Argue Both Side
16:54
Do It Even If You Disagree With the Prompt
17:12
Time Management
18:21
Divide Up Your Time As Follows
18:35
Structuring Your Essay
20:18
Use the Same Formula As In Middle School
20:55
Finish Your Essay
22:21
Good Idea to Leave Time for Editing at the End
22:49
Watch the Clock!
23:29
Longer = Better
23:55
Longer Essays Tend to Score Higher
23:57
Crank Out Massive Amounts of Writing
24:00
Practice Writing
25:26
Like Any Skill, Practice!
25:39
Sit Down Every Day and Give Yourself Ten Minutes to Write as Much As You Can
26:16
Hook Sentence
27:01
A First Sentence That Captures the Attention and Interest of the Reader
27:08
Hook Sentence is Different From a Thesis
27:25
A Good Hook is Anything Interesting That Connects to Your Essay
28:09
Surprise, Humor, Style
28:32
Transitions
30:27
Use When You Change From One Idea to the Next
31:42
Especially Important When You Change Paragraphs
31:47
Also Want Transition Between Hook Sentence and Thesis
32:32
Transition Can Be Complex, Funny, or Interesting
33:18
Basic Examples
33:47
Use Big Word
35:11
Use Two or Three Complex Words to Make You Look Smart
35:15
Examples of Complex Synonyms for Basic Words
35:59
Examples: Evidence to Support Thesis
38:38
Use Examples That Show How Your Thesis Is Correct
38:41
Each Body Paragraphs Should contain One Major Example That Connects to Your Thesis
39:05
Examples: What Kind?
39:40
Bet Kind of Evidence for the SAT
40:13
Examples: Don't Use the Passage
42:58
Why? The point of The Examples is To Show Your Creativity and Ability to Connect Ideas
43:54
Examples: Counter-Arguments
45:06
This is The One Time It's Ok to Use the Prompt's Text Passage
46:33
Examples: False Examples
47:08
To Lie or Not to Lie, That Is The Question
47:10
In Theory You Could Write
48:19
In Reality You Could Write
48:55
You Can Make Extremely Strong Arguments If You Make Up All Your Evidence
50:17
To Quote Mark Twain
50:35
If You Find Yourself in a Bing and You Really Need One More Example
51:20
Example: What Do You Know?
52:09
Notice That A Lot of Examples Can Be Used in a Variety of Situations
52:46
Exercise
54:05
Overview: The Formula
1:02:44
Brainstorm - 3 Mins
1:02:54
Write - 20 Mins
1:04:47
Edit 2 Mins
1:07:13
Multiple-Choice Grammar

23m 31s

Intro
0:00
Legal Disclaimer
0:06
Introduction
0:15
Formal, Written English
1:45
Written Section Tests You on Formal, Written English
1:46
Avoid Colloquialisms and Certain Kinds of Everyday English
2:21
Beware Rising Difficulty
2:59
Easier Questions Will Have Clear Errors in Earlier Subsection
3:30
Just Because a Phrase Sounds Unusual Does Not Automatically Mean It's Incorrect
3:56
Read Aloud
5:12
Read Sentences Aloud When Practicing
5:13
Try to 'Hear' the Sentences
5:55
Omit Middle Clauses
7:08
Omit Clauses in Complex Sentences
7:09
Example
7:39
Once You Remove the Clutter
8:39
Eliminate Wrong Choices
9:22
On the Easy Questions, You'll Find the Correct Choice Right in the Beginning
9:34
Eliminate Choices as You Notice Errors
9:47
Pacing and Skipping
10:26
35 Questions on the 25-Minute Section
10:52
Skip Difficult Questions
11:01
No Error Shows Up Occasionally
11:23
Don't Expect Too Many Sentences to Start Off Correct
11:42
No Error Shows Up About 20%
12:05
Improving Sentences
12:51
Question Has Sentence With Part of it Underlined
12:59
Choose a Phrase That Will Replace the Underlined Portion
13:27
Improving Sentences: Strategies
13:53
Read the Whole Sentence
13:56
Read the Choices One By One
14:39
Pay Close Attention to the Grammar
15:10
If you Still Don't Know, Choose One That Sounds Formal and Dry
15:34
Identifying Sentence Errors
16:23
Figure Out Which Underlined Portion Contains a Mistake
16:56
Identifying Sentence Errors: Strategies
18:03
Read Each Underlined Portion Carefully
18:19
If You Still Can't Find an Error, There Probably Isn't One
18:55
Improving Paragraphs
19:33
Improving Paragraphs: Strategies
21:31
Look At It In Context
22:13
Grammar Mistake Petting Zoo

