SAT Question of the Day

2012-06-06 09:00:12

An equilateral triangle has a perimeter equal to the circumference of a circle with a radius of 3. What is the length of one side of the triangle?

(A) 2
(B) 6
(C) 2π
(D) 3π
(E) 6π

The correct choice is C

Explanation: Start by finding the circumference of the circle. Circumference is calculated by multiplying the radius of a circle by 2π, so the circumference of this circle is 3(2π), or 6π. The perimeter of a triangle is the sum of all three sides, and since this triangle is an equilateral one, all sides will be equal. Thus, one side of the triangle will be 1/3 of the perimeter, and, since 6π/3 is 2π, the answer is C.

SAT Question of the Day

2012-06-08 09:00:35

When the school board was finally done meeting, they had

                                                (A) (B)

decided once and for all to no longer require mandatory school

            (C)                                (D)

uniforms for all students. No error

                            (E)

 

The correct choice is A

Explanation: The error in this sentence occurs at choice A where the plural pronoun “they” does not agree in number with its singular antecedent, “the school board.” This error could be corrected by changing “they” to the singular “it.”

SAT Question of the Day

2012-06-11 09:00:03

Three years ago, Douglas was three times as old as Cody. This year, Cody is twice as old as Jillian. If Jillian were 7 three years ago, how old is Douglas now?

(A) 10
(B) 17
(C) 20
(D) 41
(E) 44

The correct choice is E

Explanation: Start by finding Jillian’s age. If she were 7 three years ago, she’d be ten now. Cody is currently twice as old as Jillian, so he’s 20 now. Three years ago, Cody would have been 17, and if Douglas was three times as old as Cody three years ago, then he would’ve been 41 then. That would make Douglas’s current age 44.

Here is a chart that express this information:

Name	Age Three Years Ago	Current Age
Jillian	7	10
Cody	17	20
Douglas	41	44

SAT Question of the Day

2012-06-13 09:00:56

One of the most infamous thieves of all time, no one has yet determined who DB Cooper actually was, even though he jumped out of the plane he hijacked more than forty years ago.

(A) One of the most infamous thieves of all time, no one has yet determined who DB Cooper actually was
(B) The actual identity of one of the most infamous thieves of all time, DB Cooper, has yet to be determined
(C) One of the most infamous thieves of all time, DB Cooper remains unknown to this day
(D) The actual identity of one of the most infamous thieves of all time, DB Cooper’s, has yet to be determined
(E) One of the most infamous thieves of all time, DB Cooper’s identity has yet to be determined

The correct choice is B

Explanation: As written, the sentence contains a modifier error. The introductory clause of the sentence is an introductory modifier and, as such, needs to be followed immediately by its subject. However, “no one” Is not  “one of the most infamous thieves of all time” and, thus, cannot be the subject of the clause. Choice B corrects this error by eliminating the introductory modifying clause and turning it into a noun clause (“The actual… time”) followed by an appositive (“DB Cooper”) and a verb phrase (“has yet to be determined”).

SAT Question of the Day

2012-06-15 09:00:17

A certain club cannot accept all members and uses a process to sort potential members.  ¼ of all applicants are rejected in the first step of this process, which eliminates applicants randomly. Of the remaining number of applicants, 2/3 are eliminated after someone reads through their applications. In the final stage of the process, a committee of three members meets with individual applicants and uses those meetings to eliminate ¾ of all remaining applicants. Those who survive all three rounds are granted membership. Last year, the club accepted 225 members. How many applicants did it have?

The correct choice is 3600

Explanation: Take this problem step-by-step, starting from the final step. 225 members is ¼ of those who met with the committee. Thus, there were 4 times as many applicants as were accepted at that stage. This means that there were 900 applicants who met with the committee. 900 is 1/3 of the number of applicants who got to round two (since 2/3 of those applicants were rejected), meaning there were 2700 applicants who survived the initial random purge. 2700 represents ¾ of the total applicants, since ¼ of the total applicants were rejected randomly. This means there were 3600 total applicants, since ¾ of 3600 is 2700.

How to read actively and score more points!

2012-06-05 12:00:30

Love it or hate it, SAT Critical Reading is important. Not only do college admissions officials pay great attention to SAT Critical Reading scores, but studying for SAT Critical Reading can actually help you learn to process & comprehend college-level texts—important skills for success in college and beyond. In this blog entry, I will describe how to use active reading strategies to help you become a better reader. If you practice these strategies regularly, I guarantee your reading level will advance and you will score more points on the SAT.

What is active reading?

Active reading means using strategies to increase one’s comprehension and retention of a text.

Active readers probe the limits of a text. They habitually “read between the lines,” which means they make inferences and uncover meanings buried beneath the literal wording of a text. Active readers ask questions, make connections, and examine an author's use of language to work through what they don't immediately understand.

