Petersons SAT success 2004 (sat success)

MASTER THE SAT
2004

MASTER THE SAT
2004
Phil Pine
An ARCO Book
ARCO is a registered trademark of Thomson Learning, Inc., and is used herein under
license by Peterson’s.
About The Thomson Corporation and Peterson’s
With revenues of US$7.8 billion, The Thomson Corporation (www.thomson.com) is a leading
global provider of integrated information solutions for business, education, and professional
customers. Its Learning businesses and brands (www.thomsonlearning.com) serve the
needs of individuals, learning institutions, and corporations with products and services for
both traditional and distributed learning.
Peterson’s, part of The Thomson Corporation, is one of the nation's most respected providers
of lifelong learning online resources, software, reference guides, and books. The Education
Supersite
SM
at www.petersons.com—the Internet’s most heavily traveled education re-
source—has searchable databases and interactive tools for contacting U.S accredited
institutions and programs. In addition, Peterson’s serves more than 105 million education
consumers annually.
For more information, contact Peterson’s, 2000 Lenox Drive, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648;
800-338-3282; or find us on the World Wide Web at: www.petersons.com/about.
COPYRIGHT © 2004 Peterson’s, a division of Thomson Learning, Inc. Thomson Learning
TM
is a trademark used herein under license.
Previous editions © 2001, 2002, 2003
Acknowledgments
We would like to thank Judith Berg, Charlotte Klaar, and Andrew Bryan for their invaluable

help, insight, and advice in creating this book. Their knowledge and experience provided us with
critical feedback during all stages of this book’s production and ultimately helped us create a
comprehensive yet concise test-prep resource.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this work covered by the copyright herein may be
reproduced or used in any form or by any means—graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including
photocopying, recording, taping, Web distribution, or information storage and retrieval sys-
tems—without the prior written permission of the publisher.
For permission to use material from this text or product, contact us by
Phone: 800-730-2214
Fax: 800-730-2215
Web: www.thomsonrights.com
ISSN: International Standard Serial Number information available upon request.
ISBN (book only): 0-7689-1208-3
ISBN (book with CD-ROM): 0-7689-1207-5
Printed in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 05 04 03
v
Contents
Introduction xv
How This Book Helps You Succeed on the Exam xv
How to Use This Book xvi
You’re on Your Way to Success xvii
About the CD xvii
PART I SAT BASICS
Chapter 1: Getting Started 3
How the SAT Is Used for College Admission 3
When You Should Take the SAT (and SAT II) 3
How Many Times You Should Take the SAT 4
How to Register for the SAT 5
Make an SAT Study Plan 5

Working through Your Study Plan 6
Summary: What You Need to Know about SAT Preparation 9
Chapter 2: Inside the SAT 11
Get to Know the SAT Format 11
Get to Know the SAT Question Types 12
The SAT Answer Sheet 13
How the SAT Is Scored 15
Some Test-Wise Strategies for SAT Success 15
Educated Guessing Will Boost Your Score! 16
Getting Ready: The Night before and the Day of the Test 18
Summary: Understand the SAT and Conquer Test Anxiety 20
vi Contents
www.petersons.com/arco Master the SAT
Chapter 3: SAT Questions: A First Look 21
How the SAT Tests Verbal Reasoning 21
Understanding Analogies 21
Understanding Sentence Completions 23
Understanding Critical Reading 24
How the SAT Tests Mathematical Reasoning 25
Understanding Multiple-Choice Math 25
Understanding Quantitative Comparisons 29
Understanding Grid-Ins 31
Summary: What You Need to Know about the SAT
Question Types 32
PART II DIAGNOSING STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES
Chapter 4: Diagnostic Test 35
Diagnostic Test 37
Answer Key 65
Explanatory Answers 67
Computing Your Scores 78

