SAT Preparation Course: Introductory Session and Digital SAT Fundamentals

Logistics and Homework Protocols

• All homework assignments for the course are conducted online via the student portal.
• Students who have already taken an online test have completed a preliminary requirement; those who have not are expected to do so immediately (within a day or two).
• Technical issues related to the student portal should be directed to the technical support staff for faster diagnosis rather than the instructor.
• Communication Channels:
  • The instructor has a primary ryu.com address listed in the course profile, which is checked approximately once per day.
  • A secondary, more frequently checked email address is provided for faster responses.
• Homework Assignments and Deadlines:
  • Homework is assigned at the end of every class session.
  • All homework assigned during a given week is due on the following Sunday. For this specific session, that date is Sunday, August 2.
  • Strategy for completion: Students are advised against waiting until the weekend to start assignments. If a student waits until after the final class of the week, the volume of work will likely be too great to complete in a single weekend.
• Educational Philosophy and Goals:
  • Homework is designed to reinforce concepts learned in class through practice.
  • Passive learning (watching the instructor work) is insufficient for success on the SAT.
  • Students should aim for either $90\%$ accuracy or no more than one wrong answer on online drills, whichever metric is lower.
  • Assignments can be redone multiple times. The goal is mastery of the concepts and knowing how to reach the correct answer rather than simply "checking a box."
  • After a failed attempt, students should read the provided explanations, wait a few days, and then retry the drill.

Virtual Classroom Engagement and Environment

• Students are encouraged to use the "Actions" button (shaped like a thought bubble) on the software ribbon to provide feedback, such as a "thumbs up."
• Camera usage is encouraged to facilitate a better learning environment, though it is not strictly mandatory.
• Students are permitted to eat or drink during the class, as the instructor emphasizes the importance of self-care.

Understanding the SAT

• History of the Name:
  • Originally stood for "Scholastic Aptitude Test" to measure innate ability.
  • Changed to "Scholastic Assessment Test" to reflect assessment rather than measurement of aptitude.
  • Currently, "SAT" is not an acronym and officially stands for nothing, similar to the branding of "KFC."
• College Admissions Context:
  • The SAT (or ACT) is a requirement for entry into most American colleges.
  • Importance varies by institution:
    • Liberal Arts Colleges: May place more weight on personal statements and GPA over SAT scores.
    • State Universities/Large Colleges: GPA and SAT scores have a much larger impact on admissions.
    • Specific State Thresholds: Some states, like Florida, have set SAT score minimums for state university admissions.
    • ROTC Programs: Minimum SAT score requirements are often explicitly listed in program brochures.
• Financial and Academic Rewards:
  • Good scores affect college admissions, scholarships, internships, and ROTC admissions.
  • Example: The difference between a score of $1,500$ and $1,550$ can be worth approximately $\$2,000$ per year in additional merit-based aid at an Ivy League school.
  • Total scholarship value across four years can reach $\$8,000$ or more based on score improvements.
  • Exceptional scores can lead to unsolicited admission letters and full tuition scholarships through platforms like Naviance.
• Opportunity:
  • Students can take the test an unlimited number of times as the College Board profits from every registration.
  • Recommended Dates: August, October, November, December, March, May, and June.
  • Planning: Students should avoid taking the SAT during school finals. Ideally, take it when the school workload is light.

Digital SAT Structure and Timing

• Total Time: Approximately $2.5\, \text{hours}$, including a break.
• Reading and Writing (RW) Breakdown:
  • Module 1: 25 multiple-choice questions plus 2 experimental pretest questions. Total time: $32\, \text{minutes}$. Pacing: $1\, \text{min } 11\, \text{sec}$ per question.
  • Module 2: 25 multiple-choice questions plus 2 experimental pretest questions. Total time: $32\, \text{minutes}$. Pacing: $1\, \text{min } 11\, \text{sec}$ per question.
• Math Breakdown:
  • Module 1: 20 scored questions (multiple-choice or fill-in) plus 2 experimental pretest questions. Total time: $35\, \text{minutes}$. Pacing: $1\, \text{min } 35\, \text{sec}$ per question.
  • Module 2: 20 scored questions (multiple-choice or fill-in) plus 2 experimental pretest questions. Total time: $35\, \text{minutes}$. Pacing: $1\, \text{min } 35\, \text{sec}$ per question.
• Pretest/Experimental Questions:
  • Two questions per module are unscored and used by the College Board for research.
  • These questions are indistinguishable from scored questions and are embedded within the test.
• Answer Format:
  • All multiple-choice questions have four options.
  • Math consists of approximately $75\%$ multiple-choice and $25\%$ fill-in-the-blank (student-produced response) questions.
  • No penalty for wrong answers; students must never leave a question blank, even if guessing on a fill-in.

