KAPLAN SAT PREP

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KAPLANSAT PREP

• Strategies, facts, and information courtesy of
  Kaplan Test Prep

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Critical Reading Section

• Two 25 minute sections
• One 20 minute section

• Short Passages
• Long Passages
• Sentence Completions

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Writing

• One 25 minute section
• One 25 minute section
• One 10 minute section

• Essay
• Grammar/Usage Multiple Choice

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Scoring the SAT

• Students receive 1 point for every correct
  answer.
• For every incorrect answer to a Multiple Choice
  question, students lose ¼ point.
• The essay is rated on a 6 point scale.
• Each section is scored 200-800.
• The maximum score is 2400.
• The average score is 1500.

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Strategies

• Eliminate answers to help your chances.
• If you have to guess, be sure you have eliminated
  one or two options, this will better your
  possibility of a correct answer.

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Sentence Completions

• Known for their devotion to their masters, dogs
  were often used as symbols of _________ in
  medieval and Renaissance painting.
• a. treachery Step 1 Read and look for clues
• b. prosperity Step 2 Predict an answer
• c. loyalty Step 3 Select an answer choice
• d. antiquity Step 4 Read the choice back in
• e. courage

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Two-Blank Sentence Completions

• Usually the press secretarys replies are terse,
  if not downright ______, but this afternoon his
  responses to our questions were remarkably
  comprehensive, almost ________.
• a. rude/concise Step 1 Work on one blank at a
  time
• b. curt/verbose Step 2 Look at relationships (
  or -)
• c. long-winded/effusive Step 3 Look for
  transition words
• d. enigmatic/taciturn
• e. lucid/helpful

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Two-Blank Sentence Completions

• French army captain Alfred Dreyfus was unjustly
  _____ for the crime of espionage, but he was
  later _____.
• a. fabricated/vindicated
• b. condemned/obviated
• c. incarcerated/exculpated
• d. convoked/disbursed
• e. promoted/absolved

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The Kaplan Method for Critical Reading

• Step 1 Read the passage
• Step 2 Decode the question
• Step 3 Research the answer
• Step 4 Predict the answer
• Step 5 Select an answer choice

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Critical Reading Suggestions

• There will always be a big question on the
  passage. (4 on the sheet is a good example)
• Read for the Point of View
• Look for contrasts
• Almost always the same types of questions, which
  means you dont need to read questions ahead of
  time. Know the types of questions, instead of
  the actual questions.

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Writing Section Sentence Errors

• Teachers have discovered that class
  disruptiveness is reduced substantially (A)
  whenever (B) they permitted (C) milk and cookie
  snacks early in the afternoon (D). No Error (E)
• Step 1 Read/Listen for errors
• Step 2 Check for common errors (subject/verb
  agreement, pronoun/antecedent agreement,
  idioms/diction/word order
• Step 3 Check the other choices to make sure

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Writing Section Improving Sentences

• Knowing that you should practice a healthier
  lifestyle and to do it are two different things.
• a. to do it are two different things
• b. doing it are two different things
• c. to do them are two different things
• d. doing it is two different things
• e. by doing it is two different things.
• Step 1 Read/Listen
• Step 2 Eliminate wrong sound/error
• Step 3 Put other options in sentence
• Step 4 Pick best option

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Essay Section

• Essay section is always first.
• Essay is worth 1/3 of overall grade for the
  writing section.
• Transitions words are KEY!!!!!
• Pick a side do not sit on the fence.
• 1 minute to read the essay question
• 3 minutes to outline
• 18 minutes to write
• 2-3 minutes to proof
• Be sure you include
• Topic/Thesis
• Support (three or more examples)
• Organization
• Language (Regular formal language do not try to
  throw in HUGE words to impress. This usually
  does not work out).
• Opening (Introduction)
• Middle (Body Paragraphs)
• Conclusion (If you have time include one)