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Find the Right Approach to Test Prep
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Beat Test Stress
The GMAT: Taming the CAT
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About the SAT

Overview
The SAT* is a standard college entrance exam that measures skills in math, reading, and writing. The first section is always a written essay, which takes 25 minutes, and the last section is always a multiple-choice writing section, which takes 10 minutes. The other parts of the test—six 25-minute sections and two 20-minute sections—can appear in any order. One of the 25-minute sections (you won't know which) will not count toward your score; it is used to try out questions for future SATs. Total test time is 3 hours and 45 minutes.

The SAT Critical Reading sections present you with reading comprehension questions about full-length and paragraph-length passages. They also include sentence completions.

The SAT Writing sections include multiple-choice questions on grammar, usage, word choice, and organization. The essay section asks you to respond to a prompt by developing a point of view supported by clear, well-organized ideas based on your experience and observations.

The SAT Math sections include multiple-choice questions and grid-in questions, which require you to generate a response. Topics include: numbers and operations; algebra and functions; geometry and measurement; and statistics, probability, and data analysis.

Scoring
Each section (Critical Reading, Writing, and Math) is scored on a scale of 200 to 800. Essays, a sub-section of Writing, are graded on a scale of 2 to 1


 

Subject: Need-to-Know Tips and Strategies for the SAT
content provided by Peterson’s, a Nelnet company

Prepare with a Practice Test
Practice tests are an ideal way to begin your preparation. They’re affordable and will give you instant results to see how you might score if the test were today. You’ll learn your strengths and weakness, and be able to develop a personalized study plan. Try prepping with Peterson’s practice tests for the SAT.

Don't cram. You are being tested on knowledge that you have accumulated over the course of the year. Studying at the last minute will only stress you out. Go to a movie or hang out with a friend—anything to get your mind off of the test!

Critical Reading: Sentence Completions
Sentence completions test both your vocabulary and your understanding of the logic of a sentence. Each question is a sentence containing either one or two blanks. Your job is to figure out which answer correctly completes the sentence. As you read, try to predict what word should go in each blank. Sometimes you can guess the meaning of one blank, but not the other. In that case, scan the answer choices, look for a word similar to the one you've predicted, and then eliminate the answer choices that don't match up.

Critical Reading: Reading Comprehension
The Critical Reading test now includes both long and short reading passages. Skim each passage to see what it's about. Don't worry about the details—you can always look them up later if you need to. Just look for the main ideas. Then tackle the questions that direct you straight to the answer by referring you to a specific line in the passage. If you have time afterward, you can try solving the harder questions.

Writing: Multiple-Choice Questions
There are three types of multiple-choice writing questions on the SAT. The first group, Improving Sentences, tasks you with selecting the correct version—the one that is clearly written and grammatically correct—of an underlined portion of a sentence. Sentence Error questions ask you to figure out which part of a sentence contains an error. Those on Improving Paragraphs test your ability to organize and clarify information. For all of these question types, think about the simplest, clearest way to express an idea. If an answer choice sounds awkward or overly complicated, chances are good that it's wrong.

Writing: Essay
You will be given an open-ended essay prompt (topic) that asks you to state a viewpoint and support it. Essays are scored holistically, which means that the final score is based on an overall impression. It is important to develop your ideas and express them clearly, using examples to back them up. Your essay does not have to be grammatically perfect, but it does have to be focused and organized. The standard five-paragraph essay can be an effective way to make your point.

Math: Multiple-Choice Questions
As you work through the multiple-choice math questions, you'll be given reference information (formulas and facts), but you'll need to know how to use them. You're allowed to use a calculator, but it won't help you unless you know how to approach the problems. If you're stuck, try substituting numbers for variables. You can also try plugging in numbers from the answer choices. Start with the middle number. That way, if it doesn't work, you can strategically choose one that's higher or lower.

Math: Grid-Ins
These questions are not multiple-choice - you come up with an answer and fill it into a grid. The grid does not contain a minus sign, so there is no way to indicate that a value is less than zero. That means that an answer can't be a negative number. Unlike the multiple-choice questions, you won't be penalized for wrong answers, so make your best guess even if you're not sure. You can't grid mixed numbers, so if you get a mixed number as an answer, you'll have to convert it to an improper fraction or a decimal.

