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Flash Training Exercises Speed Training Practice Readings

Comprehension Memory Training Speed Test SAT Training Module

SAT Success with RocketReader

The SAT Training Module is included FREE with every copy of RocketReader

SAT Preparation

The SAT is overseen by the College Entrance Examination Board and is written by the Educational Testing Service, the ETS.  SATs are held several times every year.

The  SAT exams may be the most important exams you ever take, as your SAT results can affect which college you attend.  Based on your college of choice, your SAT scores can also affect the type of career in which you will succeed.   If you are aiming for success at college, you will need to achieve highly in the SATs.  When you sit the tests, you will want to feel completely prepared, calm and ready for success.

Preparation is the key to SAT success

You can now prepare for the SATs in complete confidence with RocketReader.  SAT Preparation is easy with the new RocketReader SAT memory development module, included FREE with every copy of RocketReader:  SAT Preparation contains explanatory narrative, examples and sample questions based on genuine SAT question formats.  These prepare you for the format, content and style of the tests.

All major question formats are discussed, as are recognized exam techniques and patterns particular to SATs.
 

"I recently took up college classes again this fall, and the study time required per class has dropped by almost half." (James Riendaeu, Madison WI USA)

RocketReader prepares you for SAT success with more than seven hundred  multiple choice SAT style questions and more than three thousand multiple choice options, as well as narratives and worked examples which explain the most efficient problem solving methods. RocketReader uses an automatic multiple choice scoring and feedback system to really hone your SAT skills. The advantage of so much practise content is familiarity. You will get to know the main techniques, strategies and patterns used in the test paper, and approach the SAT with the confidence that comes from knowing your materials.   You can practise your strengths and strengthen your weaknesses by using RocketReader's sample questions and enter the exam feeling fully prepared.

Formulas behind the questions exposed

Each of the SAT questions follows a specific formula.  You can practise your SAT skills by doing past papers and answering SAT style questions to familiarize yourself with the formulas used. RocketReader provides you with many examples of SAT style questions in its speed training and memory development sections, so you will feel comfortable with the style and content of the questions.  Once you recognize the formulas, you increase your chance of applying them under exam conditions.

Multiple choice questions are one of the formats used in the SAT.  Multiple choice questions give you prompts for your answers, so that even if you do not know the answer to the question immediately, you will be able to make the correct choice by eliminating impossible options.   All SAT questions included use a multiple choice question format to teach you familiarity with this.

Verbal questions

There are different types of  SAT verbal questions.  These include critical reasoning, and sentence completions.  The RocketReader SAT Preparation Module allows you to prepare fully for each of these types.  For each type, RocketReader includes an explanatory narrative which contains suggestions for answering questions, devices and techniques used by the authors of questions, and a number of sample questions drawn based on actual SAT question formats.

Sentence Completions

When you answer this type of question, you must pick a word or words which are most appropriate in a sentence.   These questions help you to understand the correct context for words.
When answering these type of questions, you must be very sure of the definitions of words commonly used in English.  To study for them, RocketReader has multiple-choice questions based on more than 650 SAT words used in real SATs.  Drawn from past test papers, the RocketReader vocabulary teaches you the meanings you really need to know.  You can practise your knowledge on hundreds of practise questions, in the SAT multiple choice format.  This teaches you familiarity with the style and content of questions used.
 

RocketReader has multiple-choice questions based on more than 650 SAT words used in real SATs.  Practice with RocketReader is the key to higher SAT scores.

 
The following represents the RocketReader method of working through a Sentence Completion question.  RocketReader works through the answer options systematically and explains hints, short-cuts and techniques for finding the right answer:  

"When Andrew left the house in the morning, he was  --------- to discover that his brand new Cadillac had been stolen."

A) overjoyed
B) dismayed
C) frightened
D) embarrassed
E) compassionate

While perusing the answer options, you should have immediately eliminated option A).  This is illogical. No-one is overjoyed when their new car is stolen.  Similarly, options D) and E), guilt and compassion, are not realistic responses to the theft of a new car.    On closer inspection and elimination of option C), option B) is the only logical response.