32m 3s

Intro
0:00
Legal Disclaimer
0:07
Introduction
0:16
Subject-Verb Agreement
1:32
Verb Conjugation
1:43
Example 1
3:00
Example 2
4:02
Verb Tense
5:08
Past, Present, Future
5:09
Example 1
5:54
Noun-Pronoun Agreement
6:28
Pronoun Replaces a Noun
6:30
Example 1
7:49
SAT Won't Give an Error That Obvious- Sentences Will Separate the Noun and Pronoun With Other Clauses
8:22
Singular vs. Plural
9:06
Intervening Clauses Can make it More Difficult
10:32
Words Behave Like a Normal Singular Noun Both for Verb Conjugation and for Possession Reference
13:24
Pronoun Case
14:48
Pronouns with Subject or Object Case
15:54
Example
16:20
Pay Attention to What Happens in the Sentence
17:18
Example 1
17:30
Example 2
18:32
Parallel Structure
20:21
Once a Pattern Becomes Established, It Needs to Be Carried Through the Rest of the Structure
20:26
Example
20:36
Run-On Sentences
21:01
A Run-On Sentence Contains Multiple Independent Clauses
21:03
Example
21:19
On The SAT, the Sentence Just Tries to Say Too Much
22:18
Idioms/ Prepositions
23:15
Idiom = Combination of Words That means Something Different From What the Words Would Literally mean
23:19
Examples
23:42
SAT Does Not Use These Kinds of Idiomatic Phrases
25:02
SAT Tests on the Idiomatic Usage of Prepositions
25:21
Knowing Which Preposition Means What is Mainly a Matter of Experience
26:44
Read Carefully
28:40
Sometimes the Error is Very Simple, But Hard to notice If You're Rushing Through
28:45
Example
28:59
Error Sounds Like What We're Used to Hearing, But Is Incorrect When Written Out
29:31
Section 5: Mathematics
Math Introduction & Strategy

27m 38s

Intro
0:00
Legal Disclaimer
0:08
Introduction
0:18
The Math Section
0:55
Most Direct Section
0:56
You've Been Exposed to All the Concepts Before
1:09
Only One Right Choice is the Answer
3:04
Student-Produced Response / Grid-In
3:17
Grid-In Questions
3:25
Work Out The Answer on Your Own and Enter It Into a Grid on Your Answer Sheet
3:40
Section Above the Grid is to Write the Number
4:40
Don't Use Mixed Fractions
5:29
No Penalty for Wrong Answers
5:58
Know Your Math Concepts
6:52
Good News: Math Section Tests You on a Variety of Specific Math Concepts
7:23
Study! You Need to Know Math
9:04
Write Down Unfamiliar and Difficult Questions to Go Back to Later
10:14
Write In Your Test Booklet
12:24
Your Test Booklet Is Your Scratch Paper
12:44
Pay Attention
13:29
Sanity Checks: 'Does This Seem Reasonable?'
14:21
Know Your Calculator
16:01
Calculators Are Great but You Have to Set Up the Problem
16:33
Omit Based on Goal Score
17:42
If You Want a Score of 650+, Attempt All the Questions
20:16
Back Solving
20:42
Good for If You Don't Know How to Approach Solving a Given Problem
21:50
Replace Variables With Numbers
22:22
Try Out Hypothetical Numbers on a Problem if You Find the Variables Too Confusing
22:31
Works Best on Problems That Describe a Number or Give Choices That Are All Algebraic Expressions
23:28
Choices As Hints
24:48
Look For Patterns in the Choices
25:23
Math: Common Issues

