Hey ! I'm in 10th grade. I know almost nothing about the whole SAT issue :S so I was wondering if anyone could help.
I'm planning to enter the PSAT this year. My school says it's in May. Online, it says it was in October. :confused:.. I don't know what to do. Shall I even study? Or it's better to enter unprepared to know how well I'd do?
Also, what's all about the AP system? What benefits does it have? My school doesn't support it, so if it's useful enough, I'd move to another (much more expensive) school.
Thanks! =]

YES YOU SHOULD STUDY!!

Start TODAY!

As far as I know, SAT and ACT is mostly in vocabulary, so you need to start reading and using flash cards NOW! Improve your vocabulary! Am in 7th grade and I am already using flash cards and learn 10 new words a day. Make goals.

by the way. You should start reading SAT approach novels. It's a good way of improving vocabulary. My favorite is a book name, A test of time. It's a SAT approach novel, 2000 SAT words are boldfaced for you. There is a glossary with the definition at the back. =)

I didn't study for the PSAT and I did fine. Its general knowledge, nothing you haven't been taught in school. If you are a good student you should be OK.

For the SAT, take a practice SAT if your area offers one. It really helps. They give you a real report so you can see your weaknesses and study those.

The SAT has a guessing penalty for wrong answers, -.5pts. If you leave it blank, you lose no points, but 1 point is awarded for the right answer. If you can eliminate 2, take the guess. You should get a workbook to practice. And bring a lot of pencils and a jacket to all the tests. Also a snack. You'll wake up EARLY. Its LONG. It may be COLD. And you will get TIRED. Get some monster or a take 5 to keep you awake.

Also, take the ACT. Not all colleges look at it, but it is a good test to take. All the colleges I applied to took the scores, and some colleges gave me scholarships because of it. It's a lot easier than the SAT but the sciece section is killer (lots of reading, lots of questios) so id look over your bio and chem. Also no guessing penalty on the ACT, so fill in ALL the bubbles if you run out of time!

Also, id start taking the SAT/ACT in junior year. I took both twice and my score came up in both the second time. I wouldn't take them 5 times like most people do, its not worth the money or time. Check out your colleges score ranges to see how you stack up.

Good luck!

Alllso... with the vocab, its NOT THAT HUGE OF A DEAL. Id defly buy this book

THE RING OF MCCALISTER (maccalister?)

Its really good. It is a story with SAT words integrated into it, and it has a big glossary in the back for quick review. Trust me. I read this before the test and looked at the glossary in the car right before I went in to the testing room. I was golden!

Oh yeah! If your school offers SAT prep TAKE IT! It gives you some h/s credits, boosts your GPA, and helps a lot! Especially the math section.

Everyone makes such a big deal out of the SAT. The SAT is a test of your intelligence. Can you study to make your IQ higher? Your score can fluctuate by a few points, but its an aptitude test. There's nothing you need to do. Vocabulary words is the most you should do for the SATs.

Another hint is to take some SAT II's. Those you need to study for because they specialize in certain subjects.

Goodluck!