The same technique applies to questions where there is more than one blank space.  If some options are obviously wrong, eliminate them and increase your chance of getting the question right. You can eliminate options more easily by relying on groups and families of words.  If you know that the first word in a question would not use words from a specific family, eliminate words from this family straight away.  For instance, see if you can quickly eliminate the wrong options in the following question:
 

"When Andrew left the house in the morning, he was ------- to discover that his brand new car had been stolen, but felt --------- when he saw that the thieves had run out of petrol at the end of the street!"

A) overjoyed, saddened
B) glad,  dismayed
C) horrified, triumphant
D)  horrified, upset
E) angry, furious

You should have eliminated any options where the first word is positive in tone.  No-one would be happy (or any variation of happiness) that their new car is stolen.  Thus, you should have eliminated A) and B) immediately.

Progress to the next blank in the sentence by using the same technique.  If the second blank could not be filled by words from a specific family, eliminate these options.  In the above question, eliminate D) and E) immediately.  Andrew would not be upset if the thieves could not get away because his car had no petrol - he would be happy that he knew where his car was.  Thus, the remaining option is C. Andrew would be horrified that his car had been stolen but feel that he had beaten the thieves because his car did not even have enough petrol to leave the street.

Conjunctions are used to great effect in the SAT Sentence Completion questions.  RocketReader contains a comprehensive list of common conjunctions, and strategies for answering difficult Sentence Completion questions.

Conjunctions give you clues about which family of words will be used in the sentence.  If the conjunction is an "and", the two words used in the blanks will have similar meanings.  For instance:

"Matthew felt --------- with his high SAT Math score, and -------- with his reasonably high Verbal score."

A) satisfied, contented
B) horrified, glad
C) upset, furious
D) grateful, repentant
E) envious, jealous

If you know that an "and" means that the two words will have similar meanings, eliminate any answers which have opposite or widely different meanings.  In the above question, this would mean eliminating options B) and D).

When the conjunction is "or", "although", "but", "however" (for example), the two words will have different meanings because the conjunction is negative.  See if you can eliminate the incorrect options from the following question:

"Matthew felt ------- with his high SAT Math score, but was --------- when he got a very low Verbal score."

A) satisfied, jubilant
B) upset, joyous
C) furious, angry
D) satisfied, disappointed
E) triumphant, eager

You should have immediately eliminated options A) and C) because the words in these options have
similar meanings.

 

RocketReader works through the answer options systematically, and explains hints, short-cuts and techniques for finding the right answer.

 
The following represents a selection of the practise Sentence Completion questions available in RocketReader.  Remember, there are hundreds of practise questions to hone your skills and recognize the correct context of known vocabulary words.

Complete the following sentences by selecting the most appropriate answer from the options given.

EXAMPLES

"She opened the door and was............. by the snow which had piled on her step, despite her careful attempts to sweep it the ......... night."

A) frustrated, previous
B) overjoyed, following
C) confused, Thursday
D) annoyed, following
E)  ecstatic, previous

“There were no cars left when she got to the yard, so she picked a boat and immediately began to.....”

A) ride
B) sail
C) cruise
D) sink
E) smell

"Tom's ceaseless devotion to his studies was <choice>, but his cleanliness was <choice>, as his clothes were always dirty and crumpled."
{Infallible; doubtful
Doubtful; infallible,
Diligent; abundant,
Acrimonious; skillful,
Devoted; unquestionable}

Critical Readings

This may involve considering the author's purpose, style, characters, plot or setting and answering questions about it.

Critical Reading is arguably the most difficult verbal component of the SAT.  This is because it takes the most time to read and understand. Critical reading questions test your ability to comprehend pieces of information which are presented to you.  by reading one or two passages of prose and answering multiple  choice questions about them.  The high-performance reading training and comprehension sections of RocketReader will help you gain practise in reading for understanding.  RocketReader contains  more than hundreds of practise readings from many areas of learning including, History, Technology,  Culture, Science, Law, Philosophy, Literature.  After reading, you can answer multiple choice questions  about any of the materials you have read and test your understanding.

Critical Reading is arguably the most difficult verbal component of the SAT.  RocketReader trains you to "blitz" the Critical Reading section with hundreds of critical reading practice texts with accompanying multiple-choice comprehension questions.

 
The explanatory narratives for Critical Reading questions explain the different types of passages used in the areas of Science, Humanities, Fiction, and Theory, and also apply to paired passages. The narratives discuss literary techniques and devices like tone, implication, style, author's attitude and textual notes,  and provide strategies for answering questions, including recognizing key terms and isolating definitions.

