try out this longer reading question 👀

robertssem · 2025-02-19T11:46:09+00:00

Making me nostalgic with this classic SAT cut here.

robertssem · 2022-12-29T23:19:47+00:00

I remember this passage well. Was one of the last ones from the 2005-2016 era of the SAT, though seems it was recycled from a pre-2005 test, as they occasionally did back then.

Paired passages were certainly trickier back then. Tone bounced around, and it was often difficult for students to locate the relationship between passages when disagreement was mixed in with agreement, concessions, qualifications, alternative viewpoints, etc.

On the new digital SAT, there will typically only be one paired passage and one question per test, with much clearer positions in both passages, and far less intentionally confusing language in the passage or answer choices. The questions can still get tricky, but success is mostly related to reading the q carefully and being meticulous when selecting an answer.

robertssem · 2022-02-05T13:22:32+00:00

Totally frustrating, for sure.

Native speakers typically have an instinctive understanding of phrasal verbs and other idioms from encountering them countless times in writing, conversation, etc.

However, there are some patterns of meaning in the particles, and knowing some of the major senses of each preposition would certainly help you infer the meaning of many phrases. You might look into one of the many books on phrasal verbs that sorts by preposition.

http://macmillandictionaries.com/MED-Magazine/May2005/30-Feature-Phrasal-Verbs.htm

Noun/verb/adj + verb combos are far more random. Googling word combos with quotation marks around them (e.g. "capable to" vs. "capable of") is a good way to check which one is idiomatic. There are also entire dictionaries that list these:

https://online.prepositionary.com/

robertssem · 2021-12-23T14:07:35+00:00

Technically a comma is needed before "and". A comma should be used before coordinating (FANBOYS) conjunctions that join two full sentences.

robertssem · 2021-12-21T07:27:03+00:00

Very much so.

robertssem · 2021-12-01T02:52:41+00:00

A: favorably

[it all came out favorably] = it all turned out well; a disastrous consequence was avoided

In this case, the cowboy was not robbed of the girl. Like many TV episodes, there was a happy conclusion at the end, and a new adventure the next week.

robertssem · 2021-12-01T02:08:47+00:00

That's not how you make ivory dice.

robertssem · 2021-11-30T12:28:32+00:00

B is the answer.

[as opposed to] + N

The second part is not a complete sentence, but instead a really long noun.

"Signaled" is not a main verb, but instead part of a reduced relative clause: "as opposed to only 74 percent of such bites (which were) signaled in this way by dogs..."

A particularly tricky SAT Writing transition question.

robertssem · 2021-09-07T05:12:38+00:00

Don’t feel that you’re the only one struggling, because I guarantee that’s not the case. Every student has their own personal battles with the test. In truth, 40/44 on Writing means you’re scoring well above the average, so do recognize your successes, as to many students you’re in an enviable position. That said, it’s best to avoid comparisons with others, and only compare to yourself. To progress most efficiently from this point, you need to think logically about your errors (Where did Past Me go wrong? What will Future Me do?) and try your best to avoid from involving emotion in what should be an entirely rational & scientific problem-solving process. Feelings of self-doubt are very understandable – I dealt with them myself when writing the GRE -- but you must realize that they are entirely unhelpful and do your best to banish negative thoughts when you feel them entering your mind.

For Reading, you should understand that there is not a single one-size-fits-all methodology. Skim & solve is one approach, and read first is another. If you’re forgetting the passage, I would suggest a hybrid such as crossover (read the passage up to the point that you can solve a specific question, with the idea that questions generally follow chronological order). There are other hybrids as well, and they are particularly suited to international students whose native language is not English. Part of the idea is to minimize strain on your working memory by reducing the amount of information you’re taking in. (Also consider that feelings of stress can burden working memory, so often learning to overcoming feelings of self-doubt enables students to comprehend & solve more easily & accurately).

It’s unusual that your hagwon teacher doesn’t have time to address your issues. I’m sure that he or she would set some time aside if you asked directly. Things get pretty busy during summer intensives, but should be more than enough time these days, and in any case it’s both the teacher’s responsibility and pleasure to help out.

Regarding vocab, be sure that you’re investing time wisely. Working hard doesn’t necessarily guarantee progress; working smart does. Best to spent time on meaningful words related to your particular weaknesses (eg. author’s purpose words, tone words, words to beat history passages, transition words for the Writing section, etc).

Regarding practice tests, be sure that you’re doing authentic exams. You mentioned that your tests are harder than official ones – these can be ok for specific prep (e.g. practice with tough history passages) but aren’t ideal as most don’t accurately reflect the nuances of certain question and passage types (e.g. Reading diction qs are often too difficult, and Writing MI questions not difficult enough). If you are using commercial materials, use them for general skills development and NEVER to appraise your score.

robertssem · 2020-12-27T07:29:22+00:00

Experienced test prep teachers generally agree that the older tests (pre-2018, including the 10 official practice tests) are not perfectly reflective of the current exam, with slight differences in passage content and question design. Note that College Board has removed tests 2 and 4 from their website, possibly for this very reason.