Adaptive Test Mechanics and Scoring

• The Digital SAT is a multistage adaptive test.
• Performance on Module 1 (both RW and Math) determines the difficulty level of Module 2.
• Module 2 Variations: Easy, Medium, or Hard.
• Unlocking Higher Scores: The harder version of Module 2 is necessary to "unlock" the highest possible score ranges (e.g., $1,400+$). Getting every question right on an easy version of Module 2 still caps the maximum possible score.
• Content Mix: Both easy and hard modules contain a mix of difficulties (easy, medium, and hard questions), but the ratios and proportions of these difficulties differ.
• Total Score: Combined RW and Math score for a total out of $1,600$. Each section (RW and Math) is individually scored out of $800$.

Core Strategies: POOD and Pacing

• POOD (Personal Order of Difficulty):
  • The test should be taken on the student's own terms, not necessarily in numerical order.
  • Objective: Start with easy questions to bank "easy points" first and use them as a warm-up for harder questions.
  • Localizing Hard Problems: Moving quickly past a hard problem prevents the stress of that problem from negatively impacting performance on subsequent easy questions.
• Math Strategy (Now vs. Later vs. Never):
  • Now: Immediate path to answer is clear; do it now.
  • Later: Question is understood but will take time; mark for review and move on.
  • Never: Question is entirely unfamiliar; guess immediately and do not return to save brainpower.
• Reading and Writing (RW) Pacing Strategy:
  • Start at Question 14: This marks the beginning of the Writing (Grammar) portion, which is generally faster and easier than the initial Reading Comprehension questions.
  • Path: Complete Writing questions first (to the end of the module), then cycle back to Question 1 to finish the Reading questions.
  • Avoid Context Switching: Stick to one skill set (e.g., all grammar, then all reading) to maintain focus.
• Pacing Decisions:
  • If a student can answer accurately and quickly: Answer now.
  • If a student can answer but it will take a while: Skip for now.
  • If a student cannot answer: Guess and go (Letter of the Day).

Digital Test Interface Tools

• Highlighter Tool: Features three colors for marking text. Students are advised to stick to one color to save time.
• Annotation Box: Allows students to type notes next to text. Annotations remain saved even when moving between questions.
• Strikeout Tool: Used to eliminate incorrect answer choices visually.
• Mark for Review: Flags questions to be revisited during a second pass.
• Question Navigator: Shows blocks for questions; completed questions appear as blue boxes, bookmarks appear for flagged items.

Subject Matter and Question Types: RW Section

• The RW section is approximately $54\%$ Reading and $46\%$ Writing.
• Categories and Expected Order:
  1. Vocabulary: "Most logical and precise word or phrase." These always appear first and are grouped by difficulty within the set.
  2. Reading Comprehension: Includes meaning/purpose of text, literature (stories/poems), and data sets (charts/tables).
  3. Rules: Conventions of standard English (punctuation and grammar). Spelling is never tested.
  4. Transitions: Most logical transition word/phrase between ideas.
  5. Rhetorical Synthesis: Using provided notes to accomplish a specific goal.
• Difficulty Grouping: Questions are grouped by type. Within each type (e.g., three vocab questions), they follow a rough order of easy to difficult.

Goal Setting and Self-Improvement

• Improvement reflects the individual effort put into the course.
• Students should identify specific content weaknesses (e.g., "solving systems of equations" instead of just "algebra" or "subject-verb agreement" instead of "grammar").
• Strategy Weaknesses: Improving the use of scratch paper, calculators, and pacing.
• Post-Test Analysis: Evaluate the balance of Time Management (pacing) vs. Accuracy. Fast completion with low accuracy ($25\%$) suggests random guessing.
• Office Hours: Sessions held after specific classes to discuss accuracy, pacing, or specific homework questions.

Questions & Discussion

• Mackenzie: "Are we gonna be able to, like, redo the assignments?"
• Instructor: "Absolutely. You can do the same assignment several times… it's about knowing how to do them."
• Charem: Inquiry about audio notifications.
• Instructor: Hover over the name in the top right, click "customize," and adjust the audio notifications.
• Charem: Question about adaptive testing.
• Instructor: Confirmed it is adaptive and explained the score unlocking mechanism of the second module.