For all types of question, examples are provided and patterns in question styles investigated. Major question styles are discussed, including vocabulary in context, purpose, comprehension, facts and details, tone/attitude, true or false, and context. Strategies for answering questions are provided, including techniques for identifying issues and topic sentences, interpreting information, skills of synthesis, analysis, and evaluation.

Vocabulary improvement

A good vocabulary is necessary for a high score in the Critical Reading section of the SAT.  Your understanding of the meanings of words is tested in the critical reading and sentence completion questions when you must understand the words in context. If you know what a word means, you will be more likely to place it in its correct context.  RocketReader contains a list of more than six hundred words commonly used in previous SAT questions. You can test your knowledge of these words with more than three hundred multiple choice questions.

The following represents a selection of the multiple choice questions based on the RocketReader vocabulary.  Remember, there are more than three hundred multiple choice questions with which to develop your vocabulary so that you will be able to identify the meaning and context of words in your SAT paper.

1. If a person is anonymous, what does this mean?
A. their identity is unknown
B. they are elderly
C. they are fond of housework
D. they are not permitted to drive a car

2. To anticipate an event is to:
A. look forward with expectation to it
B. betray it
C. avoid it
D. ignore it

3. To feel apathy toward an event is to feel:
A. indifferent towards it
B. passionate towards it
C. question it
D. respond to it
 

The SAT component of RocketReader is now included with every copy of RocketReader

 

Roots, Prefixes and Suffixes

A recognized technique of comprehending words used in the SAT Verbal section is to break a word down into its syllables or sounds.  The meanings of many words in English are derived from words in other languages, including French, Greek and Latin. If you know some of these "root" words, you will be able to work out the meanings of many English words. This is useful for Sentence Completion and Critical Reading questions, and in your everyday use of English.

RocketReader contains a list of more than two hundred common roots, prefixes and suffixes.  By knowing the roots, prefixes and suffixes of words, you will learn the origins of many English words and their meanings.  You can use these to "decode" words with which you are unfamiliar.

The following represents a selection of multiple choice questions available in RocketReader to practise your knowledge of English words. When you sit the SATs, you will be able to decode unknown origins of words.
 

1. Which of the following prefixes means "open place"?
A. agor-
B. agit-
C. ager-
D. amb-

3. Which prefix means "water"?
A. aqua
B. arm-
C. amphi-
D. apt-

Math Questions

SAT Math is high school mathematics, including arithmetic, algebra and geometry.  The SAT questions are either problem solving style questions or quantitative comparison.  You will either have to answer multiple choice questions or provide your own answers.  In the questions where you must provide your own answers, the questions will be similar to those in the multiple choice sections, and similar to the math questions you have answered throughout high school
 

RocketReader includes Maths questions that drill you on important and commonly used formulae and techniques that appear often in SAT exams.  Preparation in the key to a high SAT score.

Time Management in the SAT

By managing your time effectively, you maximize your chances of a higher score in the SAT. Very few students actually answer all of the questions on their test paper, simply because they have not managed time effectively.   Learn the skills of time management and use allocated time for maximum gain. The RocketReader SAT Preparation Module contains information about the division of time during the exam including how much time to allocate to answer each section of the paper, use of time instruments, and techniques for managing time.

The Answer Sheet

The Answer Sheet records your answers. It is marked by a computer not a human. Therefore, it is vital that you know how to fill it out correctly to minimize the chance of error.  A computer can only read what it is given. It cannot judge what you "meant" to write.  Your answers, therefore, must be precise and careful.  RocketReader explains how to fill out your answer sheet and which details to provide.  RocketReader explains the patterns used by ETS in the SAT answers, and teaches you to recognize them.

Coping with pressure

The SATs are very important, so you may feel nervous or anxious before or during the exam.  RocketReader gives basic strategies for dealing with pressure, encourages self confidence and discusses expectations of self , performance pressure, and the need for adequate preparation to eliminate panic.   You should enter the exam room determined to demonstrate your full capabilities.
 
 

RocketReader includes a complete SAT preparation system that was developed with the advice of leading SAT experts, and with the knowledge of hundreds of past SAT papers.  The SAT component is now included with RocketReader :- the key to SAT success.