Conversion Scales 79
Self-Evaluation Charts 79
Pinpointing Relative Strengths and Weaknesses 80
Measuring Your Progress 81
PART III SAT VERBAL STRATEGIES
Chapter 5: SAT Analogy Strategies 85
A Closer Look at Analogies 85
Solving Analogies: Strategies That Really Work 86
Solving Analogies: The Best Tips 90
Contents vii
Master the SAT www.petersons.com/arco
Solving Analogies: The Most Important Warnings 93
Exercise: Identifying Possible Right Answers 94
Exercise Answers 95
Summary: What You Need to Know about Analogies 96
Exercises: Analogies 97
Answer Keys and Explanations 103
Chapter 6: SAT Sentence Completion Strategies 107
A Closer Look at Sentence Completions 107
Methods and Strategies for Solving Sentence Completions 108
Summary: What You Need to Know about Sentence
Completions 114
Exercises: Sentence Completions 115
Answer Keys and Explanations 123
Chapter 7: SAT Critical Reading Strategies 127
A Closer Look at Critical Reading 127
Best Strategies for Answering Critical Reading Questions 128
Learn the Most Important Critical Reading Tips 134
Strategies for Answering Specific Question Types 136
Summary: What You Need to Know about Critical

Reading 140
Exercises: Critical Reading 141
Answer Keys and Explanations 152
PART IV SAT MATH STRATEGIES
Chapter 8: SAT Multiple-Choice Math Strategies 159
Why Multiple-Choice Math Is Easier 159
Solving Multiple-Choice Math Questions 160
Know When to Use Your Calculator 162
viii Contents
www.petersons.com/arco Master the SAT
Learn the Most Important Multiple-Choice Math Tips 162
Summary: What You Need to Know about Multiple-Choice
Math 172
Exercises: Multiple-Choice Math 173
Answer Keys and Explanations 178
Chapter 9: SAT Quantitative Comparison Strategies 181
Get to Know the Quantitative Comparison Format 181
Solving Quantitative Comparisons 182
Learn the Most Important Quantitative Comparison Tips 184
The Best Tips 190
The Most Important Warnings 191
Summary: What You Need to Know about Quantitative
Comparisons 195
Exercises: Quantitative Comparisons 196
Answer Keys and Explanations 201
Chapter 10: SAT Grid-In Strategies 205
Why Grid-Ins Are Easier than You Think 205
Take a Look at a Grid 205
How to Record Your Answers 206
Guessing on Grid-Ins Can’t Hurt You 210

Summary: What You Need to Know about Grid-Ins 211
Exercises: Grid-Ins 212
Answer Explanations 217
PART V SAT VOCABULARY PREP COURSE
Chapter 11: How Word Parts Work 221
How Words are Built 221
The Three Basic Word Parts and How They Work 222
Contents ix
Master the SAT www.petersons.com/arco
List of Common Word Parts 223
Summary: What You Need to Know about Word Parts 236
Exercises: Word Parts 237
Answer Keys 240
Chapter 12: The SAT “Top 500” Word List 241
The Best Ways To Learn New Words 241
The Top 500 SAT Words 242
Summary: What You Need to Know about SAT Words 263
Exercises: SAT Words 264
Answer Keys 270
PART VI SAT MATH REVIEW
Chapter 13: SAT Arithmetic Review 273
Operations with Whole Numbers and Decimals 273
Operations with Fractions 277
Verbal Problems Involving Fractions 282
Variation 287
Finding Percents 292
Verbal Problems Involving Percent 299
Averages 305
Chapter 14: SAT Algebra Review 311
Signed Numbers 311

Linear Equations 314
Exponents 319
Quadratic Equations 322
Literal Expressions 327
Roots and Radicals 331
Monomials and Polynomials 335
x Contents
www.petersons.com/arco Master the SAT
Problem-Solving in Algebra 339
Inequalities 345
Defined Operation Problems 350
Chapter 15: SAT Geometry Review 353
Area 353
Perimeter 354
Circles 355
Volume 356
Triangles 357
Right Triangles 358
Parallel Lines 359
Polygons 360
Similar Polygons 361
Coordinate Geometry 362
PART VII PRACTICE TESTS
Chapter 16: Five Practice Examinations 373
Simulate Test-Taking Conditions 373
Timing Drills Can Help When You are Short on Time 374
Summary: What You Need to Know to Take Practice Tests
and Do Timing Drills 376
Practice Test 1 379
Answers and Explanations 407

