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=20140209&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.)
The answer is A. This is the easiest SAT math question I’ve ever seen on the College Board website. 85% of students are getting it correct. Just cancel 5/14 from each side of the equation by multiplying each side by 14/5. You could also divide each side by 5/14 and that would cancel the 5/14 as well. By using either operation, you end up with N = 7/9.
What can you learn about the test from this question? Yes, there are easy questions on the test. This one would appear at the beginning of a math section because the questions are arranged from easy to hard. Don’t panic if you see an easy question early in the test. There’s not going to be anything tricky about it–that’s what makes it easy! However, if you see a question late in a math section that looks “easy,” it won’t be. Be careful with those questions because there is something about the question that causes most students to miss it. Just make sure you haven’t fallen for a “trap” answer that students get when they make a common math error.
Let’s see what the ACT folks have 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.
What do you know? Another easy question. I guess both the SAT and ACT folks decided to be gentle on a Sunday!
The answer is D. As always, the answer is going to be right in the passage. There’s no science you need to have memorized. Just look at the table. From 10cm through 20cm only one chemical stays constant, O2.
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 to not 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 best source is The Real ACT Prep Guide.) Work on your speed because that is the major challenge of the test. Let’s get to work! Practicing will raise your score.
Have a great day. Get your work done early and relax this evening.
The SAT & ACT Wizard
