A primary objective of any SAT practice test is to reconstituted all the conditions and exercises type as close as possible to those of the real test , which is more difficult than it appears .
But the good news is that you don’t have to invent yourself SAT practice tests , there are plenty already made , all you have to do is to choose one and start practicing . Just type “sat tests “ on a search engine like google for example and you’ll have instantly million of links with such tests .
The modern technology we enjoy today has made easier than ever to get free and quality information just at fingers distance for anyone anywhere anytime .It would be stupid not to use such enormous advantages of the era we live today, actually not using this one may lead you to missing opportunities that will never have again.

One secret to obtain a high SAT score is to practice SAT specific vocabulary words exercises. You can find on internet many free sites with word lists, just sign up and start practicing at least one hour per day or an amount of 100 new words every day .
Alternatively , you might buy some SAT practice tests books from Amazon or other online or offline stores.

Another useful tip on improving your score is to sign up for SAT question of the day at college board and for free online demo SAT practice test ( there are paid sites too for those who can afford ) and take the advantage of it . Practicing on these sites will give you a sense of where you stand with the real SAT.
These sites usually have online courses for international students too , if you happen to live outside USA or Canada .

In the state of California ,in some locations like San Diego, Ventura county and others there are organized paid stress free SAT /ACT practice tests where not only the students but their parents too are invited to be taught how to help their children by learning strategies behind SAT taking tests and how their child’s score stack up.

Also, for the students located in USA there is a free National Testing Day organized around April or May by Princeton Review and which will give you the possibility to register for free and take the exam plus a detailed score analysis of the results obtained.

If you don’t live in the USA , you may contact SAT practicing centre in your country or simply use all the opportunities to do that on the internet .A strong determination will get you to the University of your choice.

Format of the SAT II Physics test

? 75 multiple-choice questions
? Questions covering topics emphasized in most high school courses (Because of course differences, most
students will find that there are some questions on topics with which they are not familiar.)
? Offered at all administrations except March

Content of the SAT II Physics test

Questions may require you to:

? Recall and understand the major concepts of physics and to apply these physical principles to solve specific problems
? Understand simple algebraic, trigonometric, and graphical relationships and the concepts of ratio and
proportion, and apply these to physics problems

On this Subject Test, please note that:

? Numerical calculations are not emphasized and are limited to simple arithmetic
? Questions predominantly use the metric system
? You should assume that the direction of any current is the direction of flow of positive charge
(conventional current)

NOTE: Calculator use is not permitted.

Recommended Preparation for the SAT II Physics test:

? One-year introductory physics course on the collegepreparatory level
? Laboratory experience—a signifi cant factor in developing reasoning and problem-solving skills— even though this test can only measure lab skills in a limited way, such as data analysis

SAT II Physics Score
? Total score: 200–800 scale

On the other hand , SAT essay graders have only 2 and a half minutes to evaluate and score your essay , that’s why when writing the essay you must know few important tips if you want to obtain a good score .

1. Pay attention to the essay requirements and make sure that you understand the subject ; you need to read carefully all information given, including the one in the introductory paragraph which can be very useful for developing a proper argumentation .

2. Pay attention to your handwriting style , remember that persons correcting SAT essays read thousands of compositions and they don’t have time to guess what you wanted to say if they don’t understand your writing. Exercise every day the way you write until is easily readable .

3. Remember that first impression is the one that counts and try to make an original introductory phrase to catch the attention of the reader; keep the introduction and the conclusion quite short , you have only 25 minutes for your SAT essay and you don’t want to waste your time for these parts . Much of your grading score comes from the evaluation of the “body” .

4. Be careful to respect grammar rules , one or two mistakes won’t count but many more surely will affect your final score . Also, don’t forget about proper punctuation

5. Write your own point of view on the topic and sustain it passionately ,bringing original arguments ,that would impress the readers , no matter what side you take , the majority or the minority’s . Give one or two examples ( is not absolutely necessary to give many examples, better few and good )to sustain your point of view and take time to explain them very well .

In order to improve your chance of writing a more interesting SAT essay ,a good idea is to practice it with a specialist at least for several months before the exam day , a trainer who can appreciate you correctly , show you where your weaknesses are and teach you some writing techniques. It may cost you some money but consider them a good investment in your future .Also, there are many sites where you can find ideas for different topics and some forums where you could meet other SAT essay takers and evaluate each other writing skills .

General Intelligence is described as the ability to use language , understand concepts , to learn, to solve problems, to reason , to think abstractly and to adapt one’s behavior to challenging surroundings. This capacity is assessed by IQ tests which might include measuring tests of verbal, reasoning ,problem solving skills , spatial ,mathematical and memory abilities.

