TestKnowledge on the SAT and the SAT Subject Tests

TestKnowledge on the

SAT® and the

SAT Subject Tests™

Patent/Copyright Advisement

The content provided in this book is based, in part, on a patented method of teaching (U.S. Patent Number 6,015,297). Unauthorized disclosure of the contents of this book may constitute a violation of the U.S. Patent laws. This book contains copyrighted material and it should not be copied, in whole or in part, without proper authorization, or otherwise used in violation of the U.S. Copyright laws.

Copyright © 2017 by TestKnowledge LLC. All rights reserved.

SAT is a registered trademark of the College Board.

SAT Subject Tests is a trademark owned by the College Board. The College Board is not involved in the production of, and does not endorse, this product.

Contents

Introduction

CHAPTER 1: The SAT and your substantive knowledge

CHAPTER 2: The standardized test design

CHAPTER 3: Understanding the TestKnowledge method

CHAPTER 4: Applying the TestKnowledge method

CHAPTER 5: The concept of approximately equal

CHAPTER 6: Generating time

CHAPTER 7: Experts’ opinions

CHAPTER 8: Lessons to keep in mind

EXHIBITS

Annex

Testimonials

Introduction

Standardized tests have become widely used tools to select students for colleges and universities, to evaluate applicants’ academic and professional qualifications for professional licensing and certification, and for other similar purposes. Whether we like it or not, the ability to do well on such tests has become imperative for a successful academic and professional career.

The United States has been at the forefront of developing, enhancing, and studying standardized tests used in various applications. A new method of teaching how to efficiently take standardized multiple choice tests was developed in this country. It teaches students how to employ both their substantive knowledge and the information about the structural characteristics of the standardized test they take. Using this method allows test takers to improve their performance on such a test. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issued a patent for the development of the new method of teaching.[1] (We refer to this method as the TestKnowledge method, by the name of the company that is developing and promoting test preparation products based on the core patented methodology.)

This book describes a new test taking approach that is based on the patented method of teaching. It is written to help students who are taking the SAT and the SAT Subject Tests to learn the TestKnowledge innovative approach and to succeed on their tests. Significant effort was put into making this book user friendly and easy to understand. It is written in simple terms, and provides an overview of the SAT and the SAT Subject Tests and a concise description of the TestKnowledge methodology. The explanations presented in this book do not require any preliminary studies of standardized multiple choice tests, and provide the core information needed to understand and apply the new test taking approach.

We hope that many readers, both in the United States and abroad who face the SAT and the SAT Subject Tests will succeed on these tests and reach their academic and professional goals with the help of this book.

CHAPTER 1

The SAT and your substantive knowledge

Congratulations on taking the important step to learn more about taking the SAT and the SAT Subject Tests. Before discussing the TestKnowledge method, it is helpful to briefly remind ourselves of some key features of these tests.

About the SAT

According to the College Board, the SAT is the most widely used admission test for colleges and universities in the United States. More than two million students take the SAT every year.[2] (The SAT. The College Board, 2012. http://professionals.collegeboard.com/testing/sat) Although many students in their junior year (11th grade) and senior year (12th grade) of high school take the SAT, people of all ages can sit for the SAT. Some people also choose to take the SAT several times as the test is offered seven times per year.

Structure and content of the test

The SAT has been around for many years, over which it has gone through a number of changes. The March 2016 administration of the SAT marked the most recent changes to the exam. This new SAT is comprised of a number of tests, also referred to as sections: the Reading Test, a Writing and Language Test, a Math Test that does not allow the use of a calculator, and a Math Test that does allow the use of a calculator. The SAT also includes an optional essay, and it is important to check with the school to which you are planning to apply whether the essay is required.

The Reading Test consists of 52 multiple choice questions with four answer options that must be answered in 65