สำหรับน้องๆที่เตรียมตัวสอบ TOEFL ไปแล้ว บางคนอาจจะต้องใช้คะแนนสอบ SAT เพื่อยื่นสมัครเรียน ในหลักสูตรนานาชาติ ของมหาวิทยาลัยต่างๆในประเทศไทย หรือ เตรียมตัวยื่นสมัครเรียนในต่างประเทศนั้น
ลองมาดูกันนะคะว่า 9 ข้อแนะนำในการเตรียมตัวสอง SAT มีอะไรกันบ้าง
1. There is an alternative. ลองถามตัวเองก่อนนะคะว่า SAT Test คือเทสต์ที่เราต้องสอบและต้องใช้คะแนน ใช่หรือไม่? เพราะยังมีทางเลือกของข้อสอบอื่นๆให้เราสอบอีก เช่น ACT เป็นต้น
Before you embark on the arduous journey to
earning a good SAT score, ask yourself an important question that many students
often neglect: Is this even the right test for me? The ACT is an alternative to
the SAT and, contrary to popular belief, is accepted at all four-year schools
that accept the SAT. The ACT is different from the SAT in both structure and
the type of questions that are asked. The best way to determine which is best
for you is to take a timed practice version of each test. Yes, it's time consuming,
but those hours you sacrifice are a wise investment, experts say.
"Ultimately, the best way to know for sure is to take practice
tests," says Kristen Campbell, director of college prep programs at Kaplan
Test Prep and Admissions. "At the end of the day, until you're actually
experiencing what it's like to go through the tests, it's hard to get a feel
for which way you should go."
2. Love
books? You'll love the SAT. ถ้าน้องๆเป็นคนที่ชอบอ่านหนังสือ แน่นอนค่ะ น้องๆจะต้องชอบที่จะอ่านหนังสือเตรียมสอบ SAT แน่นอน เพราะว่าในการสอบก็จะมีการวัดความรู้ในเรื่องของคำศัพท์และการทำประโยคให้สมบูรณ์ เมื่อน้องๆอ่านหนังสือมากๆ ก็จะมีความรู้เรื่องคำศัพท์ที่มากขึ้นไปด้วย
The SAT
directly tests vocabulary in its sentence-completion section. In order to
excel, experts say students need to be well read and eager to look up words
when they come across one they can't define in the years prior to the test.
Experts say the test favors verbally inclined students and that the math is
easier than that found on the ACT. While the SAT directly tests vocabulary, the
ACT does not, so it may not be the right test for you if you've found yourself
favoring your iPod over a novel during recent summers spent poolside. Joya
Ahmad, a junior at William Penn Charter School near Philadelphia, received a
perfect 2400 on the SAT she took this March. She credits her love of books over
the years with her success on the verbal side. "I'm a hugely avid reader,"
she says. "I'll read through parts of the dictionary for fun."
3.
Pressure cooker. การสอบ SAT เป็นการสอบภายใต้ความกดดันเรื่องเวลาเป็นอย่างมาก ถ้าน้องๆที่ไม่คุ้นกับการทำงานภายใต้ความกดดัน การสอบ SAT อาจจะไม่เหมาะกับน้องๆก็ได้นะคะ
If
taking tests has not been your forte through your academic life, the SAT might
not be your best option. Testing experts say the test is best suited for
students who don't mind being under the gun repeatedly and thrive under
pressure. The test has nine sections, which means students must be prepared to
answer questions in short bursts, something that could pose a problem for
students who need to take time or skip around broader sections like those found
on the ACT. "[Nine] times you have this pressure, of 'Five minutes left …
put your pencils down!'" says Ed Carroll, executive director of high
school program development at the Princeton Review.
4.
Don't get fooled. น้องๆที่คิดว่าข้อสอบวิชาคณิตศาสตร์ ของ SAT นั้นง่าย อย่าเพิ่งตกหลุมพรางนี้นะคะ ไม่งั้นอาจจะโดนคำถามและคำตอบหลอกเอาได้ค่ะ
While
the math on the SAT is a bit easier than it is on the ACT, it's certainly not
simple. Rather than relying on complicated concepts or delving into
trigonometry, the SAT math section will oftentimes try to trick students who
rush and don't read each question carefully, according to Carroll. He notes
that the tricks aren't intricate, but they can be easily overlooked by students
who aren't paying attention to detail. "The classic example is that [the
test] often asks, 'What is X+1?' instead of 'What is X?'" he says.
"And of course, the bad answer will be there. Your math and your calculations
are perfect. X equals five and you circle five, but the answer is six."
