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Introduction

Years ago, during an early gig as a consultant, I sat at a desk that had a For Dummies book on the shelf. The book was something office related, like SQL For Dummies. I took a sticky note and wrote the word “Ron” with a black marker, then placed the sticky note over the word “Dummies” on the spine of the book, so it read, “SQL For Ron.” It fit nicely.

Since starting my test-prep company, I’ve had students who would go on to do great things, and many have gone on to have amazingly successful careers. You, too, are in this group of future success stories. How do I know? Because you’re on your way to a good school for a college degree, which will open lots of doors, and you’re oh-so-close to getting started. You just need to get past this one hurdle called the SAT.

The SAT challenges your ability to conjure up everything you’ve covered in high school — some stuff you haven’t touched in years. Really all you need is a refresher, some strategies, and practice. This book has all that and more: It goes beyond rehashing what you’ve learned (and forgotten) by providing exam-specific strategies and tips for answering questions quickly and getting through the exam. There are examples, practice questions, and practice exams to help you build your skills, identify areas you need to work on, and build your confidence for test day.

I know deep in my heart that every person I work with can do well on this exam. Right off the bat, I aim for 100 percent with each student. You’re a little rusty here, haven’t seen that there, could use a few tips, but you’ll pick it up fast and do just fine. Succeeding on the SAT is like handling any other task: If you know what to do, and you practice, you’ll be fine. I get you started with some review and guidance, and you can take it from there.

About This Book

SAT For Dummies, 10th Edition with Online Practice, is a whirlwind tour of the SAT. This book takes you through each section of the exam, explaining what the test-makers are looking for and how you can deliver it. This book starts at the very beginning to cover all the basic math and verbal concepts, and because you have the capacity, it then challenges you with SAT-level questions. This book also shows you how to approach these questions, avoid making common mistakes, and master the intuitive tricks that help you knock it out of the park.

To earn a top score on the SAT, you have three goals:

1 Know what’s on the exam.That’s in this book, so read the whole thing. No matter how well you know a topic, you can discover strategies and avoid common traps, and the SAT has a way of asking a question that’s different from what you’re used to — or what you learned in the classroom. This book has dozens of tried-and-true strategies so you can cut through the muck and get the most points on the SAT.

2 Strengthen your weak subject areas.Turn to specific sections for targeted information. This book is organized to make it easy for you to find strategies and practice for specific question types that you have trouble with.If you need more help with practice questions, check out 1,001 SAT Practice Questions For Dummies (also published by Wiley).

3 Prepare for the test-taking experience.You’ll need practice exams to get ready for the experience. Packaged with this book are four online practice exams: two in this book, and all four online. When your exam is around the corner, take one or two practice exams in real-life, dress-rehearsal settings. Flip to Part 6 for ten ways to build your skills from the practice exams.

Basically, this book does it all: It prepares you for the exam by bringing your skills from the basic level to the SAT level. What else is there?

There’s vocab.

To help you with vocab, as you read through this book, you’ll notice that some words have a style all their own. Each SAT vocabulary word in this text appears in this font, followed directly by its meaning. Fortunately, the SAT doesn’t hammer vocab like it used to, and most of the vocab on the exam is in context, so it’s easier to work with. That said, a good way to learn SAT vocab is to encounter it in a question and see what it means along with how it’s used. When you get stuck on a vocab word, write it down. This is an effective complement to studying from a list or flash cards.

Icons Used in This Book

Icons are those cute little pictures that appear in the margins of this book. They indicate why you should pay special attention to the accompanying text. Here’s how to decode them:

This icon points out helpful hints about strategy — what the all-star test-takers know and the rookies want to find out.

This icon identifies the sand traps that the SAT-writers are hoping you’ll fall into as you take the test. Take note of these warnings so you know what to do (and what not to do) as you move from question to question on the real SAT.

When you see this icon, be sure to file away the information that accompanies it. The material will come in handy as you prepare for (and take) the SAT.

This icon indicates an example practice question within the regular chapter text.

Beyond the Book

Besides all the ways this book can help you perform well on the SAT, there are even more online, including these:

 Cheat Sheet: At www.dummies.com, type “SAT For Dummies cheat sheet” in the search box and you’ll find the book’s cheat sheet, which gives you last-minute details that you’ll want to have at your fingertips, including a rundown of how to get the most points on each SAT Test.

 Nearly 600 practice questions: You’ll find hundreds of SAT-type questions online to help you build your competence and confidence. Focus on areas where you need practice and verify that you’re up to speed in other areas. You can select the level of difficulty and answer the questions through untimed and timed quizzes, so you can work at your own speed and gain experience working under pressure.

To gain access to additional tests and practice online, all you have to do is register. Just follow these simple steps:

1 Register your book or e-book at Dummies.com to get your PIN. Go to www.dummies.com/go/getaccess.

2 Select your product from the drop-down list on that page.

3 Follow the prompts to validate your product, and then check your email for a confirmation message that includes your PIN and instructions for logging in.

If you do not receive this email within two hours, please check your spam folder before contacting us through our Technical Support website at http://support.wiley.com or by phone at 877-762-2974.

Now you’re ready to go! You can come back to the practice material as often as you want — simply log on with the username and password you created during your initial login. No need to enter the access code a second time.

Where to Go from Here

Get started! No matter what you do next, start simple. You have exactly what you need right here in your hands, so breathe deep and turn the page.