Practice Test 2 423
Answers and Explanations 452
Practice Test 3 469
Answers and Explanations 498
Practice Test 4 515
Answers and Explanations 545
Contents xi
Master the SAT www.petersons.com/arco
Practice Test 5 561
Answers and Explanations 592
Computing Your Scores 603
Self-Evaluation Charts 605
PART VIII THE PSAT/NMSQT
Chapter 17: Preparing for PSAT/NMSQT 609
How to Register for the PSAT/NMSQT 609
Why the Student Search Survey Is Important 610
How the PSAT Differs from the SAT 610
Get to Know the PSAT Format 611
How to Interpret and Use Your PSAT Scores 611
How Your Selection Index Can Qualify You for
National Merit 612
Summary: What You Need to Know about the
PSAT/NMSQT 614
PSAT/NMSQT Practice Test 617
Answers and Explanations 645
Pinpointing Relative Strengths and Weaknesses on the
PSAT/NMSQT 656
Measuring Your Progress 659
PART IX THE SAT AND BEYOND
Appendix A: The New SAT and PSAT 663

When? 663
What? 663
PSAT 665
Why? 666
What Does It Mean for You? 667
xii Contents
www.petersons.com/arco Master the SAT
Appendix B: Choosing the Right College 669
Which College Is Right for You? 669
Tips on Visiting Campuses 671
Hanging out with Other Students On line 672
College Sites on the Internet 674
Appendix C: Applying to the College of Your Choice 677
When to Apply 677
How to Apply 678
College Admissions Timeline 680
Appendix D: Finding Financial Aid 685
Figuring out Financial Aid 685
What You Will Pay 685
What’s Covered by Financial Aid 685
Sources of Financial Aid 686
Finding Financial Aid On Line 689
A Step-by-Step Guide to Applying for Financial Aid 691
Putting It All Together: The Financial Aid Calendar 695
COLLEGE ADMISSIONS/FINANCIAL AID COUNTDOWN SENIOR YEAR
SEPTEMBER
❑ Continue honing list of target schools, on-campus interviews, and alumni
interviews.
❑ Get financial aid information from guidance counselors and give teacher
recommendations to appropriate teachers.

❑ Register for October ACT Assessment, October SAT I, or November
SAT I.
❑ Begin Early Action/Early Decision steps now. Check deadlines with
appropriate schools.
OCTOBER
❑ Register for December ACT Assessment, December SAT I, or November
SAT II.
❑ Take October ACT Assessment, October SAT I exam.
❑ Draw up a master schedule of application and financial aid due dates and
mark them on your calendar.
❑ Continue working on college essays and personal statements. Follow up
on teacher recommendations.
❑ Submit Early Decision (ED) and Early Action (EA) applications.
NOVEMBER
❑ Reduce college “long list” to “short list” where applications will be sent.
❑ Plan Thanksgiving-break visit to college campuses.
❑ Get someone to proofread your applications and essays.
❑ Take the November SAT I or SAT II; prepare for December ACT
Assessment.
❑ Send first-quarter grades to colleges; send test scores (include ETS
numbers) for ED/EA applications and regular admissions.
DECEMBER
❑ Pick up any additional financial aid forms you need and attend financial
aid workshops, if possible. Follow up with guidance counselors and
teachers on references letters and transcripts.
❑ Take ACT Assessment, SAT II subject tests this month.
❑ Submit all regular applications.
❑ If accepted on Early Decision, withdraw remaining applications. If
deferred on Early Decision, send follow-up letter to college.
JANUARY

