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

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