SAT passage-based reading questions require students to make inferences and identify the implied meanings of challenging texts; therefore, becoming an active reader is crucial for SAT success.

How to become an active reader:

1) Define a set of goals for reading.

Defining a set of goals not only helps us stay focused as we read, but it also prepares us to monitor our comprehension. If you know precisely what you aim to get from reading, it will be easier for you to supervise your understanding of a text.

Lucky for you, the SAT hands you a prepackaged set of goals, articulated in the questions asked about each passage. As an active SAT passage reader, your goals are to understand:

--- The subject of the passage – What is the author writing about?
--- The argument of the passage – What position does the author take on the subject? What is the passage trying to show or describe?
--- The structure of the passage – What supporting points does the author use to back up the argument?  How do different parts of the passage relate to each other and contribute to the meaning as a whole?
--- The tone of the passage – How does the author feel about the subject he/she is writing about?

Fiction passages, which make up 10% of the passages on each SAT, present a slightly different challenge. In addition to the above-mentioned goals, active readers seek to understand:

--- The relationships between characters – What do the different characters think of each other? Do the character’s feelings toward each other change during the story? What devices are used to convey this relationship?
--- The use of figurative language in the passage – Why does the author describe things the way he/she does? What impressions do these descriptions create? How do these descriptions reinforce and/or add to the overall meaning of the passage?

2) Take notes as you read

Everyone has fleeting impressions, questions, and thoughts about what they read. Forcing yourself to take notes is a great way to slow down your reading process and give yourself time to fully think through each question or thought. In addition, highlighting, underlining, and annotating texts helps you stay focused as you read. Finally, taking notes is a great way to mark information you may need to look at again in the future.

Good notes concern:

Questions about the text – Mark sections that are confusing, surprising, or that you may want to reflect on later. Also think about and write down a short response to these questions—even if you’re unsure.
--- New vocabulary words – It’s a great idea to underline new vocabulary and write definitions in the margins.
--- Anything that pertains to your goals for reading –If you’re reading a fiction SAT passage, for instance, you’ll want to mark and reflect on the purpose of figurative language.
--- Important points – Always mark sections that state the main idea of a reading.
--- Predictions about what will happen next – How do you think the text will end, and what is causing you to think this?
--- Connections between the text and things from your daily life – Does a story’s plot remind you of a movie? Does the main character remind you of your mom? Use things from your everyday life to put the text into terms you understand.
--- Anything that makes you think! -- Any thought, question or idea you have is likely important and worth reflection.

3) Reflect after reading

It is super important to properly digest everything you read. Here are some strategies to help you make sense of texts once you have read them.

--- Keep a reading journal – Writing about your impressions will help you think more deeply about what you have read. To begin, just write whatever comes into your head without stopping or thinking about it. Once you’ve arrived at a thought or question you wish to pursue, try to write 2-pages arguing a claim or exploring this question.
--- Relate the text to your personal life – Ask yourself: Do the characters in the text remind you of anyone you know? Have you ever been in a situation similar to one described in the book? What does the language of the text reveal about our culture/society, and do you agree with the author’s point of view?
--- Discuss texts with teachers, parents, or friends – Discussing books and articles with others allows us to consider points and ideas we wouldn’t have thought of alone. Also, having to defend ideas in a debate/disagreement is a great way to get yourself thinking deeply.

And, to sum it all up…

Getting into the habit of reading actively is super important, but takes practice. If you regularly use the strategies listed above to read difficult texts, I guarantee your comprehension skills and reading level will improve. In turn, you will find it easy to attack the Passage-Based Reading questions on the SAT.

Glossary:
These Key SAT Words are Expertly Identified by Sentia Tutors

Arcane: Obscure information known by a few people

Help! My Proctor Made a Mistake: What to do in case of SAT test irregularity

2012-06-07 12:00:43

Anyone working in the test-prep industry knows that SAT proctors make mistakes—occasionally with devastating consequences. The worst stories involve proctors wrongfully forbidding the use of calculators, accidentally under-timing sections, and refusing to let students turn back to the reference table during a math section.

Such stories aren’t meant to scare you—hopefully your next SAT will go smoothly and without any problems. Still, it’s important to be aware that testing irregularities can happen. In this blog entry, I will list some important test-procedure rules proctors are required to follow. Following this, I will discuss things students can do to minimize the penalty resulting from a proctor who violates these rules.