❑ Fill out financial aid forms. Finish and mail as soon as possible. Never
be late with these.
❑ Complete all applications regardless of later deadlines. Photocopy every-
thing. If taking SAT this month, are RUSH scores required? Ask target
colleges if you’re not sure. Register for February ACT Assessment now.
FEBRUARY
❑ ACT Assessment administered this month.
❑ Call those colleges that didn’t confirm receipt of completed applications.
MARCH
❑ It’s not too late to apply to more schools—get any remaining applications out
this month.
❑ Actively seek and pursue scholarship opportunities and draw up your
financial aid plan to pay for next year’s expenses.
APRIL
❑ Prepare for May AP exams.
❑ Plan “crunch time” visits to campuses and compare financial aid deci-
sions.
❑ Return “wait list” cards as needed. Check admissions offices for wait-list
status.
❑ Make your decision! Send the deposit or your place won’t be held; for most
schools May 1
st
is the deadline, so do it now.
❑ Notify those schools you won’t be attending.
MAY
❑ Take AP exams where appropriate.
❑ Check housing options: When will forms be mailed? Should you check
alternative arrangements?
❑ Start thinking about summer employment—last chance to build up a
“nest egg” for freshman year!

JUNE
❑ Write thank-you notes to anyone who helped you: guidance counselors,
teachers, admissions counselors, etc.
❑ Make sure final high school transcripts are sent to the college you’ll
attend.

xv
Introduction
Arco’s Master the SAT was prepared by SAT experts who have spent thousands
of hours researching the SAT and studying its patterns—and teaching people
just like you to get the highest scores on the exam. In this book, they share the
most innovative test-taking techniques available and give you an opportunity to
apply them. The book also includes a review of all of the mathematical concepts
ever tested on the SAT as well as a list of the 500 most popular SAT vocabulary
words. And this book won’t just boost your test scores—it also offers you valuable
information and advice for life “after the SAT.” You get real information on the
college application process, and how to search for and secure financial aid. And
if you’re getting an early start on preparing for the exam, there’s even a chapter
at the end of the book about the changes that will go into effect with the 2005 SAT.
Master the SAT does not offer an “easy way” to improve your SAT scores. That’s
because there really is no “easy way out” when it comes to SAT preparation. But
for students who take their preparation seriously, Master the SAT can help
dramatically improve their scores.
HOW THIS BOOK HELPS YOU SUCCEED ON THE EXAM
Whether you have three months or four weeks to prepare for the exam, Master
the SAT helps develop a study plan that caters to your individual needs and time
table. These step-by-step plans are easy to follow and remarkably effective. No
matter which plan you select, you begin the Arco program by taking a diagnostic
exam. The diagnostic does more than give you testing experience. Easy-to-use
diagnostic tables help you track your performance, convert your scores, identify

your strengths, and pinpoint your weaknesses. At the end of the diagnostic test,
you will know whether you are weak in verbal topics such as analogies, sentence
completions, or critical reading. And you will know whether multiple-choice
math, quantitative comparisons, or grid-ins are giving you the most trouble.
Moreover, you will receive deeper insight into your vocabulary, arithmetic,
geometry, and algebra needs. No other book helps you identify your weaknesses
as painlessly and completely. By understanding your testing profile, you can
immediately address your weak areas by reading the relevant chapters, learning
the relevant techniques, and doing additional practice exercises.
When you have completed your formal review, it’s time to use the book’s practice
tests to sharpen your skills. Because even if you understand the SAT, you need
to practice applying the methods you have learned. Master the SAT teaches you
xvi Introduction
how to take these exams under simulated test conditions. And because we made sure
that our practice tests perfectly mirror the content and format of the SAT, there will be
no surprises for you on test day. At the end of each practice test, you not only have access
to the correct answers, but also to comprehensive explanations of every one of the book’s
1,000+ test questions! This way, you can really learn from your mistakes. If you don’t
have the time to take full-length practice tests, Master the SAT explains how to use
timing drills to take shorter sections of exams to combat your weaknesses, work on your
pacing, and increase your level of confidence.
You’ll also find that Master the SAT discusses all of the “big picture issues” other books
ignore. For example, it addresses questions such as:
• How is the SAT really used for college admission?
• When should you take the test?
• How many times should you plan to take the SAT?
• How do the PSAT and SAT differ from each other?
• Do all PSAT, SAT, and SAT II scores “count” in the college admissions game?
By addressing these questions, Master the SAT debunks prevailing myths and helps you
put the SAT into its proper perspective. It also serves as your “college guidance