43m 49s

Intro
0:00
Legal Disclaimer
0:07
Introduction
0:15
Word Problems
1:17
Make Variables
1:41
Make Equations
3:24
Example
4:29
Draw Pictures
7:42
Not Necessary, But a Visual Representation of a Problem Can Help a Lot
8:56
If the Problem is Not Drawn to Scale, It Can Help to Draw it to Scale
9:19
Area in Pieces
11:08
Example
11:16
The Idea is Expressed By…
12:50
Order of Operations
14:24
Parentheses and Brackets
14:50
Exponents and Roots
15:20
Multiplication and Division
15:26
Addition and Subtraction
15:28
Algebra
15:58
One of the Most Fundamental Ideas in Algebra
16:06
Example
16:17
Do the Same Thing to Both Sides
17:12
Fractions
18:21
The Basics: Addition
18:22
How to Change the Denominator of a Fraction
19:11
The Basics: Multiplication
20:29
Fractions Over Fractions
21:31
Cross Multiplication
23:05
Never Use Cross-Multiplication Again
25:15
Substitution
26:45
You Have to Replace with the Whole Expression
26:47
Solving Multiple Equations
28:05
Three Ways to Solve Simultaneous Equations
28:27
Substitution
28:56
Adding Equations/ Elimination
31:08
Graphing
33:41
Exponents
35:41
Average
36:46
Mean
36:55
Median
37:13
Mode
37:42
Example
37:52
Percent
39:16
Percent Means Per Hundred
39:17
Probability
40:23
Assume All Possible Outcomes Are Equally Likely
40:24
Formula for the Probability of Something Happening
41:03
Funny Symbol Questions
41:43
Example
42:36
Math Concept Petting Zoo: Part 1

33m 2s

Intro
0:00
Legal Disclaimer
0:06
Welcome to the Zoo!
0:14
How Does the Zoo Work?
1:03
You Will See a Question Based on a Concept
1:04
Difficulty is Not Indicative of the Difficulty of Similar Questions on the SAT
1:50
What You Should Do
2:23
Keep Pen and Paper In Front of You
2:24
Write Down Concepts You Don't Know Well
3:23
Go Study Those Concepts
3:53
Intersection and Union
4:59
Intersection
5:16
Union
5:29
Sequences / Patterns
6:27
Pattern for the Example
6:43
Even/ Odd Properties
8:35
Example Explanation
8:55
Primes
10:05
Largest Prime Factor of 40
10:15
Percent
11:00
Example Explanation
11:23
Percent Change
12:41
Example Explanation
12:58
Average: Mean, Median, Mode
14:27
Example Explanation
14:46
Absolute Value
16:04
Example Explanation
16:17
Solving Equations for Unusual Things
17:26
Example Explanation
17:50
Distance = Speed x Time
18:33
Example Explanation
18:56
Radicals
19:46
Example Explanation
19:58
Exponents
21:09
Example Explanation
21:33
Concepts of a Function
23:00
Example Explanation
23:17
Domain and Range
24:06
Domain
24:19
Range
25:22
Function Transformations
26:21
Example Explanation
26:42
Expanding Factors (AKA: FOIL)
28:33
Example Explanation
29:06
Factoring
30:39
Example Explanation
30:52
Solving Polynomials
31:27
Example Explanation
31:41
Math Concept Petting Zoo: Part 2

29m 30s

Intro
0:00
Legal Disclaimer
0:06
Return to the Zoo
0:15
Equation of a Line
1:55
Example Explanation
2:09
Perpendicular Slope
3:40
Example Explanation
3:53
Properties of Angles
4:34
Example Explanation
4:47
Parallel Lines
6:05
Example Explanation
6:16
Ratios
7:00
Example Explanation
7:16
Similar Shapes
8:21
Example Explanation
8:40
Direct Variation / Direct Proportion
9:53
Example Explanation
10:08
Inverse Variation / Inverse Proportion
11:25
Example Explanation
11:40
Pythagorean Theorem
13:00
Example Explanation
13:19
Special Triangles
14:27
Example Explanation
14:41
Sum of Angles in a Triangle
16:47
Example Explanation
16:58
Area and Perimeter for a Polygon
18:00
Example Explanation
18:10
Area and Circumference for a Circle
19:38
Example Explanation
19:49
Volume and Surface Area
20:46
Example Explanation
20:54
Probability
24:15
Example Explanation
24:45
Interpreting Data
26:11
Example Explanation
26:27
Section 6: The Test
Watch the Day Before the Test

