One of the most common question types you will see in Critical Reading on the SAT goes something like this:

The author’s tone in the final sentence is best described as

(A) shocked
(B) resigned
(C) ambivalent
(D) somewhat encouraged
(E) perplexed

Hmm, pretty difficult to answer out of context, huh?  In fact, even without an accompanying passage, we still eliminate incorrect answer choices!  How?  Questions regarding the author’s tone or attitude come up in almost every CR section on the SAT, and the answers always have something in common.  Authors will never be one of these three things: confused, uncaring or over-emotional.

CR authors tend to be scientists, historians, attorneys, artists, anthropologists or great writers—as authorities in their own fields, they would not express confusion.  So we can immediately cross off choice E, perplexed.  Authors are never uncaring—they are always invested in topic of the passage at hand.  If an author didn’t care about a subject, he wouldn’t bother writing about it!  Let’s cross off choice C.  Lastly, an author will never be over-emotional; she’s a professional, with a careful, practiced opinion.  Eliminate choice A, shocked.

We are left with choices B and D, and we haven’t even read the passage!  (In the practice test from which this question was taken, the correct choice was D, for those of you who were curious!).

QUICK TIP:  Avoid answer choices that are synonyms for over-emotional, uncaring or confused, such as:
Over-emotional: outraged, resentful, unshakably confident, derisive
Uncaring: ambivalent, apathetic, indifferent
Confused: perplexed, baffled, bewildered

When preparing for Algebra questions on the SAT, remember that ETS hates negative powers.  Whenever you see something like x^-2 in an expression, know that you must get rid of the negative exponent in order to solve the problem.  However, you can’t just delete sections of a question to suit your fancy!  In order to “get rid” of something in an expression, you must either simplify, or change the format of that piece.  Remember, negative exponents can be re-written as positive exponents by putting them in the denominator.  X^-2 becomes 1/x^2.  Voila, we have turned our negative power into a positive one.  This rule goes for all negative exponents: x^-n = 1/x^n.  We haven’t really changed the overall quantitative value of the expression, just its format.

Converting negative exponents will quickly set you up to start simplifying.  For example:

(x^2)(x^-4)=
(A)    1/x^8
(B)    1/x^2
(C)    X^8
(D)    –(x^2)
(E)    -4x^2

Let’s try a combination of converting negative powers and simplifying:  (x^2) (x^-4) =  (x^2) x (1/x^4), becoming (x^2)/(x^4).  Two exponents dividing each other with the same base but different powers?  That’s your clue to subtract the powers and simplify the expression to x^-2.  Go one more round of converting negative powers, and we’re left with 1/x^2, choice B.

Alternatively, you can also recognize that the initial expression (x^2)(x^-4) has two exponents being multiplied with the same base and different powers—in this case you add the powers, getting x^-2.  Triumphant, you look at the answer choices, only to find no options with a negative power!  Again, convert it to a positive one, 1/x^2, and choice B becomes apparent.

QUICK TIP: Always convert negative exponents to positive ones.

Like most things, time management is best practiced BEFORE test day. Practice with as many mock exams as possible. Try completing them on your own time first and gauging whether you tend to work quickly or slowly. Then practice the exams with the time limits mandated for each section—do you run out of time, or do you finish early but make careless mistakes? Develop your “inner clock” to measure your pacing.

Practice exams also familiarize you with the directions for each section and each type of question. You don’t get any points for reading directions or passages, only for choosing correct answers. So get to the point where you can skip the directions and head straight for the points—in the questions!

You may have heard “practice makes perfect;” in reality, it’s “perfect practice makes perfect.” When you complete the mock exams, simulate the test environment as closely as possible. No distractions, a clear space to work and a long stretch of time in which to concentrate. “But I’ve been studying for weeks!” doesn’t hold very much water if your weekly sessions were held in front of Saturday football!

During the exam
If you have extra time during the exam on test day itself, use that time to go back over questions, particularly the ones near the beginning of the sections. Double-checking the easier questions is quick and helps you avoid dumb mistakes and careless errors and gives you the points you deserve!

Always mark your answers in the test booklet. You may find it easier to transfer a page of answers to the answer grid all at once. Just make sure to say to yourself “4-D,” “5-A,” “6-A,” etc. when you do so. Keep careful track of any questions you skipped in order to avoid gridding errors. You don’t want to get to the end of a section and realize you’re bubbling in question 27 from the test booklet next to question 24 on the scoring sheet, and then have to search back for where you went wrong!

Date:  March 24, 2009

The Opportunity Network announced today that it has partnered with Lumina Prep to prepare its students for the October 2009 SAT.  “Since Lumina Prep’s online program is individually customized for each student, it is perfect for students with a variety of schedules and educational objectives.  The weekly status updates also give me another touch point with my students and help me monitor their progress,” said Rajib Guha, Director of College Initiatives at The Opportunity Network.

About The Opportunity Network:

The Opportunity Network (www.nyopportunitynetwork.org) seeks to equal the playing field for high-achieving, underserved high school and college students by creating access for them to career opportunities, professional networks and college. We believe influential networks are essential ingredients for success not emphasized in career development programs for youth, so we take an innovative approach by underscoring the power of personal connections and professional relationships as vital complements to skills and experience.

Through unique interaction with executives, intensive networking training, coursework in careers, internships and college counseling, our students dramatically change the course of their futures.

About Lumina Prep:

Lumina Prep (www.luminaprep.com) is a tutoring and online SAT prep company founded by Ivy League educated tutors to make the techniques and benefits of private tutoring available to a broader set of students.  Mark Alfano, Lumina Prep’s Chief Learning Officer, is a private tutor in New York City and previously taught at The Princeton Review.  He is pursuing a Ph.D. in philosophy and graduated with honors from Princeton University.

Lumina Prep has worked with domestic and international partners to prepare students for the SAT.  The company has students in the USA, Turkey, Switzerland, South Africa, and Singapore.

Contact: Edward Alfano, CEO

E-mail: edward.alfano@luminaprep.com