counselor,” giving you the expert advice you need to apply to college. And when you think
about it, that’s our number-one goal here. Our objective is to help you dramatically raise
your scores so that you can maximize the likelihood of getting into the college of your
choice. And if you use this book properly, we can help you reach that goal.
HOW TO USE THIS BOOK
Master the SAT was designed to be as user friendly as it is complete. Its design is
contemporary and its voice is approachable. Each chapter begins with a bulleted
overview that highlights what will be covered; and each chapter ends with a point-by-
point summary that captures the essence of what was discussed. These chapter
summaries reflect Arco’s belief in the value of repetition and reinforcement. You can use
these summaries to supplement your understanding of a chapter, and you can revisit
them as an effective means of review.
Master the SAT includes several different features to make your preparation easier.
Practice questions give you instant insight into the SAT question types, and our walk-
through answer explanations let you know exactly how you can arrive at the right
answers on test day. In addition, look to the margins for these special test-prep tools.
Note
Notes highlight critical information about the SAT format—things you need to know
that may be overlooked in other test-prep books and programs.
Introduction xvii
Tip
Tips draw your attention to valuable concepts, advice, and shortcuts for tackling the
SAT and PSAT. By following the tips, you will learn how to approach different question
types, use process-of-elimination techniques, pace yourself, and guess most effectively.
Alert!
Wherever you need to be wary of a common pitfall or test-taker trap, you’ll find an Alert!.
This information reveals and eliminates the misperceptions and wrong turns so many
people take on the exam. By taking full advantage of all of the book’s features, you will
become much more comfortable with the SAT and considerably more confident about
your ability to defeat it.

YOU’RE ON YOUR WAY TO SUCCESS
By providing you with the most comprehensive and usable SAT preparation guide, we
hope that you can actually learn to enjoy the SAT process. After all, knowledge is power.
And by reading this book, you will become extremely knowledgeable about the SAT. We
look forward to helping you raise your SAT scores and improve your college prospects.
Good luck!
ABOUT THE CD
If you have the CD edition of this book, you have purchased additional SAT test
preparation. On this CD you will find practice tests, tutorials, and exercises to help you
study for the SAT I examination.
We suggest that you begin by taking the diagnostic test at the beginning of the book.
Once you have an idea of how you did and where to focus your studying, review the
material in the book, and then supplement your studies with the CD lessons. Then take
the other tests in the book and on the CD. Very little has been left to chance here, and
you have been given a wide range of preparatory materials, both on the CD and in this
book. Try to review as much as possible.

P
ART I
SAT BASICS
CHAPTER 1 Getting Started
CHAPTER 2 Inside the SAT
CHAPTER 3 SAT Questions: A First Look
chapter 1
3
Getting Started
OVERVIEW
• Learn how the SAT is used for college admission
• Decide when you should take the SAT (and SAT II)