10m 39s

Intro
0:00
Legal Disclaimer
0:06
The Day (or Night) Before
0:16
Congratulations!
0:59
Gentle Reminder: Strategies
1:29
Pace Yourself
1:52
Eliminate Wrong Choices
2:07
Stay Focused
2:29
Gentle Reminder: Things to Bring
3:30
Admission Ticket
3:35
Photo ID
3:39
No. 2 Pencils
3:44
Calculator
4:12
Watch
4:17
Do NOT Bring Your Phone
4:34
What to Do the Night Before
6:49
Make Certain You Have Your Stuff Packed Up
7:33
Get to Bed Extra Early
7:41
Set an Alarm
7:55
Eat a Good Breakfast
8:01
Get to the Test Center 15 Minutes Early
8:17
Don't Stress
8:29
No, Seriously, Don't Stress
9:14
The SAT is Important But It Will Not Determine the Rest Of Your Life
9:18
SAT Scores Don't Matter Once You're at College
9:33
You Got This!
10:06
Section 7: Sample Tests
Answer Guide: Test 1, Section 3 (Math)

28m 40s

Intro
0:00
Legal Disclaimer
0:06
Answer Guide - Test 1, Section 3 (Math)
0:15
1.3.1
1:00
1.3.2
1:58
1.3.3
2:43
1.3.4
3:17
1.3.5
4:20
1.3.6
5:26
1.3.7
6:46
1.3.8
7:44
1.3.9
8:18
1.3.10
9:30
1.3.11
11:03
1.3.12
13:31
1.3.13
14:44
1.3.14
16:15
1.3.15
16:51
1.3.16
19:00
1.3.17
19:56
1.3.18
21:34
1.3.19
23:03
1.3.20
27:20
Answer Guide: Test 1, Section 7 (Math)

25m 35s

Intro
0:00
Legal Disclaimer
0:37
Answer Guide - Test 1, Section 7 (Math)
0:46
1.7.1
1:36
1.7.2
2:14
1.7.3
2:54
1.7.4
4:22
1.7.5
5:05
1.7.6
6:25
1.7.7
7:28
1.7.8
9:30
1.7.9
10:59
1.7.10
11:26
1.7.11
12:06
1.7.12
13:03
1.7.13
15:12
1.7.14
16:54
1.7.15
17:59
1.7.16
18:41
1.7.17
22:22
1.7.18
24:13
Answer Guide: Test 1, Section 8 (Math)

21m 31s

Intro
0:00
Legal Disclaimer
0:06
Answer Guide - Test 1, Section 8 (Math)
0:15
1.8.1
1:02
1.8.2
1:29
1.8.3
2:15
1.8.4
3:02
1.8.5
4:08
1.8.6
5:05
1.8.7
7:23
1.8.8
8:17
1.8.9
9:33
1.8.10
10:01
1.8.11
10:39
1.8.12
12:00
1.8.13
13:08
1.8.14
15:14
1.8.15
16:50
1.8.16
18:19
Answer Guide: Test 2, Section 2 (Math)

33m 34s

Intro
0:00
Legal Disclaimer
0:07
Answer Guide: Test 2, Section 2 (Math)
0:15
2.2.1
1:30
2.2.2
2:18
2.2.3
2:47
2.2.4
3:23
2.2.5
4:29
2.2.6
7:10
2.2.7
7:53
2.2.8
9:19
2.2.9
10:16
2.2.10
12:00
2.2.11
13:27
2.2.12
16:23
2.2.13
17:34
2.2.14
18:13
2.2.15
18:55
2.2.16
21:01
2.2.17
23:04
2.2.18
25:35
2.2.19
26:47
2.2.20
30:02
Answer Guide: Test 2, Section 5 (Math)

37m 21s

Intro
0:00
Legal Disclaimer
0:07
Answer Guide: Test 2, Section 5 (Math)
0:15
2.5.1
1:30
2.5.2
1:51
2.5.3
4:34
2.5.4
6:21
2.5.5
8:36
2.5.6
10:54
2.5.7
11:48
2.5.8
13:46
2.5.9
16:32
2.5.10
16:53
2.5.11
18:40
2.5.12
19:52
2.5.13
21:21
2.5.14
22:17
2.5.15
27:30
2.5.16
29:53
2.5.17
32:19
2.5.18
34:59
Answer Guide: Test 2, Section 8 (Math)

28m 46s

Intro
0:00
Legal Disclaimer
0:10
Answer Guide: Test 2, Section 8 (Math)
0:18
2.8.1
1:41
2.8.2
2:13
2.8.3
2:39
2.8.4
3:44
2.8.5
4:27
2.8.6
5:32
2.8.7
6:31
2.8.8
8:56
2.8.9
11:00
2.8.10
12:55
2.8.11
15:05
2.8.12
16:07
2.8.13
17:04
2.8.14
21:29
2.8.15
23:47
2.8.16
25:00
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