The initial SAT test was developed out of some IQ tests in 1926 by Carl Campbell Brigham (a Princeton University psychologist who participated in the development of the “Army-Alpha” intelligence tests ), particularly the verbal portion of the test , verbal intelligence being measured in IQ tests by the vocabulary accomplishment and fluency, also the analogies , reading comprehension , antonyms , synonyms.
In fact, some of the psychologists say that SAT scores measure general intelligence –factor “g” - in a more effective way than many of IQ tests and even have provided a formula to convert SAT scores into IQ scores.

As a result in the USA many of big companies have developed recruiting strategies based on identifying highly intelligent future employees by consulting their SAT scores .

But the application of the correlation between SAT scores and IQ scores does not end here , the researchers at Case Western Reserve University have shown the importance of this correaltion in measuring the declining of intelligence due to serious injuries at head or in patients with Alzheimer disease .Having the SAT scores of this patients they know the initial level of intelligence of them since many American people have taken SAT tests.

The College Board however did not want to recognize the relevance of this correlation , though could not deny that both IQ and SAT scores represent the value of the same aspect of general intelligence . To admit that SAT is a disguised IQ test is to open Pandora’s box for many speculations and interpretations , fueling material to those who would like to remove it as a tie breaker university entrance test .
Robert J. Sternberg, a psychology professor at University of Yale, who has been working with ETS on creating standardized creativity , ethics and practical tests ,thinks is not right for students not be informed about what they are getting when they are tested.

Like for any other standardized test , in order to acquire good results for SAT someone must prepare seriously for that long before the day of the test .

Researchers in the field of education have demonstrated  that is better for a student to prepare for any examination for few hours /day for a longer period of time ahead the day of the exam than to undergo an intensive preparation all day long for a short period before taking the test.

There are many sites and books that offers SAT preparation courses ,however , when choosing the right one , you must take into account that SAT assess your ability to think rationally, in other words your reasoning skills that makes you successful in life , regardless of  your university grades . Most of the universities are looking not only to attract  students who could manage to achieve good grades but  those who are able to make the best of their abilities ,too.

That ‘s way an effective  SAT preparation program must include a well developed and affordable method for improving both your formal and informal reasoning skills .

Formal reasoning is a skill used  in studying different sciences like computers, mathematics, chemistry , physics , while informal reasoning ( or critical thinking )  is an aptitude that combines natural creativity and perseverance with a  certain level of intelligence that comes from resolving life challenges  . Having good critical thinking skills help you to  identify, analyze  and integrate knowledge  into a good argumentation discourse and to resolve with success in a proper time a  critical situation .

While formal reasoning it is formed in school when acquiring and practicing  the necessary knowledge during specific courses  , there is little evidence that education system improves substantially your informal reasoning ( or in some rarely cases is taught as an isolated skill on how to make a research incorporated in a regular coursework  ) , and since critical thinking doesn’t come naturally either ,you must make seriously personal efforts in order to acquire this necessary skill if you  want to become successful in your exams.

Here are some tips on how to start your SAT preparation program :

I. Improve your informal reasoning skills :

a) make a habit from regarding knowledge not as simply content that need to be accepted as it is and reiterated but content that can be questioned  ; raise precisely and clearly formulated questions about every new information that comes along;

b) gather as many information as you can about a specific topic you want to discuss and argue about ;

c) analyze the pros and cons for  situations , topics , subjects , proverbs etc. ,apply your knowledge  and come to your own interpretation  instead of accepting others’ conclusions ;

d) learn how to communicate effectively with others to find out more complex solutions at different problems;

e) make a habit to put in writing in your own words some ideas , concepts and new knowledge you acquire every day  ; this will help you focus on your thoughts and put them in a order that makes sense .

II. Work on developing better formal reasoning skills.

That means intense studying of the theory required for SAT (you cannot find out the length of the hypotenuse if you don’t know Pythagora’s theoreme ! ) and then putting  into practice that knowledge by doing thousands of exercises . Like we said in the beginning , this is a task you should spread over a longer period of time , so the sooner you start taking SAT preparation courses, the better the results.

III .        Develop effective time management strategies .

You’ll be taking SAT in a specific given time so it is crucial for you to be able to finish ,if possible , all  questions  before the expiring time , that’s why you should practice enough to know how long you may spend for a question .

People react differently under pressure , so  observe yourself while working under pressure and try to minimize the negative effects of the stress by learning appropriate coping strategies .

IV . Look for some good SAT preparation books

We recommend you to purchase at least three SAT preparation books , one of which  should be the official guide from the College Board ,the most informative book in the field so you’ll get used to the real questions of the SAT .