 
Subject:Helpful Articles

These additional articles on Petersons.com will give you even more advice about preparing for the SAT.
Find the Right Approach to Test Prep
The SAT: What's What?
Taking the SAT

*SAT is a registered trademark of the College Board, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse, this product.


 

Subject: Reverse Phone Search - How You Can Find Out Who's Hiding Behind Any Phone Number
Got a phone number but don't know who it is?  Maybe you've seen strange numbers showing up on your teenager's cell phone bill. Or maybe you picked up a number to call about an investment - but you suspect a scam.  Or maybe you found a mysterious number in your wife or husband's things.  For dozens of reasons, we find ourselves with a telephone number - but no name.

You're itching to find out who it is.  Not just for curiosity's sake.  The safety of your family or the security of your bank account could be at stake.  You need a way to discover just whose phone number you have.

There's good news.  You've got options.  I'm a professional writer and researcher. I've discovered four different ways you can find out who's hiding behind any phone number. You can:

- Call, pretending to be someone else
- Look it up in a published crisscross directory
- Befriend (or trick) someone at the phone company
- Go online and search 

Let's see what's involved with each approach and discover when they work best...

Call the Number

It's the simplest thing you can do.  Pick up the phone and call.  But pretend to be someone else to avoid recognition.  When they answer, ask for a person with an unusual name not likely to be there.   Say something like "Hello, is Lilly Becky there? No? Are you absolutely sure? Well, who am I talking to then?"  Be a little forceful. Even sound angry, as if you think they're lying to you.  This approach can rattle the other person and make them reveal their identity.

Avoid this one if you're not comfortable acting.  And make sure you don't call from a number that can be traced back to you!

Look in a Crisscross Directory

Crisscross Directories have been around since the late 1800s. They're like phone directories. But they organize their listings by phone number, or street address, instead of name.  These directories are still available in print form even though most of the information is also now available by computer. 

Such cross-references are primarily designed for business use. Usually, sales departments rely on them to conduct direct marketing, build lists of sales leads and gather business intelligence.

The drawback is that they're expensive - costing in the hundreds of dollars or more.  Still, you can usually find copies in your library, especially for the local area you live in.  If you're looking beyond your own town, you probably won't be able to use the free version in the library.

Get an Inside Connection

Having a buddy on the inside of the phone company was classic approach for TV detectives.  If you recall the Rockford Files or Mannix or any other old private eye show, they were forever pulling over to a pay phone and calling their friend, Ginger or Susie or Maggie, at the telephone company.  The friend would dutifully give them whatever information the PI needed to pursue the case.

Interestingly, this method actually works - even if it's a little on the shady side.  If you know someone at the phone company, you can probably talk them into helping.

Unfortunately, they probably won't help you once a week like on the TV shows.  At some point your friend's better judgment will take over.  You'll be left with nothing but numbers again.  (Makes you wonder, doesn't it, just what the detective had that you don't)

21st Century Answers - The Internet Search Solution

When it comes to finding out who's hiding behind a phone number, the best way I've found is online search.  Yet, search takes time.  And not finding what you want quickly gets very frustrating.

To help, a number of businesses exist to make reverse phone searching quicker and easier.  These businesses have already found the best sources for reverse phone searching. They take you directly to the databases that have the information you need. You can find out names, addresses, and much more, starting with just a phone number.

Some of these Reverse Phone Lookup services are free.  The better ones cost a little. Quality always does, in my experience.

If, in your case, it's not that important to get accurate information fast, then give the free services a shot.  They're mostly supported by pay for performance advertising, like Adsense, which doesn't earn them much. That means the free services rarely have the money to invest either in buying data access or in creating more usable interfaces.

In my case, as a professional, getting quality information quickly is important.  I pay the small fee and get reliable information. 

But, even if I didn't write for a living and were just casually looking up phone numbers from time to time, I'd still go with a paid database service.  The cost is minimal. Often a small, one-time fee covers one to three years or even longer.  If I only looked up a number once or twice a year, it would still be worth it in time saved.

Final Word

As important as it can be, finding out personal information with just a phone number used to be nearly impossible.  Today it can be quick and easy.  I've found four approaches that work, but one proved the simplest and most effective. It's using a quality, reverse-phone-search service online.

In a future article I'll talk about some of the reasons reverse phone search can be so important in these times.  You might be surprised to hear how it not only can satisfy curiosity, it could even save your life.
Discover the tools to help you find the people you are looking for at http://nd-peoplesearch.com/?affilliate=450262&kw=background