5. When in doubt, leave it
blank … sometimes. ถ้าข้อไหนไม่แน่ใจ หรือไม่รู้ว่าควรจะตอบอะไร แทนที่จะเดาให้ปล่อยข้อนั้นว่างไว้ ไม่ต้องตอบจะดีกว่านะคะ เพราะถ้าตอบผิด ในการสอบ SAT จะต้องโดนหักคะแนนค่ะ
One of
the best-known strategies for tackling the SAT is to simply leave an answer
blank if you don't know the answer. The test has a "guessing penalty"
that punishes students who take a wild swing at a question that is beyond their
intellectual reach by deducting points for incorrect answers. While leaving the
answer blank on questions you don't know is a wise strategy, in some cases,
it's actually better to guess. If you're able to narrow the answer down to two
or three choices, guessing is the wiser option, as the odds of you getting the
question right outweigh the penalty for a wrong answer. "I tell students,
'If you have no idea, skip it,'" says Carroll. "If you can narrow it
down to two or three, you should be aggressive. Statistically, it will benefit
you across the whole test."
6. Your
mind may be ready, but prepare your body, too. ใจพร้อมแต่กายไม่พร้อม ก็อาจจะทำให้สอบได้คะแนนที่ไม่ดีนะคะ ดังนั้นเราต้องพร้อมทั้งกายและใจค่ะ
Nervous students oftentimes spend the weeks
leading up to the test cooped up in their rooms, studying feverishly. Sometimes
it's best to put the books down, get some fresh air, and clear your mind.
Ahmad, who got a perfect score, runs cross country and claims that she garnered
tremendous benefit by taking some time away from cramming and lacing up her
running shoes. "One of the best things is to center the mind, get rid of
that nervous energy, and clear everything out so that I had room to absorb all
of that information was to run," she says. "Staying active allowed my
brain not to get overloaded because I had time to decompress."
Plus,
at roughly four to five hours, these tests require physical stamina. It's
important to be rested on test day and let your body acclimate to the testing
experience by taking timed practice tests. Just like training for a sporting
event, your mind and body will be better prepared for the testing situation if
you've been through it before. Ahmad took five practice tests in the months
leading up to her SAT. "[Five hours] is a long time to be in a highly
focused state of mind—likely longer than most students' testing
experiences," says Campbell of Kaplan. "So, you want to get a couple
of those sessions under your belt before you go into the real thing."
7. Know
the classes that matter. On the
math section, what you learned in algebra I and geometry comprise nearly
everything on the test. It's most important to review those materials. There
are some elements from algebra II, but they aren't tested heavily. The
multiple-choice questions in the writing section test some of the basic
elements of grammar, which regularly go uncovered in high school English
classes. "If you've ever had a grammar class, that would help," says
Carroll. "A lot of kids don't even know what a preposition is."
8.
Don't fret about comma splices on the essay. เขียน essay ให้ได้คะแนน คือ ตอบให้ตรงคำถาม ให้เหตุผลสนับสนุนคำตอบ สะกดคำให้ถูกต้อง และไม่ต้องกังวลกับการใช้เครื่องหมายวรรคตอน (เพราะไม่ได้เอามาคิดคะแนนค่ะ)
Twenty-five minutes is not nearly enough
time to craft an intricate, polished piece of writing, making the essay the
most intimidating portion of the test for many students. But don't stress.
There's no need to strive for perfection, experts say. Yes, grammar does play a
small part in the grading of the essay, but essay readers are primarily looking
for you to demonstrate that you can answer the question posed to you using a
well-structured, coherent argument. If a few semicolons are misplaced and a few
words misspelled, do not despair. "The essay is not as scary as it
seems," says Carroll. "The best thing you can do is answer their
questions clearly with support. Details like facts, spelling, and punctuation
are not emphasized as highly in terms of grading. They certainly matter, but in
reality, the essays are largely graded on how accurately you answer the
question and the logic and support of your argument."
9. Use
every second. ใช้ทุกวินาทีให้คุ้มค่า ถ้าคำถามไหนตอบไม่ได้ให้ข้ามไปก่อน แล้วค่อยกลับมาตอบทีหลัง ไม่ต้องรีบทำรีบลุกนะคะ
If you
get bogged down trying to answer a question that has you stumped, skip it and
revisit it using whatever extra time you have after you've worked through the
full section. "You will do better on the test overall if you give each
question its fair share of time, versus spending all your time on question
number seven," says Alexis Avila, founder and president of Prepped & Polished,
a Boston area-based college counseling and tutoring firm. "If you get
stumped on any question, circle the question and go back to it at the end if
time permits."
credit: http://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/test-prep/articles/2010/05/21/test-prep-9-tips-for-sat-success?page=2
