offers to help you learn from your first test (and to make themselves more
money). The Question-and-Answer Service provides you with a copy of the test
you took, your answers, the correct answers, scoring instructions, and
information about the type and difficulty of each question. The service costs
$18.00, and you can order it either when you register for the test or up to five
months after your test date. It takes three to seven weeks after your test is scored
for you to receive the materials, but if you are willing to pay the $18.00 and wait
a bit, you’ll know exactly which areas of the SAT you need to practice.
Unfortunately, the College Board does not offer this valuable service for all of
the test dates. If you want to use it, be sure it’s available on your test date.
Even though you’ll probably walk out of the test with a couple of questions you’re pretty sure you missed in mind, chances are youmissed others, too. Whether it was because of a simple error or because you didn’t understand the problem, it’s always good to know
what you got wrong and why so you can avoid the mistake next time.
—Samantha
For the test dates on which the Question-and-Answer Service is not available,
the College Board offers the Student Answer Service. For $13.50, you receive a
computer-generated report that tells you for each question what type it was
(vocabulary in context, geometry, etc.), whether you answered it correctly or
incorrectly or skipped it, and the level of difficulty on a scale of 1 to 5. You can
order this service the same way you order the Question-and-Answer Service, and
you’ll receive the materials three to six weeks after your test is scored. Although
it doesn’t provide you with as much information, you can still use it to gauge the
areas in which you need work.
BUILDING ENDURANCE
The SAT is a nearly four-hour test (if you include the optional Essay), which is
tough for anyone. But it will be especially tough for those of us who were raised
on a steady diet of Instagram and Facebook. Even if you are the kind of person
who is easily able to focus on a given task, it is an altogether different challenge
to focus for such a long period of time.
The best way to improve your stamina is to do it by phases. In the month
before your test, try following this schedule:
Don’t frantically study the day before. Maybe review any areas that have been giving you trouble, but there’s no need for panickedcramming or last-minute practice tests. Rest your brain.
—Samantha