SAT Today: Pattern Q and A Strategy by cooperhomeschool@rocketmail.com

11 Practice Tests for the SAT and PSAT, 2009 Edition (College Test Preparation)
Posting by judiethcarol&rocketcat
When tutoring students about standardized tests, I like to find 'pattern' questions--with the correct answers available immediately--to display certain characteristics of test questions. Today's SAT question is one that I would use as such a pattern. It is easy to miss, yet it is also easy to get right. At least half of the respondents are missing the answer today. The strategy of using 'pattern' can help you to show what you know on a standardized test and help you to prevent what is causing some people who know the answer to miss the answer for this one today.

The strategy most likely to get this one answered correctly applies to other questions that are presented in this way. I consider today's SAT question and the correct answer ("No error") to be a worthy 'pattern' question and answer for teaching the strategy to answer this type of question because it contains some underlined portions that may make you wonder if there is a 'rule' you are not remembering.

In short, when you cannot find an error that you can explain to yourself the reasoning that this IS an error, go ahead and choose 'No Error' rather than guessing which underlined portion is in error.
If you cannot find an error that you can explain, the odds are greater for the 'No error' answer to be correct than any other option you choose!!!
To use pattern questions to best advantage while preparing for a standardized test, we need to do three main things:
1) Become familiar with the styles of questions on the specific test.
2) Understand what each style of question is testing in the test taker.
3) Practice using the 'pattern' strategy as much as possible for each style of question on the upcoming test.

For today's pattern:
1) One of the several styles of questions in the verbal parts of the SAT test is the presentation of a sentence with several portions of the sentence underlined. The test taker is to review the sentence looking for errors, especially noting potential errors in the underlined portions of the sentence.
2) For the SAT, this type of question is used to find out if the test taker is familiar enough with a variety of grammatical errors to "edit" them in relation to certain usage in a sentence. This one style of question is used to determine whether the test taker can recognize subject-verb disagreement, lack of parallel construction, misuse of possessives, pronoun-antecedent disagreement, and several other types of grammatical dysfunction.
One way to study is to make up your own practice test questions with these errors. Then, you can realize how the style of question works.
3)If you study this pattern, copying today's question from the site (www.collegeboard.com for daily SAT questions), you will find the way to study the other types of questions on the test in a way to learn the material you are studying. This is one of the highest and best uses of standardized tests!
Remember: Always study with the correct answers and solution explanations close by. Check your work immediately. Never spend time 'learning' incorrectly. Studying is only effective when you are learning and practicing with excellent and immediate feedback. If you do not have a human guide, use the resources with immediate answers--like the ASAT questions for the day!
You can write to me for more advice about studying. cooperhomeschool@rocketmail.com Come back tomorrow! judiethcarol&rocketcat

3 Ways to Improve Standardized Test Scores-Focus on Math

The Three (3) highest point-winners for Standardized Tests: MATH
1 VISUALIZATION, 2 POE (Process of Elimination), and 3 PEMDAS (Order of Operations):(There are some more point winning strategies--including substitution of easy numbers into pattern. Come back Wednesday!
Getting Points on Standardized Tests Involves the 3 BIG STRATEGIES.
The Simple way to answer today’s SAT question for the day is a combination of visualization and process of elimination. Over half the responders missed it!
Today’s question requires visualization. If there is a completely numerical way to scratch it out, the College Board does not tell us.
Here’s what I did: I visualized the full number of aisles the question states are covered in finding the numbers of items that are in the first few aisles (1-7) and/or in the second set of aisles which include some of the first set.
Here’s what we know and need to know: Our total number of items on the second batch can come from some of the same aisles as in the first shopping list sweep!
We have only three answers to consider, so I just did POE (Process of Elimination).
Could we get 9 items this way? Could we get 10? Could we get 11?
Yes, yes, and yes—So look below for the answer that says the answer could be all three of these.
Hooray!!! This is like a math question with no math! It’s logic.
We love logical questions, right??? (Think: goat, wolf, and goat food and a raft to cross a river with one at a time without losing the goat, the goat food—or even the wolf. How few trips can you make; and which do you take when? Remember??? Fun, right??? It’s not a riddle. It’s logic—like Order of Operations).
TWO MAJOR STANDARDIZED TEST TIPS
1) Find a pattern problem for the mnemonic ‘PEMDAS’ for Order of Operations:
Use a really good example question as a pattern, and scratch it onto your paper when you start the math section. Find a good clear problem with parentheses, exponents, subtraction within the parentheses, at least one square root, and multiplication and/or division and either an addition or subtraction outside of parentheses (needing to be next to last or last—Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication, Division, Addition, and Subtraction (PEMDAS-Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally).
2) When the numbers are manageable and visualization is, too, use POE (Process of Elimination).
These two tips can get you through many (many) points on standardized tests. Know them well, and be careful. They are usually asked in questions that seem easy. They are easy, but you need to check your arithmetic!