"Wisdom is not measured by how much you know; rather, it is measured by how much you realize you do not know..."
Mastering most (if not all) standardized tests like the SAT does not mean you need to know the answer to any possible question they may throw at you. What it does mean is that you need to have a working knowledge of the strategies that comprise this test.
With the new SAT, Critical Thinking is the key. Case-in-point, I made a 2370 on the SAT and didn't actually know a vast majority of the answers I provided. Furthermore, I only had 3 weeks to study before my SAT and I had been out of school for over 14 years. (shhhh...) Did I just guess? The simplistic answer to that would be, "Yes; I did guess." I didn't 'just' guess, though. I had a working knowledge of what to look for in the questions.
I also loaded up on tips and tricks before test day that saved me tons of time. All of this extra time was freed up for me to thoroughly review and answer the questions I wasn't so sure of.
The new SAT is not focused so much on 'what you know'...it is focused solely on your strategic abilities in the following areas:
- Writing: Total Test Time: 60 minutes. (This will always be the first and last sections of the new SAT.)
- Math: Total Test Time: 70 minutes.
- Critical Reading: Total Test Time: 70 minutes.
- Note: There will be an extra 'Experimental Section' on one of the above topics. This Experimental Section will not count toward your cumulative SAT average; however, you will not be able to discern which section this is. Total Test Time: 25 minutes.