Apart from this guide , there are plenty of  unofficial good  SAT preparation books on the market ,like for instant :

How to Prepare for the New SAT (Barron’s How to Prepare for the Sat I ) by Sharon Weiner Green and Ira K. Wolf

SAT Practice: The New Verbal Section by K. Titchenell

McGraw Hills –SAT I

Cracking the SAT, 2008 , Princeton Review

Kaplan Sat 2008 , Premier Program

]]> http://www.oveli.com/sat-test/sat-preparation/feed/ http://www.oveli.com/sat-ii-math/sat-ii-mathematics-test-level-1-and-level-2/ http://www.oveli.com/sat-ii-math/sat-ii-mathematics-test-level-1-and-level-2/#comments Mon, 03 Nov 2008 12:22:11 +0000 admin http://www.oveli.com/?p=17 Purpose of the SAT II Mathematics test level 1 and level 2:   Measure knowledge of mathematics through the first three years of college-preparatory mathematics for Level 1 and through precalculus for Level 2.

Format of the SAT II Mathematics test level 1 and level 2: 50 multiple-choice questions. Questions covering content typically taught in the first three years (for Level 1) or four years (for Level 2) of college-preparatory mathematics (Students are not expected to have studied every topic on either test.)

Recommended Preparation for the SAT II Mathematics test

Level 1:  Three years of college-preparatory mathematics, including two years of algebra and one year of geometry.

Level 2: More than three years of college-preparatory mathematics, including two years of algebra, one year of geometry, and elementary functions (precalculus) and/or trigonometry. If you have had preparation in trigonometry and elementary functions and have attained grades of B or better in these courses, select Level 2. If you are sufficiently prepared to take Level 2 but take Level 1 in hopes of receiving a higher score, you may not do as well as you expect.

Score: Total score: 200–to–800 scale.

Because the content measured by the two tests differs considerably, you cannot use your score on one test to predict your score on the other or to compare scores.

Geometric Figures

Figures that accompany problems are intended to provide information useful in solving the problems. They are drawn as accurately as possible EXCEPT when it is stated in a particular problem that the figure is not drawn to scale. Even when figures are not drawn to scale, the relative positions of points and angles may be assumed to be in the order shown. Also, line segments that extend through points and appear to lie on the same line may be assumed to be on the same line. The text “Note: Figure not drawn to scale.” is included on the figure when degree measures may not be accurately shown and specific lengths may not be drawn proportionally.

How to Choose Biology-E or Biology-M

-Take Biology-E if you feel more comfortable answering questions pertaining to biological communities, populations, and energy flow.

-Take Biology-M if you feel more comfortable answering questions pertaining to biochemistry, cellular structure and processes, such as respiration and photosynthesis.

You can decide whether you want to take Biology-E or Biology-M on test day by gridding the appropriate code for the test you have chosen on your answer sheet. Only questions pertaining to the test code that is gridded on your answer sheet will be scored.

NOTE: Because there is a common core of questions you are not allowed to take Biology-E and Biology-M on the same test date. You can take them on two different test dates.

Format of the SAT II Biology Test

-60 multiple-choice questions that are common to both Biology-E and Biology-M 20 specialized multiple-choice questions for either Biology-E or Biology-M

-Total of 80 questions answered by each test-taker. Questions may require you to recall and understand the major concepts of biology and to apply the principles, organize and interpret results obtained by observation and experimentation, draw conclusions or make inferences from  experimental data, including data presented in graphic or tabular form or solve problems with simple numerical calculations using the metric system.

NOTE: Calculator use is not permitted.

Recommended Preparation for the SAT II Biology Test

-One-year course in biology

-One-year course in algebra and familiarity with  simple algebraic concepts such as ratios and direct and inverse proportions

-Laboratory experience

Structure of Matter

Atomic Structure, including experimental evidence of atomic structure, quantum numbers and energy levels (orbitals), electron configurations, periodic trends.

Molecular Structure, including Lewis structures, three-dimensional molecular shapes, polarity.

Bonding, including ionic, covalent, and metallic bonds, relationships of bonding to properties and structures; intermolecular forces such as hydrogen bonding, dipole-dipole forces, dispersion (London) forces.

States of Matter

Gases, including the kinetic molecular theory, gas law relationships, molar volumes, density, and stoichiometry.

Liquids and Solids, including intermolecular forces in liquids and solids, types of solids, phase changes, and phase diagrams.

Solutions, including molarity and percent by mass concentrations, solution preparation and stoichiometry, factors affecting solubility of solids, liquids, and gases, qualitative aspects of colligative properties.

Reaction Types

Acids and Bases, including Brønsted-Lowry theory, strong and weak acids and bases, pH, titrations, indicators.

Oxidation-Reduction, including recognition of oxidation-reduction reactions, combustion, oxidation numbers, use of activity series.

Precipitation, including basic solubility rules.

Stoichiometry

Mole Concept, including molar mass, Avogadro’s number, empirical and molecular formulas.

