When a test can affect the future of a student so much, it is very natural that the question comes to mind: is SAT easy for Indian students? Or is it even harder than other exams like IIT JEE?
The reputation of SAT is a little fearsome, but in reality, the SAT test is as not difficult as it might seem to the first-time test takers. Yes, there are some factors that might make the SAT look like a monumental task, but those can be overcome.
Below is a detailed guide answering the question ‘is sat easy’? It includes some factors that influence the perception of test-takers and some tips that can help Indian students decrease their overwhelm on the test day and eventually increase their test scores.
Is SAT Easy? A Brief Overview
Yes, it is true that international students need to prepare a lot for the SAT test, but that does mean that the challenge of getting a good score is an insurmountable one. If the students understand the marking scheme and get enough time for test prep, they can master all the sections like the writing section, English grammar, aptitude, and maths section.
The college board sets the test in a way that well-prepared applicants can get good SAT scores. If applicants start test prep well before the test day, they do not run into any SAT subject questions unfamiliar to them.
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What Can Make SAT Harder?
There are a lot of factors that can make SAT a little harder for students from India. Down below is a list of the top three factors:
1. Pressure of Time
Applicants get only a limited time to take the test. This means that even if students know all the answers, the pressure of time can push them to make some mistakes. For example, applicants get about 75 seconds per question in the reading section and 48 seconds per question in the writing section.
2. Facing New Concepts
The SAT exam mainly includes questions from topics students have already learned in their high school classes. But, occasionally, some questions are put in the SAT exam that goes beyond the scope of high school learning. This happens mostly with maths concepts.
Apart from facing new concepts, students face another problem that is fading of the concepts from memory. Hence, all students are suggested to revisit all the maths concepts in the Calculator and No Calculator section.
3. Slow Reading of Passage
The passage section of SAT usually includes excerpts from texts that are published in journals or books. At least one passage is excerpted from a historical source text. This means that the passage is written in a high-level language and can be tough to read and comprehend.
The language of such passages can be too old for students who are not avid readers. Hence, students should practise reading old passages to make sure that they do not read slowly in the exam.
What makes the SAT Easy?
When compared to other exams like the IIT JEE or NEET, SAT is a lot easier. Here is a list of some factors that make SAT easier even than most high school exams:
1. No Need For Memorization
Many exams conducted in India are infamous for making students memorise a lot of concepts. SAT, on the other hand, is a test that does not require students to memorise concepts. Most formulas are mentioned in the Maths sections, and the Reading and Writing sections are also based on comprehension and grammar.
2. Multiple Choice Questions
SAT requires students to work more with their brains and less with their hands. The main portion of the exam does not have any free-response questions. Except for a few grid-in questions, all the questions are multiple-choice. This means that the answers to the questions are right in front of the eyes of the students.
3. Predictable Pattern
Every year, the sections in SAT exams are arranged in the same order, which are Reading, Writing & Language, Maths No-Calculator, and then Maths Calculator. This predictable structure helps students in the test prep.
Tips to Prepare for the SAT Test
Down below is a list of a few tips that can help students achieve better scores:
- Reduce Time Pressure
The trick to reducing the time pressure is by developing efficiency-boosting strategies. For example, if students can read passages more efficiently, they can spend the extra time in other sections.
Students have time constraints on the Maths sections, be it Algebra, Trigonometry, or any other section, too. Students get 25 minutes for 20 questions in the No Calculator section and 55 minutes for 38 questions in the Calculator section. A good approach is to move on to the next question if it is taking too long to solve a problem.
- Learn How to Eliminate
It is rarely possible to know the correct answers to all the questions on the SAT. Students often do not have enough time left to solve the problem on which they are stuck. In such situations, the process of elimination comes in handy.
By taking a critical look at all the options, students can cross out answers that do not make sense or that are not supported by the given passage. So, those who learn how to eliminate the wrong answers can get good scores even if they do not know how to conclude with the correct answer.
- Take Practise Tests
The number one reason students get overwhelmed by the test is that they have never seen or practised the test. When students go un-prepared, the concepts seem new even when they have learned them in high school.
The only way to reduce this overwhelm is by taking plenty of practise tests. Students who take official SAT practise tests find that the finding answers to the questions are well within their abilities. Moreover, they also increase their efficiency in the reading and writing section.
- Examining and Refining Mistakes
The only purpose of taking practise SATs is to familiarise oneself with the pattern and know the recurring mistakes. Students who examine their practise test results, find out recurring mistakes, and then refine those mistakes are more likely to score better than students who do not take practise tests.
Conclusion
Every student has a different baseline level of expertise in SAT subjects. So, there is no general answer to whether SAT is easy for Indian students. However, there are some efficient methods like taking plenty of practise tests and examining and refining weak concepts that can help students get good SAT scores.
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