When administering the SAT, proctors are required to follow these rules, as detailed in The SAT Standard Testing Room Manual:

--- Testing rooms must have a visible clock. If there is no visible clock, proctors are required to announce the remaining time of each section at regular intervals (i.e., every five minutes). If a proctor announces the remaining time sporadically or fails to announce at all, he/she is breaking an official rule.
--- Proctors must make an announcement when 5 minutes remain before the end of the test or test section.
--- Proctors are required to write the start and stop time of each section on the board.
--- Over-timing of a section is NOT to affect the time allowed for any other section. If a proctor tries to make up for giving too much time on section 2 by taking time away from section 3, he/she is breaking an official rule.
--- Proctors must allow students to make up for under-timing on a section “before concluding the section, allowing a break or dismissing students.” Proctors are to allow full testing time for unaffected sections.
--- Proctors MUST give 5 minute breaks after sections 2, 4, and 6. Students may leave the test room (but not the building) during these breaks. Students are also permitted to eat and drink during these breaks.
--- Students are allowed to take unscheduled breaks (i.e., bathroom breaks). However, only one student at a time may take an unscheduled break. Students will not be given extra time for taking unscheduled breaks.
--- Desks must be at least 12” x 15”.
--- Latecomers may be admitted to the test before proctors begin reading the test directions. In addition, proctors must give latecomers time to read the directions on the back cover of the test. Latecomers may complete the identification portion of the answer sheet at the end of the test administration.
--- Proctors must allow students to ask questions about test procedure before the test begins.
--- Students MAY use calculators while working on a math section. Furthermore, different students will be using calculators at different times during the test, as sections are arranged differently in each test form.
--- Students MAY work on any page of the section being administered. However, students are NOT allowed to return to previous sections, or begin working on future sections early.
--- Proctors are NOT supposed to talk on the phone, grade papers, or engage in other distracting activities during the test. If your proctor is doing a noisy activity while overseeing the SAT, he/she is breaking an official rule and should be asked to stop.

What you can do to minimize the impact of testing irregularity:

--- Don’t be afraid to speak up! You absolutely have a right to speak up if your proctor breaks any of the official rules listed above. If your proctor does not believe they have broken an official rule, refer him/her to The SAT Standard Testing Room Manual.
--- Ask to speak to a test-center supervisor if you speak up and your proctor still won’t abide by an official rule. Keep in mind that this is an extreme move—I would recommend this only if there has been a very serious violation that the suggestions below do not address.
--- Bring a watch so you can keep track of the remaining time for each section in case your proctor forgets to make announcements.
--- Remind the proctor to announce and record the start time of each section. If your proctor accidentally under-times a section, you can correct and prove this by referring your proctor to the start-time he/she wrote down.
--- Do NOT wait to test until the last administration before college applications are due. If your score suffers due to testing irregularity, the most the College Board can do is offer a free retest. In case of disaster, it helps to know you have time to test again.
--- If all else fails, cancel your scores– Unfair as it is, sometimes the only thing you can do in response to testing irregularity is to cancel your score. There are two ways to cancel scores:

1.) After the SAT but before leaving the test center, ask the test supervisor for a Request to Cancel Test Scores form. Complete, sign, and return the form to the test supervisor before leaving the test center.

2.) To cancel your test score after leaving the center, your written request must be received by 11:59 pm on the Wednesday following the test to cancel your score. You cannot cancel your test score by email or telephone.To cancel your test score after leaving the center, download and print the Request to Cancel Test Scores form. Once you have filled out this form, fax it to (610) 290-8978 or use USPS Express Mail overnight delivery (U.S. Only) to send it to:

Sat Score Cancellation
P.O. Box 6228
Princeton, NJ 08541-6228

Please see the Cancel Test Scores section of the College Board’s website for more information and for how to cancel international scores.

 

Finally, you can help prevent future errors by reporting testing irregularities to E.T.S. If several students from a test center complain of unfairness or irregularity, E.T.S. will conduct an investigation of the testing procedures followed at that site. To report a testing irregularity, contact the E.T.S. Office of Testing Integrity by phone (800-353-8570), fax (609-406-9709), or e-mail (testsecurity@info.collegeboard.org).  Students and parents may also contact SAT customer service at (866) 756-7346 or sat@collegeboard.org.

Glossary
These Key SAT Words are Expertly Identified by Sentia Tutors

Sporadic: stopping and starting; irregular

SAT Question of the Day

2012-06-18 09:00:52

The student council had to debate the merits of the new dress code for hours before it could reach ______, and even then, the agreement was far from unanimous.

(A) conclusion
(B) conference
(C) consent
(D) conspiracy
(E) consternation

The correct choice is B

Explanation: To predict the meaning of the missing word, look for keywords in the sentence. Here, the keywords are "even then" and "agreement." The former explains the relationship between the missing word and what follows, implying that everything after the "even then" modifies or alters the meaning or scope of the missing word. "Agreement" is used in place of the missing word after "even then." Thus, the missing word must have a similar meaning to "agreement" but must also not describe a "unanimous" agreement. A "consensus" is a general though not necessarily unanimous agreement, so choice (C) is correct.