Chemical Equations, including the balancing of equations, stoichiometric calculations, percent yield, and limiting reactants.

Equilibrium and Reaction Rates

Equilibrium Systems, including factors affecting position of equilibrium (LeChâtelier’s principle) in gaseous and aqueous systems, equilibrium constants, and equilibrium expressions.

Rates of Reactions, including factors affecting reaction rates, potential energy diagrams, activation energies.

Thermochemistry

Including conservation of energy, calorimetry and specific heats, enthalpy (heat) changes associated with phase changes and chemical reactions, heating and cooling curves, entropy.

Descriptive Chemistry

Including common elements, nomenclature of ions and compounds, periodic trends in chemical and physical properties of the elements, reactivity of elements and prediction of products of chemical reactions, examples of simple organic compounds and compounds of environmental concern.

Laboratory

Including knowledge of laboratory equipment, measurements, procedures, observations, safety, calculations, data analysis, interpretation of graphical data, drawing conclusions from observations and data.

* 70 minutes long. Those 70 minutes are divided into three timed sections: two 25-minute sections and one 20-minute section.
* Three types of questions. The Critical Reading section contains Sentence Completions, Reading Comprehension questions about short paragraphs (100 words), and Reading Comprehension questions about longer passages (500–800 words).
* Critical Reading Skills. Unlike the old Verbal section, which was essentially a glorified vocabulary test, the Critical Reading section really does test critical reading skills.

The SAT Math Section

* 70 minutes long. The section is divided into two 25-minute sections and one 20-minute section.
* Quantitative Comparisons have been cut. The Math section contains the standard multiple-choice questions and grid-in questions.
* New math topics. Math questions cover topics in basic numbers and operations, algebra, geometry, and data analysis. The algebra in the new SAT now includes a bunch of topics from Algebra II.

The SAT Writing Section

* 50 minutes long. There will be 25 minutes to write an essay and 35 minutes for three different types of multiple-choice questions.
* One essay topic. For the essay, you’ll have to take and justify a stance on a broad topic. You won’t have a choice of topics.
* Multiple-choice questions. The Writing section contains three types of multiple-choice questions: Identifying Sentence Errors, Improving Sentences, and Improving Paragraphs.
* Writing skills. The essay and the multiple-choice questions test both your writing skills and your understanding of grammar and language usage.

The Experimental Section
The SAT test also contains a 25-minute experimental section. It doesn’t count toward your final score. It’s in there just so that the test-makers can try out some of their new questions on you.
We know what you’re thinking: It would be nice if you could figure out which one was the experimental section and, since it doesn’t count toward your score, just blow it off during the test. You can’t do that. The experimental section looks exactly like one of the other test sections. Unfortunately, you need to treat every single section of the test as if it counts.

The “crack the test” approach to preparing for the SAT Test is even less effective now. For real improvement on the SAT Test, you must strengthen your problem-solving skills. Students who ace the SAT Test don’t do it by memorizing test-taking tricks. Ask them. They do it by becoming good problem solvers.
Smart Preparation for the SAT Test is not about memorizing the “best way” to solve each “type” of SAT Test question. There are no such “magic bullets,” and trying to memorize each possible “type” is silly, not to mention virtually impossible. This would be like training a baseball player to simply “memorize” every possible scenario in a baseball game, and respond to each one in a pre-programmed way. Ridiculous. Of
course, fundamental skills are important to a good player, but even more important are the systems he or
she uses to respond—flexibly and creatively—to the infinite possibilities that may arise in any game. A good player is one who thinks well. Similarly, to do well on the SAT Test, you must improve your general problem-solving skills, so that you are ready for any crazy problem that might come your way. This process requires being open to new information and discoveries as they come, continually looking for new relationships and patterns in that information, evaluating and reevaluating your progress as you work through problems, and so on.

This is mindful practice, not mindless habit or“quick and easy” tricks. Here are some important questions to think about:
•  As you read, are you in control of how your eyes move through the page? Do you always know what to look for in a passage? Is your mind actively seeking to answer questions as you read and to “construct” a representation of what you read in your mind? Do you consolidate information as you read? Do you notice the structure of the passage as you read? If not, you are not reading mindfully.These skills are crucial to ace the Sat Critical Reading section.
•  As you write, do you stay mindful of the central purpose of your essay? Do you think about different ways of phrasing and arranging your thoughts? Do you address the objections a reader might have to your points? Are you continually checking that your writing is clear and forceful to your reader? If not, you are not writing mindfully. These skills are crucial to ace the Sat Test Essay.

•  When solving a math problem, do you always represent the problem information in a way you can use? Do you look for patterns or repetition in the problem so that you can simplify it? Do you consider the different approaches you could take to solving the problem? Do you have good strategies for checking your work? These skills are crucial to ace the SAT Test Mathematics sections.