Table of Contents
Introduction A Brief History of This Book
One Afternoon in the Ithaca High School Cafeteria Way Back in the Late '80s viii
Years Later ix
Meet Samantha x
Chapter 1 About the SAT
Before We Begin, Any Questions? 2
The Story of the Evil Testing Serpent 14
SAT Scoring 16
SAT Services 19
SAT Mistakes 21
Chapter 2 How to Study: A Primer for the Lazy, the Anxious, and the Disorganized
Getting in Gear 24
The Up Your Score Lower Your Stress Plan™ 25
Concentration 28
How Not to Get Stuck 32
Wean Yourself from Your Phone 34
Creating a Study Program… and Sticking with It 34
Practice, Practice, Practice 36
Building Endurance 37
Chapter 3 The Evidence-Based Reazing Test
The Serpent's New Obsessions-Evidence and Analysis 40
The Nuts and Bolts of the Reading Test 42
The Seven Key Rules 44
So Many Passage Types, So Little Time 49
Reading Test Question Types 56
Different Readers, Different Strategies 69
A Very Serious Reading Passage 71
A Truly Serious Reading Passage-We Mean It This Time 75
Infographics 81
Vocabulary-Still Essential 92
Decodable Words 93
Memorization Strategies 94
The Word List 98
Chapter 4 The Writing and Language Test: Embracing Your Inner Grammaniac
Know Your Enemy 158
Standard English Conventions 160
Expression of Ideas 184
Informational Graphics 195
Let's Put This All Together and Practice! 196
Pithy Parting Wisdom 201
Chapter 5 The Math Test
Welcome to Math 204
Before We Begin 204
The Shape of the Test 205
How Is This Different from the Old SAT? 205
Mental Math Tricks 206
Some Arithmetic Reminders 212
Problem Solving and Data Analysis 221
Interpreting Graphs 227
Statistics 233
Heart of Algebra 242
Passport to Advanced Math 253
Additional Topics 268
Grid-In Problems 295
A Few Last Words 297
Chapter 6 The Not-So-Optional Essay
Does Optional Really Mean Optional? 300
Not What Is Said, but How It's Said 300
One Template to Rule Them All 303
How Is the SAT Essay Scored? 314
How to Write Good 315
Why You Shouldn't Hate the Essay 318
Chapter 7 Guessing, or Defeating the Impostors from Hell
Impostors from Hell 320
Guessing, the SAT, and the Specter of World Destruction 323
The Five Rules of Guessing 324
Some More Good Advice 328
Chapter 8 But Wait! You Also Get…
Little Circles 330
Cursing Cursive 333
Yoga and the SAT 333
The SAT and the Internet 335
Cheating 336
Is the SAT Biased? 338
A Test Taker's Guide to Proctors 340
What's the Best Way to Prepare the Day Before the SAT? 342
Sneaky Snacking 346
Fashion and Beauty Tips 347
Keeping Track of Time 348
Stick It in Your Ear 349
SATitis 349
Canceling Counseling 350
The SSS 351
SATing for Dollars 352
Some Other Thoughts on Getting into College 352
Parting Words of Advice 355
Who Are These People, Anyway? 356
Whiz Kids Wanted 358
