Christopher Black - McGraw-Hill Education SAT, 2020 edition

C ongratulations! Youve chosen the SAT guide from Americas leading educational publisher. You probably know us from many of the textbooks you used in school. Now were ready to help you take the next stepand get into the college or university of your choice.

This book gives you everything you need to succeed on the test. Youll get in-depth instruction and review of every topic tested, tips and strategies for every question type, and practice exams to boost your test-taking confidence. To get started, go to the following pages where youll find:

How to Use This Book: Step-by-step instructions to help you get the most out of your testprep program.

Your SAT Action Plan: Learn how to make the best use of your preparation time.

SAT Format Table: This handy chart shows the test structure at a glance: question types, time limits, and number of questions per section.

The 40 Top Strategies for Test Day: Use this list to check your knowledge, or as a lastminute refresher before the exam.

The 5 Top SAT Calculator Tips: Learn some smart ways that your calculator can help you.

Getting the Most from the Free Online Practice Tests: Log on to the companion website for more test-taking practice.

ABOUT McGRAW-HILL EDUCATION

This book has been created by McGraw-Hill Education. McGraw-Hill Education is a leading global provider of instructional, assessment, and reference materials in both print and digital form. McGraw-Hill Education has offices in 33 countries and publishes in more than 65 languages. With a broad range of products and servicesfrom traditional textbooks to the latest in online and multimedia learningwe engage, stimulate, and empower students and professionals of all ages, helping them meet the increasing challenges of the 21st century knowledge economy.

How to Use This Book

T his book is designed for students who want an effective program for the most dramatic SAT score improvements. It is based on the College Hill MethodTM, the elite training system used by the tutors of College Hill Coaching since 1990. It focuses on what works best in SAT prep: mindful training in the reasoning skills at the core of the SAT, and not just test-taking tricks or mindless drills.

This book provides all the material you need to score well on the SAT. It will teach you the knowledge that is required for this exam, including information about each type of question on the test. It also provides ample practice for you to refine the skills you are learning and then test yourself with full-length practice tests. For best results as you work your way through the book and the accompanying online tests, use this four-step program that follows:

Learn About the SAT

Dont skip . In it youll meet the SAT and learn exactly what academic skills it tests. Youll also find valuable test-taking strategies and information about how the test is scored.

Take a Realistic Practice SAT

Take the SAT diagnostic test in of this book. Take the test strictly timed, in one sitting, and proctored if possible. Then use the answer key to evaluate your results so you can learn your strengths and weaknesses.

Study What You Need to Learn with the Lessons and Exercises

If you miss a question on your practice SAT, read its answer explanation at the end of the test. If it refers to a lesson in , make that lesson part of your weekly review.

First read each Lesson carefully, underlining important ideas or writing notes in the margins.

Check your understanding of the concepts and skills in these lessons by working through the questions and answers in each Exercise Set.

When youre done, read all of the explanations in the Answer Key, even for questions that you got right. Why? Because very often, there are many ways to get a question right, and some may be much more efficient than the one you used!

Repeat the Cycle Until Youve Surpassed Your SAT Score Goal

Take the practice tests in this book and on the companion website, trying each time to simulate actual testing conditions. Then correct your test with the detailed answer key, and review the relevant lessons in that will help you to improve your skills for the next test.

T o make the best use of your SAT preparation time, youll need a personalized action plan thats based on your needs and the time you have available. This book has been designed for flexi bility; you can work through it from cover to cover or you can move around from one chapter to another in the order you want based on your own priorities and needs. However, before you jump in, maximize the effectiveness of your preparation time by spending a few minutes to develop a realistic action plan. Use the tools provided in these pages to help you focus on the areas where you are weakest, plan your study program, and gain the discipline you need to pace yourself and achieve your goals.

Each time you take a practice SAT in this book or online, take a few minutes to review your performance and make a plan for improving your scores on the next test.

Questions About Your Performance

What were your test conditions? Did you take your practice SAT as you would take a real SAT? Were you sitting at a desk and at a neutral site? Did you time yourself strictly? Did you take the test all at one sitting? If your conditions were not realistic, make sure that they are more realistic next time. Also, note any conditions that may have affected your performance, like broken clock, noisy radiator, freezing room, or phone interruption. Learning to deal with distrac -tions and with the length and time limits of the SAT is very important to peak performance.

What was your pre-test routine? What you do just before the test can be very important to your performance. Having a raging argument with someone, for instance, probably wont help. To perform your best, get at least 8 hours of sleep the night before, get 30 minutes of exercise prior to the SAT, and have a good breakfast. Write down anything significant that you did just prior to the test, like ran 4 miles, had oatmeal and orange juice, was yelled at by Dad, or did 15 minutes of yoga.

Did you attack the questions you need to attack? The score conversion tables at the end of each practice test (for instance, those on pages 6869), show you how many questions you need to answer correctly on each section to make your score goals. After each test, ask yourself, How many more points do I need, and how can I get them? Try to find patterns among the questions you missed, so you know which sections in this book to review before the next test.