SAT Question of the Day (ACT too!): Feb. 17, 2014

If you are reading this in an email you received from me, do not click the link to sat.collegeboard.org below. Use the link to my website that is farther down on the email.

http://sat.collegeboard.org/practice/sat-question-of-the-day?questionId=20140217&oq=1 (This link takes you to today’s question. If you use my archive, you will see the question related to my SAT explanation for that date.)

Feb 17, 2014

SAT:

Do you want to improve your Writing score?  Then you need to familiarize yourself with the common grammar and composition errors the test writers put on the test.  Use my free website and/ or the 900 Video series.  I recognized what the composition error was going to be before I even read the entire question!  How did I do that?  Read on…

The Answer is D.  They love to ask questions that involve parallel structures.  When I read “was known for his quest” and then “his opposition,” I recognized the parallel structure and was ready for a phrase that wouldn’t be parallel before I even saw “he supported” which should be “his support of.”  Easy enough.

You need to always remember the SAT and ACT are games in which you are playing against an opponent—the test writers.  Just like an opponent in any game (sport, board game, etc.), the test writers have habits and weaknesses.  Understanding their tendencies helps you be better prepared.  Using this question as an example, if you prepare for the game, you will see what is coming before you get to the problem!  Remember what my program is all about—eliminating surprises on test day.

Let’s see what the ACT folks have in store for us today.

ACT Question of the Day: Use your “back” button to return to my website after reading the ACT Question of the Day.

ACT:

Boo, hiss!  Another question that keeps popping up on the ACT website.

The answer is A.  Because the concentration of oxygen is the same at both 15 cm and 20 cm, we cannot tell whether the sample is from one depth or the other..  All the other answers have different concentrations at the two different depths.

Do you know what the most important thing is to learn from this question?  First, you’ll never predict the science knowledge that will be on the test; so don’t worry about reviewing science information as part of your test prep.  Second, they’ll explain the science on the test which is all the more reason not to review science topics.  Third, this is a science reasoning test.  You need to apply scientific principles and the most important skill is analyzing and interpreting data.  That is what you need to practice prior to the test.  Get your hands on some actual ACT Science Tests and study the way the test writers present data and ask questions about the charts and graphs in those tests–the more the better.  The Real ACT Prep Guide is the best source of questions because it is the only book with actual ACT tests in it.  Work on your speed because that is the major challenge of the test.  Let’s get to work!  Only practice will raise your score.

I would like to welcome all my new students who attend my class at Stetson University and am looking forward to starting my program at Olympia and Apopka High Schools.

Happy President’s Day.  Take some time to reflect and appreciate the opportunities you have in this country when compared to many places in the world.  Take advantage of them.

The SAT & ACT Wizard

About Bob Alexander

Bob has been a professional educator starting with teaching biology, becoming a school administrator, and then working as an education lobbyist in Washington, DC. He got his start in national testing by becoming a consulting test writer, later joining Kaplan as a director, and finally starting his own business in 1995. He has written numerous books, consulted for school districts and colleges, developed his website and been featured on a DVD set. He offers SAT and ACT prep classes and tutors individuals and small groups of students in central Florida.
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