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I'm a junior in HS and i just took my first SAT in april...i got 1390 which really shook me up because i took 5 practice tests from the "10 real SAT's book" and the LOWEST score was one 1500 and the rest were two 1510's and two 1540's...1390 is even lower than my PSAT score, which was 1400 (i took it after studying for maybe 3 minutes)! initially i thought maybe i had made a mistake filling in the right bubbles, but i got my test report back and that is not the case.
i'm sorry if i sound like a whiny brat but i have been working really hard and planning for college with the assumption that it would not be that difficult for me to get 1500+ on the SATs...
what could have happened? was i just lucky on the 5 practice tests?
i know scores can vary but 150 points seems a bit extreme. i'm taking them again in June and i'm really nervous because i don't know how else to prepare- i always do fine on the practices!
has this ever happened to anybody? should i stop expecting to get 1500+? what should i do to raise my score?

By Apguy (Apguy) on Saturday, May 24, 2003 - 01:02 pm: Edit

My guess is that you get shaken up and nervous the day of the actual test. Try to overcome that fear.

By Useatoothbrush (Useatoothbrush) on Saturday, May 24, 2003 - 09:02 pm: Edit

I can understand why you would be pissed off--I would be too if I was consistently getting 1500+ and then dropped down to a 1390--but remember that you can retake the SAT and that a 1390 is not an embarrassing starting score by any means. If I were you, I would decrease the intensity of your preparation because you might be psyching yourself out. There is such a thing as overprepping. On June 7, don't go into the testing center with any expectations but to do as well as you can, try not to feel too nervous, don't party the night before and get enough sleep that you feel comfortable (too much can also screw you up), eat a decent but no sickeningly greasy breakfast, and don't drink too much fluid before the test (however, if you have a decent bladder for the three hours, consider getting a nice strong latté, the consumption of which I wholly attribute my 1560 to). I think that if you get as relaxed as you probably are at home and get into the mindset that this is just another practice test, you will probably do as well as you have been. Play games on your calculator during the breaks, talk to the people around you (not about the test) when you get a chance, and don't get stressed out.

By Almostdone (Almostdone) on Sunday, May 25, 2003 - 12:30 am: Edit

thanxs to APguy and useatoothbrush...i don't really think i was nervous for the april test, because, first of all, i usually dont get too nervous about tests, and second of all, i was really confident cuz i had been doing well on the practices. but NOW im definitely nervous and so i will take ur advice and try not to have test anxiety. also, maybe i AM overprepping? hmmm...but i will try the latte thing. hehe. i did hear that research has proven that a little caffeine will help boost ur scores.

anymore advice?

By Fender1 (Fender1) on Sunday, May 25, 2003 - 02:02 am: Edit

what's worked for me on every standardized test (APs and SATs) is to not do anything related to the test the day before. No studying at all, not even flashcards or test prep or anything. Relax, it's ok to think about the test, you will anyways, but try to keep yourself occupied. Then I get up a full three hours before test time, ran two miles to get the body woken up, took a nice long shower and arrived early. That's it. That exercise got me a first time 1550, a 740 SAT II average, and 5s on every AP test I've taken.
Good luck!

By Ork19 (Ork19) on Tuesday, May 27, 2003 - 09:27 pm: Edit

Hello, my best advice is don't care about the test. I took the SAT's for the first time with a 1570. I took a few practice tests before. I went into the test thinking it was just another practice, gauging my level so I would know where I stood. I am a sophomore now so it may be easier for me to treat a test as a practice than it is for you but try it out!

You have to care enough to try but not enough to stress. Find that balance.

By Dxiw (Dxiw) on Tuesday, May 27, 2003 - 09:29 pm: Edit

hey I kno the feeling. I murdered my self for 2 months and got 1600 on 8 practice tests and own every published sat prep book worked cover to cover, yet when i go for the real thing i get 1470. A friggin 20 pt increase from my 1450 i got COLD. How ••••••• stupid..

By Almostdone (Almostdone) on Thursday, May 29, 2003 - 10:01 am: Edit

thanx for the replies, guys...
im sorry it happened to you too dxiw...if you decide to go again, good luck to you!

AND GUESS WHAT
i think i discovered what my problem is...
for all the practice SATs i took, i took them either in the afternoon or did some sections in the morning and the others after taking a looooong break. this time i tried it all in the morning with only one break in the middle, and i got only 1460, my worst score on any practice test. they DO tell you to try to do practices in situations as close as possible to the real one, but i didnt think it would affect my score by THIS much...

now that i know what my problem is, anyone have any solutions? the wierd thing is, i'm actually MORE comfortable doing the whole SAT at once, because i feel more focused. the only reason i did the practice ones in small chunks is because i was busy and never had more than 30~60 minutes free at a time. any suggestions about what i can do? thanx

By Thedad (Thedad) on Thursday, May 29, 2003 - 10:49 am: Edit

Get plenty of sleep for at least 3-4 days before. Go to bed two hours early the night before the test and wake up two hours early the next morning. Exercise, eat a moderate breakfast to get your blood sugar up, and do some light reading--virtually anything with dense text--to get your brain up to speed.

Not that my D *does* any of this but if I were trying hard to optimize for the test, that's what I'd recommend.

By Almostdone (Almostdone) on Thursday, May 29, 2003 - 08:41 pm: Edit

thankyou thedad ill try to do what u suggested...gosh changing sleeping patterns is so hard tho...(i usually sleep 1~2 am and get up at 7am, but im not fully awake till maybe 11am, and then i take a nap at 3 pm...XP)

By Highschoolda (Highschoolda) on Thursday, May 29, 2003 - 10:42 pm: Edit

Maybe the reason ur scores were higher is that u did not time urself when taking practice exams or taking the test outside of your home is harder. Anyhow, 1390 is still extremely good and will get u into most schools.

By Shitakirimusume (Shitakirimusume) on Friday, May 30, 2003 - 08:42 pm: Edit

SAT I is a grade school math. Who cares.
people who cannot get 800 are careless .

V is just memorization. Try something
better like working at KFC or something.