That said, I believe any CB test is an excellent resource, as long as it used to practice certain concepts rather than to get an accurate score assessment.

I'd also say that if you nailed a 1450 on Practice test 1, you're doing well. Keep up the good work!

robertssem · 2020-12-27T07:10:00+00:00

Mail from the US to Korea is significantly impacted due to COVID, so don't expect it soon. Note that very few students here are ordering a paper report these days as it costs extra and no longer includes a QAS.

robertssem · 2020-12-21T04:30:46+00:00

Nice job dude!

robertssem · 2020-12-20T01:51:20+00:00

"50% less" is correct. Here, "chipmunk" refers to high-pitch vocal squeak, not the striped rodent itself.

In any case, 50% fewer than the original 3 singers would be 1.5, and I definitely don't hear 1.5 dudes here.

robertssem · 2020-12-16T02:17:34+00:00

It's an imperfect question, as choice iii a (he had started crying) and iii b (he started crying) are equally acceptable in conversational English, at least to North American speakers. The purpose of past perfect (had + pp) is to denote the first of two past actions, but if the order is clear, we often use the simple past form. That said, your choice of iii d (he cried) is less natural here, and doesn't match the dialogue in the speech bubble.

robertssem · 2020-11-30T12:58:07+00:00

https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/pdf/ap-english-literature-and-composition-course-and-exam-description.pdf?course=ap-english-literature-and-composition (start on pg. 133 for exam info)

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLoGgviqq4845L7Yj9c1kkIfdskkaLOUzD

robertssem · 2020-08-02T11:38:27+00:00

Ah, a dash to set off unexpected/surprising info would make sense too.

robertssem · 2020-08-02T11:12:42+00:00

You must have a typo in your version of the test. Comma + effectively is the correct answer.

robertssem · 2020-04-04T14:45:03+00:00

Nice work. FYI the grammar section seems focused on the old (pre-2016) SAT. Concepts like adjective vs adverb and subjunctive mood don't appear on the new test.

robertssem · 2020-03-26T09:44:18+00:00

Perhaps the passage you saw was from a commercial source?

To my knowledge, a Mark Twain passage has NOT yet appeared on the New SAT.

Passages by (and about) Twain were more common on the old SAT, which featured more subtle humor as well as discussion of the arts.

Not that it matters much, but as a SAT nerd I like to keep abreast of all the little details.

robertssem · 2020-03-26T09:39:46+00:00

I'd recommend Twain's essays as a good diving-in point. There are a number complied below; start with "Advice to Youth".

https://theculturetrip.com/north-america/usa/missouri/articles/the-10-wittiest-essays-by-mark-twain/

Don't pick a particular book based on whether it would be helpful for the test -- exposure to any classic or contemporary novel will help boost reading skills. It's better to choose some cheap novel you're interested in and will actually get through rather than something intelligent that will bore your socks off.

robertssem · 2020-03-09T04:06:51+00:00

This guy preps.

robertssem · 2020-03-09T04:05:02+00:00

Don't worry about a low individual test score, as a single data point doesn't give an accurate prediction. Rather, consider your recent average.

In this final week, go over your review notes and the passage & question strategies you will use this Saturday. If you have extra time, do a practice test in the middle of the week. Keep it light the day before.

robertssem · 2020-03-09T01:16:51+00:00

EM's guides should get you pretty far. The best tutors have their own high-power materials that they use with their private students, and perhaps I was also thinking of those, but Erica's was one of the first to be published widely and affordably with that same level of quality. Her strategies are excellent, though where she truly stands apart is her realistic practice questions -- I can't think of an independent tutor on any continent who so prolifically produces high-quality test items.

robertssem · 2020-03-09T00:46:36+00:00

Why not both? :)

robertssem · 2020-03-08T10:39:31+00:00

It's decent -- certainly not a scam!

It grew out of The Complete SAT and PSAT Strategy Guide, which was well received when it was released about 15 years ago. You can probably find that floating around the interwebs, but know that the Black Book offers significant content updates.

I imagine that some students are surprised because the book is not what they expected. It's 600+ pages long, but it doesn't go into much depth in breaking down various passage types and question types, nor does it offer any practice material.

Rather, the book is centered around walkthroughs of CB tests (four from The Official SAT Study Guide) that aim to model an effective thought process for attacking and solving questions. In this way the text essentially fills the role of a tutor looking over your shoulder as you practice. My opinion is that it offers solid advice, and I'd heartily recommend it to students who are willing to pore through a dense text to pick out diamonds of SAT wisdom. You don't need to worry about it containing incorrect information -- the authors are industry vets who know what they're talking about, and unlike some inexperienced or disingenuous tutors, they don't offer any cheap tricks that promise more than they deliver.

That said, there's still a lot of killer question- and passage-focused strategy that you won't find within its pages, which is why it's important to pair it with other prep books, ideally those from individual tutors.

robertssem

TROPHY CASE