Took the SATs this morning

[sash1]

And now my brain is dead! Three hours of test is definitely not fun.

The math was incredibly easier, albeit, I haven't done most of this stuff in a long time. It probably would have been easier for me if they asked for intergrals and stuff I'm doing in AP Calc right now. But I definitely think I got near perfect in math.

Verbal is a different story. I had a lot of trouble with the analogies, mostly because I had no clue what many of the words meant. I left about 1/3 of them blank. The comprehension and sentence completion was good though.

Hoping for around a 1400, so I don't have to retake 'em. Now I just have to worry about SAT II's in May/June.

Any of you other High Schoolers taking the SATs around this time?

`K

 

[Lager]

First time?

Where are you applying next year?

 

[minendo]

Isn't better to not leave answers blank even if you don't know them?

 

[Lager]

Originally posted by: minendo
Isn't better to not leave answers blank even if you don't know them?

Yup.

 

[bradruth]

Originally posted by: minendo
Isn't better to not leave answers blank even if you don't know them?

I didn't take the SAT (I took the ACT), but I thought one of those tests took more off for a wrong answer than for a blank one.

 

[JustAnAverageGuy]

Still, never leave an answer blank, even if you have no clue. You may just get it right

 

[minendo]

Originally posted by: bradruth

Originally posted by: minendo
Isn't better to not leave answers blank even if you don't know them?

I didn't take the SAT (I took the ACT), but I thought one of those tests took more off for a wrong answer than for a blank one.

SATs take a fraction of points off for incorrect answer whereas blank answers take full points, I believe.

 

[Amorphus]

Originally posted by: bradruth

Originally posted by: minendo
Isn't better to not leave answers blank even if you don't know them?

I didn't take the SAT (I took the ACT), but I thought one of those tests took more off for a wrong answer than for a blank one.

Statistically, though, you have a 1/4 chance of guesing right, but over the entire SAT, less than 1/4pt is subtracted for a wrong answer (some sections it's only -1/8 for an incorrect). Q.E.D.

 

[sash1]

Originally posted by: minendo
Isn't better to not leave answers blank even if you don't know them?

No. Wrong answers count 1/4 of a point against you. Unanswered questions don't count against you. If you can make an educated guess as to the answer, then its better, but if you have no idea, then leaving it blank is better.

Lager: I'm planning on applying early to Pomona. After that, I haven't given it much thought, but (in order of preference), I'm looking at Northwestern, Pitzer, UPenn.

`K

 

[bradruth]

Originally posted by: minendo

Originally posted by: bradruth

Originally posted by: minendo
Isn't better to not leave answers blank even if you don't know them?

I didn't take the SAT (I took the ACT), but I thought one of those tests took more off for a wrong answer than for a blank one.

SATs take a fraction of points off for incorrect answer whereas blank answers take full points, I believe.

Oh, ok. I wasn't sure how it worked, since I only had to take the ACT...and I never leave blank answers.

 

[minendo]

Originally posted by: bradruth

Originally posted by: minendo

Originally posted by: bradruth

Originally posted by: minendo
Isn't better to not leave answers blank even if you don't know them?

I didn't take the SAT (I took the ACT), but I thought one of those tests took more off for a wrong answer than for a blank one.

SATs take a fraction of points off for incorrect answer whereas blank answers take full points, I believe.

Oh, ok. I wasn't sure how it worked, since I only had to take the ACT...and I never leave blank answers.

Of course, it's been years since I had to worry about the SATs so I may be wrong.

 

[ClueLis]

Originally posted by: minendo

Originally posted by: bradruth

Originally posted by: minendo
Isn't better to not leave answers blank even if you don't know them?

I didn't take the SAT (I took the ACT), but I thought one of those tests took more off for a wrong answer than for a blank one.

SATs take a fraction of points off for incorrect answer whereas blank answers take full points, I believe.

Basically, if you can eliminate one option, you break even (since it's 1/4 point off), and guessing is to your advantage if you can eliminate more. Generally speaking, unless you are completely lost, guessing is to your benefit.

 

[jaybert]

Originally posted by: minendo
Isn't better to not leave answers blank even if you don't know them?

No....you lose 1/4 point I believe for every wrong answer you put down whereas you dont lose any points if you leave it blank. So if you have no idea what the analogies mean, then there is a good chance you are unable to make an educated guess. There are however ways which you can eliminate a few of the possible answers. If you look at the odds, if you can get it down to 3 possible answers, it is in your benefit to take the best guess. Statistically, even if you were to just randomly guess out of 3 possible answers, you will come out ahead in the end even if you lose 1/4 pt for each wrong one. You can read some SAT books, they will teach you how to eliminate answers even if you have no idea what the analogy is. One way that comes to mind is that in the answers, you look and see if any of the pairs have the same relationship. If they do, you can eliminate both since they both cant be the right answer...

Anyways, good luck. I am just glad I dont have to take the SATs ever again. Even if you dont do well, you can always retake them and hope for a better score. I ended taking them 3 times before I got the 1500+ I was looking for.

 

[bradruth]

Originally posted by: Kauru

Originally posted by: minendo
Isn't better to not leave answers blank even if you don't know them?

No. Wrong answers count 1/4 of a point against you. Unanswered questions don't count against you. If you can make an educated guess as to the answer, then its better, but if you have no idea, then leaving it blank is better.

Originally posted by: minendo
Of course, it's been years since I had to worry about the SATs so I may be wrong.

Sounds like you might be. It's been a couple years for me since I've dealt with those tests too.

 

[anno]

How is the SAT I scored?
It's a two-step process. First, a raw score is calculated: one point is added for each multiple-choice question answered correctly. Omitted questions receive no points. For multiple-choice questions answered incorrectly, a fraction of a point is subtracted: 1/4 point is subtracted for five-choice questions and 1/3 point is subtracted for four-choice questions. No points are subtracted for incorrect answers to the SAT I math questions requiring student-produced responses. Questions in the SAT I equating section do not count toward the score.


whew! you scared me. my son took it this morning too. don't guess!

 

[Skiguy411]

I also took them this morning!

Math was pretty good, but ike you, I dont think I did too good on verbal.

I only left the ones that I had no idea on blank.

I really need to good on these to get into NCSU.

Kauru, where did you take them?

 

[fibes]

Originally posted by: Kauru

Originally posted by: minendo
Isn't better to not leave answers blank even if you don't know them?

No. Wrong answers count 1/4 of a point against you. Unanswered questions don't count against you. If you can make an educated guess as to the answer, then its better, but if you have no idea, then leaving it blank is better.

Lager: I'm planning on applying early to Pomona. After that, I haven't given it much thought, but (in order of preference), I'm looking at Northwestern, Pitzer, UPenn.

`K

Northwestern is an excellent college. However, it is extremely difficult to get into. I couldn't get into it, so I had to settle for U. of Illinois. What do you plan to major in?