• Understand how many times you should take the SAT
• Learn how to register for the SAT
• Make an SAT study plan
• Measure your progress
HOW THE SAT IS USED FOR COLLEGE ADMISSION
One explicitly stated purpose of the SAT is to predict how students will perform
academically as college freshmen. But the more practical purpose of the SAT is
to help college admissions officers make acceptance decisions. When you think
about it, admissions officers have a difficult job, particularly when they are asked
to compare the academic records of students from different high schools in
different parts of the country taking different classes. It’s not easy to figure out
how one student’s grade point average (GPA) in New Mexico correlates with that
of another student in Florida. Even though admissions officers can do a good deal
of detective work to fairly evaluate candidates, they benefit a great deal from the
SAT. The SAT provides a single, standardized means of comparison. After all,
virtually every student takes the SAT, and the SAT is the same for everyone. It
doesn’t matter whether you hail from Maine, Maryland, or Montana.
So the SAT is an important test. But it is not the be-all, end-all. Keep it in
perspective! It is only one of several important pieces of the college admissions
puzzle. Other factors that weigh heavily into the admission process include GPA,
difficulty of course load, level of extracurricular involvement, and the strength
of the college application itself.
WHEN YOU SHOULD TAKE THE SAT (AND SAT II)
When you decide which schools you’re going to apply to, find out if they require
the SAT. Most do! Your next step is to determine when they need your SAT
scores. Write that date down. That’s the one you really don’t want to miss.
4 PART I: SAT Basics
www.petersons.com/arco Master the SAT
You do have some leeway in choosing your test date. The SAT I (that’s the basic test this
book addresses) is offered on one Saturday morning in October, November, December,

January, March, May, and June. Check the exact dates to see which ones meet your
deadlines. To do this, count back six weeks from each deadline, because that’s how long
it takes ETS to score your test and send out the results.
What if you don’t know which schools you want to apply to? Don’t panic! Even if you take
the exam in December or January of your senior year, you’ll probably have plenty of time
to send your scores to most schools.
When you plan to take the SAT, there is something even more important than the
application deadlines of particular schools. You need to select a test date that works best
with your schedule. Ideally, you should allow yourself at least two to three months to
use this book to prepare. Many students like to take the test in March of their junior
year. That way, they take the SAT several months before final exams, proms, and end-
of-the-year distractions. Taking the test in March also gives students early feedback as
to how they are scoring. If they are dissatisfied with their scores, there is ample
opportunity to take the test again in the spring or following fall. But your schedule might
not easily accommodate a March testing. Maybe you’re involved in a winter sport or
school play that will take too much time away from SAT studying. Maybe you have a
family reunion planned over spring break in March. Or maybe you simply prefer to
prepare during a different time of year. If that’s the case, just pick another date.
If the schools you’ve decided on also require SAT II (subject tests), here’s one good piece
of advice: try to take SAT II tests immediately after you finish the subject(s) in school.
For most of you, this means taking the SAT II exams in June. By taking the exam then,
you’ll save an awful lot of review work. Remember this, too: you have to register for the
SAT II tests separately, and you can’t take the subject tests on the same day as the SAT.
So check the dates, think ahead, and plan it out. It’s worth it in the end.
HOW MANY TIMES YOU SHOULD TAKE THE SAT
Different colleges evaluate the SAT I in different ways. Some will take your highest
math and verbal scores, even if they were earned on different test days. So if you nailed
the math portion in March and the verbal portion in October, they will combine those
two numbers to maximize your overall score. Not bad, huh? But many other schools
don’t do that. Some pay most attention to your highest combined score on a particular

day. Many others will average all of your scores or lend equal weight to all of them.
So what does this mean? It means that you should only take the SAT I when you are truly
prepared. Because no matter what each school’s individual policy tends to be, every
single SAT I score you earn is part of your permanent transcript, so colleges see them
all. Ideally, you should try to earn your “goal score” sooner rather than later. For
example, a student who hits his objective of 1100 in one sitting certainly has an
advantage over a student who needed five tries to squeeze out 1100.
TIP
Are you starting to
prepare a little later
than you had
planned? Don’t get
upset, it happens.
Using the acceler-
ated course, you
should be able to
cover most of the
material within a
month. You probably
won’t have much
time to practice, but
you’ll get the most
important facts
about the test and
be able to take a
few sample exams.
CHAPTER 1: Getting Started 5
Master the SAT www.petersons.com/arco
There is nothing wrong with taking the SAT two or three times, so long as you are
confident that your scores will improve substantially each time. Let’s say that you