None of the other answer choices work, either:

conclusion: the end of something (this does not work because it is too general: something can be concluded without reaching agreement)

conference: a formal meeting for discussion (the student council probably had a conference to "debate... for hours," meaning it did not debate to reach a conference)

conspiracy: a secret plan by a group to do something harmful or illegal (the student council probably did not plan a conspiracy about the dress code)

consternation: feelings of anxiety or dismay, typically brought on by the unexpected (the student council would not likely "debate... for hours" to feel consternation)

Why do tests matter, anyway?

2012-06-19 16:32:13

On Wednesday, the New York Post reported that parents are pulling their kids out of the young, progressive and $32,000 per-year Blue School at tremendous rates because their kids are “barely learning to read.”

Originally founded in 2006 as a playgroup by members of the Blue Man Group and their wives, the Blue School places a premium on curiosity, collaboration, and creative exploration. Students and teachers work in teams to establish and construct curriculum. There are no required books or set arrival times. Grade levels currently range from prekindergarten to third grade, although a fourth grade is being added next year.

Instead of tests, Blue School teachers use “observations, field notes, photographs, portfolios, and other appropriate forms of documentation” to evaluate student progress—a system that allows teachers to assess development holistically and without comparing students to one another. Students are encouraged to learn through play, projects and reflection on their environment. Curriculum is emergent, which means that material is taught as it becomes relevant to students’ explorations and interests. Sounds like a dream!

…Until you realize second graders at the Blue School still can’t read.

Before the backdrop of recent outcry against the growing importance of standardized tests, the Blue School’s radical methods appear to represent desperate moves to get away from the mania—attempts to refocus education on the process of learning, rather than on its end results. Emphasis on standardized testing is at an all-time high; such tests determine not only the fate of NYC teachers and schools, but also whether students are permitted to advance to the next grade level. Success on standardized tests is also a prerequisite for admission to elite NYC high schools and universities nationwide.

Criticism of standardized tests seems to flow in two, interrelated directions. On one hand, parents are frustrated that measurement of their children’s achievement and potential has boiled down to a single score. Such feelings were manifest in the media’s treatment of the “talking pineapple question”, a nonsense story paired with nonsensical questions that recently appeared on New York State 8^th grade ELA exams. Parents, teachers, and students alike were outraged that such a screaming error could appear on high-stakes exams. In response, the state eventually decided not to count the question when calculating scores.

Critics are also concerned about the effects of standardized tests on teaching. Under overwhelming pressure to get students to perform, some teachers are now prioritizing the pedagogy of “teaching to the test.” In other words, rather than exploring subjects in depth to instill comprehensive understanding, many teachers are relying on “drill and kill” methods that may improve scores, but foster only superficial comprehension of a given topic.

These are serious problems that must be addressed, but eliminating tests altogether is not the answer. Working in the admissions test-prep industry, I have come to see standardized tests like the SAT as useful teaching tools. Tests function to direct and structure curriculum; they focus teacher and student attention on developing and improving skills that are necessary for success in school and beyond. Furthermore, standardized tests like the SAT ask students to apply skills they have learned in new ways to solve tricky questions. Studying for such tests can actually train students to approach problems from diverse angles and find creative solutions.

The high stakes of tests are important here too—many highschoolers commit to independent reading only after they experience the brutality of Critical Reading on the SAT. In other words, the tangible goals and rewards associated with tests can nurture student motivation. Also and perhaps most importantly, studying for tests like the SAT teaches students to proceed with confidence, diligence, and determination despite not initially being the best at something.

It remains to be seen whether the Blue School’s alternative teaching methods can eventually instill core academic skills like literacy and math. For now, it seems the school is facing a harsh reality that validating free and independent exploration cannot come at the expense of giving students structure, direction, and discipline. Both elements must combine for children to grow into capable, responsible, and curious learners.

Glossary:
These Key SAT Words are Expertly Identified by Sentia Tutors

Holistic: Emphasizing the importance of the whole and the interdependence of its parts
Prerequisite: Something required as a prior condition for something else to happen
Pedagogy: The art, science, or profession of teaching

SAT Question of the Day

2012-06-20 09:00:46

Set A: {1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6}
Set B: {1, 3, 5, 7, 9}

If the median of set A is x percent of the median of set B, what is x?

A) 50
B) 55
C) 60
D) 65
E) 70

The correct answer is E

Explanation: Start by finding the median of each set. The median of a set of numbers is the number that is in the middle when the set is placed in numeric order. If the set contains an odd number of members, then it is just the middle number, but if the set contains an even number of members, its median is the average of the middle two numbers. Thus, Set B's median is just 5 (as it is the middle number), but Set A's median is the average of 3 and 4 (the two middle numbers), meaning the median of Set A is 3.5.

The prompt states that the median of A is x percent of the median of B, so the question requires you to figure out what percent of 5 is 3.5. Percent is part/whole multiplied by 100%. 3.5/5 = .7, and .7 x 100% is 70. Thus, x is 70.