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PARENT TESTIMONIAL
"Hi Ms. Jennifer, I am happy to inform you that Talal scored 1480 on his SAT test. Thanks for all that you did.
 
Regards,
Shehu"

- Parent of a Manvel High School Student
Guide To the December SAT
by Jennifer Ledwith |jdledwith@scholaready.com 
(713) 553-6557

Are you taking the December SAT? Use this Guide To the December SAT to make the most of this Thanksgiving week.

Day 1
Use this day to verify your registration and to take a practice exam.

REGISTRATION
  • Do you have your current ticket for test day? Log in to your College Board account to verify that you are indeed registered.
  • Where are you taking the exam? If you're unfamiliar with the testing center (it could be a school or college that you've never visited), then visit the location. Pay attention to the length of the trip, parking guidelines, and how long it takes to walk from the parking lot to the testing room.
  • Do you qualify for accommodations such as extended time? Visit the College Board's Accommodations page to make sure that you've secured your accommodations.

PRACTICE EXAM

Set Goals
For each section, determine the number of questions that you will answer correctly:

  • Reading: ______ /52
  • Writing and Language: ________ / 44
  • Math, No Calculator: _______ / 20
  • Math, Calculator: ________ / 38

Taking the SAT
Print this full-length practice SAT. Print this answer sheet. Bubble in your answers on the answer sheet just as you would on the actual exam.

Take the exam in the following order:
  1. Reading (65 minutes)
  2. Writing and Language (35 minutes)
  3. Math, No Calculator (25 minutes)
  4. Math, With Calculator (55 minutes)

Follow the timing instructions for the sections of the exam.
Time yourself.
Take one 5-minute break between each section.
Do not use your calculator on your cell phone. You may use the calculators listed here.

Scoring Your SAT
Use this form, Scoring Practice SAT, to learn how you performed.

Day 2
Use this day to review SAT Reading. Review the questions that you answered incorrectly, left blank, answered correctly but still don't understand. In trying to determine why the correct answer is correct, follow these steps.

  1. Read the question. Make sure that you understand what the question is asking. Feel free to use a dictionary to define unfamiliar words.
  2. Cover up the multiple choices.
  3. Find the answer in the passage and develop your own answer.
  4. Match your answer to the multiple choices. The one that best matches is the correct answer.
  5. If you’re stumped, GO BACK AND READ MORE!

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February 28 - April 13. Tuesdays and Thursdays, 7 pm - 8:45 pm and Saturdays, 10:30 am - 12:30 pm. No class during March 13 to March 18. 
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To enroll, email jdledwith@scholaready.com or call (713) 553-6557.
Day 3
Use this day to review SAT Writing and Language. Review the questions that you answered incorrectly, left blank, answered correctly but still don't understand. Review the following concepts that are frequently tested on SAT Writing and Language.

Concept #1: Too much information (TMI)
A writer inserts descriptive information between one of the following: a pair of commas, a pair of dashes, or a pair of parentheses. Find any of these pairs on the ACT and cover the TMI to identify the sentence's subject and predicate.

Read the original sentence:
A former North Shore Senior High School football coach described Speed and Strength, an early summer camp, as non-negotiable.

Read the original sentence without TMI: 
A former North Shore Senior High School football coach described Speed and Strength as non-negotiable.

This red flag is the signal to identify the subject and predicate. 
Subject: coach; Predicate: described

Concept #2: Semicolon
A semicolon on the ACT alerts the student to look for a complete sentence before the semicolon and a complete sentence after the semicolon. A complete sentence contains an subject and a predicate.

Example: 
At East St. Louis High School, supplies were outdated; even the football goal post lacked a crossbar.

This red flag is the signal to identify subjects and predicates before and after the semicolon.
Before the semicolon: Subject: supplies; Predicate: were outdated
After the semicolon: Subject: post; Predicate: lacked

Concept #3: Action words that end with -ing or -ed 
Here's the blueprint for this red flag:
  • An action word (that ends with -ing or -ed) at the beginning of a sentence  
  • A comma somewhere in the sentence
Make sure that the first noun after the comma is the person, place, or thing doing the action. 

Example:
Blending flour and butter, Patrick is making a pie crust. 

Notice that Patrick, the first noun after the comma, is doing the blending.

Concept #4: Transitional Words or Phrases
Learn how to use the following transitional words or phrases: therefore, thus, nevertheless, nonetheless, as a result, for example, similarly, still, moreover, consequently, however, furthermore.

Read the sentence before the transitional word or phrase. Read the sentence after the word or phrase. Then, determine the relationship between these two sentences. Use this resource to review this concept.

Day 4
Use this day to review SAT Math. Review the questions that you answered incorrectly, left blank, answered correctly but still don't understand. Review the concepts that are commonly tested on SAT Math.
1. Linear Functions
Each type of algebraic function is its own family and possesses unique traits. If you want to understand the characteristics of each family, study its parent function, a template of domain and range that extends to other members of the family. The most basic parent function is the linear parent function. Learn more.>>>
2. Quadratic Functions 
A marathon of tension-filled reality shows can't deliver the drama of quadratic functions. Peaks, valleys, hitting rock bottom - these plot twists do not exclusively belong to Hollywood. Quadratic functions depict the changing behavior of a set of data. Refer to the graph, Pop star's record sales. Within 3 years after she inked her 1st record deal, the singer had sold over 15 million records in 1 year. Two years later, the pop fizzled and she sold zero records. Algebra can depict a rags to riches to rags spectacle better than any melodrama. Learn more about 8 characteristics of quadratic functions.>>>
3. Exponential Functions
Exponential functions tell the stories of explosive change. The two types of exponential functions are exponential growth and exponential decay. Four variables -- percent change, time, the amount at the beginning of the time period, and the amount at the end of the time period -- play roles in exponential functions. Learn more about exponential growth and decay.>>>
Day 5
Use this day to take timed practices of the SAT. Ten free, full-length practice SATs are available here: https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat/practice/full-length-practice-tests

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Good luck and Happy Thanksgiving!
ABOUT SCHOLAR READY

Do you need help with the following?
  • PSAT, SAT, ACT
  • Algebra, Geometry, Algebra II, Pre-Calculus, Calculus
  • Middle school/High school reading and writing

Contact us at jdledwith@scholaready.com or (713) 553-6557.


Jennifer Ledwith is the owner of Scholar Ready, an educational services company. She meets with clients online or in person in Houston, Texas. She also studied Personal Financial Planning at Rice University and is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™. VoyageHouston recently named Ms. Ledwith a Hidden Gem of Houston.
 
Ms. Ledwith is the PSAT and SAT instructor at University of Houston-Clear Lake's Center for Executive Education. 

Contact information:
(713) 553-6557