scored a 1080 on your first SAT. If you would have been thrilled to have hit 1100, it’s
probably not worth taking again. Most colleges look at SAT scores in ranges and will not
hold 20 points against you. They understand that scoring 1080 means that you were
only one or two questions away from 1100; and no sane admissions officer would deny
you admission based on one or two questions! But if you scored 1080 and expected to
score closer to 1150 or 1200 based on practice testing, then you should probably retake
the exam. In other words, it is of little value to take the SAT multiple times if you expect
to earn roughly the same score. But it is worthwhile if you expect to score significantly
higher on a second or third try. For more advice about this, see your high school guidance
counselor.
HOW TO REGISTER FOR THE SAT
You should register for the SAT at least six weeks before your testing date. That way
you will avoid late registration fees and increase your chances of taking the exam at your
first-choice testing center. You can register through the mail by completing the SAT
registration form found inside the annual SAT bulletin. Your high school guidance office
should have plenty of extra copies of the SAT bulletin. If you’d like, you can also
painlessly register on line or by telephone. Mailing addresses, phone numbers, and Web
addresses for both of the main SAT registration centers are shown in the following table.
College Board SAT Program Addresses
P.O. Box 6200 P.O. Box 1025
Princeton, NJ 08541-6200 Berkeley, CA 94701
(609) 771-7600 (415) 849-0950
(8:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Eastern Time) (8:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Pacific Time)
www.collegeboard.com www.collegeboard.com
MAKE AN SAT STUDY PLAN
As with almost any form of learning, preparing for the SAT is an investment of time. The
more you have, the better your chances of boosting your score significantly. Next, we’ll
walk you through two different study plans, each tailored to a specific amount of
preparation time. Find the plan that fits your circumstances and adapt it to your needs.
Regardless of how much time you have before the actual exam, your first step should

be to take the Diagnostic Test in Part II of this book. After you score it, compute your
category percentages to assess your relative strengths and weaknesses. Hang on to the
scoring sheet so you know where to get started.
If you are using this book to get early preparation for the PSAT, you should take the
PSAT Diagnostic Test in Part VIII. After you score it, compute your PSAT category
percentages to assess your relative strengths and weaknesses.
6 PART I: SAT Basics
www.petersons.com/arco Master the SAT
The Complete Course
If you have three or more months to prepare, you should congratulate yourself! This will
give you sufficient time to familiarize yourself with the test, learn critical strategies,
review vocabulary and mathematical fundamentals, and take full-length practice tests.
You’ll get the most out of your SAT preparation if you read this whole book from cover
to cover. No, you can’t do that in a weekend! But if you have two or three months, you’ll
have enough time to read and reread at your own pace and work through all of the
examples, exercises, and practice exams without breaking a sweat.
The Accelerated Course
If you have one month or less to prepare for the SAT, you shouldn’t even attempt to read
this book from cover to cover. Or if you have several months, but can’t devote too much
time to SAT study, you should opt for the accelerated course. Take the diagnostic exam.
Read Chapter 2 to ensure that you understand the format, structure, and scoring of the
SAT. Then visit the chapters that cover material that is most problematic for you.
WORKING THROUGH YOUR STUDY PLAN
It does seem like you’re on a treadmill sometimes, doesn’t it? Question after question
after question—are you really getting anywhere? Is all of this studying really working?
The way to find out is to monitor your progress throughout the preparation period,
whether it’s three months or four weeks. By taking a diagnostic examination at the
beginning, you’ll establish your “home base” of skills, and you’ll be able to craft the study
plan that’s right for you. Then, you can either start to read the entire book (if you are
taking the complete course) or go directly to the chapters that address your weaknesses

(if you are taking the accelerated course). At the end of each chapter, complete the
exercises and compare your percentages to your original diagnostic percentages. How
have you improved? Where do you still need work? Even if you haven’t reached your
ultimate performance goal, are you at least applying new test-taking methods?
When you are approximately one third of the way through your course of study—this
can be after ten days or a month—it’s time to take one of the practice examinations in
Part VII. Compare your overall scores with your original diagnostic scores. Then
compare subcategories. Hopefully you’re doing better. But if you’re not, don’t panic. At
this stage in the game, it’s not unusual to score roughly the same as you did at the
beginning. What’s more important than what you score is how you take the test. Are you
really using the test-taking strategies to which you’ve been introduced? If you aren’t, it’s
time to go back and either reread chapters or their summaries. Then continue your
review. Read more chapters, do exercises, and compare your percentages with your
diagnostic percentages.
NOTE
You may be wonder-
ing how you can
possibly wade
through all this
information in time for
the test. Don’t be
discouraged! We
wrote this book
knowing that some of
you would be on very
short schedules. The
information in this
section will help you
construct a study plan
that works for you—

one that will help you
boost your score no
matter how short your
timeline may be.
Remember, though,
that practice and
targeted study are
essential elements of
that score-boosting,
so invest as much
time as possible in
your SAT preparation.
CHAPTER 1: Getting Started 7
Master the SAT www.petersons.com/arco
After you have reviewed the vast majority of the chapters (under the complete course)
or all of your weaknesses (under the accelerated course), it’s time to take another
practice examination. By now you should be seeing some real score improvement. If your
weaknesses continue to plague you, revisit problematic material. But for the most part,
this last phase of study should involve less learning and more practice. Take more
practice examinations! By now, you probably understand how to take the SAT. What
you need is more practice actually taking the test under simulated test-day conditions.
When you take additional practice exams, be sure you do so in a near-test environment
(see the beginning of Part VII for ways to do this). Keep analyzing your scores to ensure
that all of this practice is working. Determine which areas need additional work. Now
is probably the perfect time to take timing drills. (For more information about timing
drills, see the beginning of Part VII.) Because you have already reviewed the chapters,
work on your weaknesses by doing timing drills.
One last word of advice: no matter what study plan you select, you should probably take
one full-timed SAT the week before the SAT. This will get you ready for the big day. But
don’t take that test the day before the SAT. That’s a time when you should be relaxing,

not cramming.
For more information about what to do the day before the SAT, see “Some Test-Wise
Strategies for SAT Success” on page 15.
Here’s a list that highlights your goals for forming and following an SAT study plan:
WORKING THROUGH YOUR STUDY PLAN: THE KEY POINTS
• Get started by taking the diagnostic examination in Part II (or PSAT test in Part
VIII).
• Compute your category percentages to assess your relative strengths and
weaknesses.
• If you have sufficient time and initiative, take the complete course. Do the book
from cover to cover. You can read the book in order, or you can start with the kind
of question you find most difficult. At the end of each chapter, do exercises and
assess your performance.
• If you have one month or less, follow the accelerated course. Read Chapter 2 to
familiarize yourself with the SAT. Then visit the chapters that cover material that
is most problematic for you. At the end of each chapter, do exercises and assess your
performance.
• When you are one third of the way through your preparation, take a practice test.
Compare your scores with your original results. Make sure you are applying new
test-taking strategies.
• Revisit problematic chapters and chapter summaries. Then read additional chap-
ters, do exercises, and compare your percentages with your original category
percentages.
TIP
Here’s an important
point: you don’t have
to go through the
parts in order. You
might want to start
with the kind of

question you find
most difficult, such as
critical reading or
quantitative com-
parisons. Then you
can move to the next
most difficult and so
on down the line,
saving your best stuff
for last. If you take
the accelerated
course, you should
definitely take this
approach.
TIP
Based on the results
of your SAT diagnos-
tic test, rank the six
question types in
order of priority, from
the one on which
you need the
greatest improve-
ment to the one on
which you currently
perform the best.