BeteSeb Academy Ayertena Branch

Subject: SAT Quarter: 1

Grade: 11 week: 2

Instructor: Mr. Belete Yirga Date:0ct, 2013

UNIT ONE

INTRODUCTION TO SAT

Topic: Overview of Scholastic

Aptitude Test (SAT)

O Objectives: At the end of this lesson the students will be able to:
° Learn the meaning of Scholastic Aptitude Test.

° Identify contents of SAT, Scholastic Aptitude Test.

DEFINITION: The Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) is a standardized test designed to

measure important skills required for academic success at tertiary level, and the current
version contains three main sections measuring basic critical reading, math, and writing
skills, as well as open category not included in the final score. The SAT is typically taken
by high school students who require entry to colleges and universities in the United
States; other countries (e.g., Israel, Sweden) (e.g., Bellar, 2009; Wedman, 1994) have also
adopted the SAT as entrance exam for admission to higher education institutions.
Research has shown that the SAT combined with high school grade point average (GPA)
provides a good indicator of success in college (Coyle & Pillow, 2008; see also
http://www.colegeboard.com/about/index/html ).

An aptitude test is designed to assess what a person is capable of doing or to predict what
a person is able to learn or do given the right education and instruction. It represents a
person's level of competency to perform a certain type of task. Such aptitude tests are
often used to assess academic potential or career suitability and may be used to assess
either mental or physical talent in a variety of domains.

Students often encounter a variety of aptitude tests throughout school as they think

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about what they might like to study in college or do for as a career someday. High school
students often take a variety of aptitude tests designed to help them determine what they
should study in college or pursue as a career. These tests can sometimes give a general
idea of what might interest students as a future career. For example, a student might take
an aptitude test suggesting that they are good with numbers and data. Such results
might imply that a career as an accountant, banker, or stockbroker would be a good
choice for that particular student. Another student might find that they have strong
language and verbal skills, which might suggest that a career as an English teacher,
writer, or journalist might be a good choice.

What Content is on the SAT?

The SAT is composed of three sections:

° Critical Reading, which includes sentence completion and passage-based reading questions.
° Mathematics, which includes multiple-choice and student-produced response questions based on the math that
college-bound students typically learn during their first three years of high school.
° Writing, which has multiple-choice questions and a written essay.

Critical Reading

- The critical reading section gives you a chance to show how well you understand what you read and has two types of
questions:
° Sentence completions_ These questions measure your knowledge of the meanings of words and ability to
understand how the different parts of a sentence fit together logically.
° Passage-based reading_These questions measure your ability to read and think carefully about several different
passages ranging in length from about 100 to about 850 words. Passages are taken from a variety of fields, including the
humanities, social studies, natural sciences and fiction or literary nonfiction. They vary in style and can include
narrative, argumentative and expository elements. Some selections consist of a pair or related passages on a shared
issue or theme; in some of the questions, you are asked to compare and contrast these passages. The following kinds of
questions may be asked about a passage:
Vocabulary in Context : These questions ask you to determine the meanings of words from their context in the reading
passage.
Literal Comprehension: These questions assess your understanding of significant information directly stated in the
passage.
Extended Reasoning : These questions measure your ability to synthesize and analyze information as well as to
evaluate the assumptions made and the techniques used by the author. Most of the reading questions fall into this
category. You may be asked to identify cause and effect, make inferences, recognize a main idea or an author's tone, or
follow the logic of an analogy or an argument.

Mathematics
- The mathematics section of thee SAT contains two types of questions: Standard multiple-choice and
Student-produced response questions that provide no answer choices - Questions of this type have no answer choices
provided. Instead, you must solve the problem and fill in your answer on a special grid. It is very important for you to
understand the directions for entering answers on the grid. You will lose valuable testing time if you have to stop to
figure out how to grid the answers when you take the test. Take the time before test day to understand how to enter your
answers in this special format.

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 Writing

- The writing section includes both multiple-choice questions and a direct writing measure in the form of an essay.
Multiple-choice - These sections measure
your ability to communicate ideas clearly
and effectively; improve a piece of writing
through revision and editing; recognize and identify sentence-level errors; understand grammatical elements and
structures and how they relate to one another in a sentence; recognize correctly formed grammatical structures; clearly
express ideas through sentence combining and use of transitional words and phrases; and improve coherence of ideas
within and among paragraphs.
Improving Sentences: This question type measures your ability to recognize and correct faults in grammar and
sentence structure and recognize effective sentences that follow the conventions of standard written English.
Identifying Sentence Errors: This question type measures your ability
to recognize faults in grammar and usage and recognize effective sentences that follow the conventions of standard
written English.
Improving Paragraphs: This type of question measures your ability to edit and revise sentences in the context of a
paragraph or entire essay, organize and develop paragraphs in a coherent and logical manner, and apply the conventions
of standard written English.
Essay - The essay measures your ability to develop a point of view on an issue presented in an excerpt, support your
point of view using reasoning and examples from your reading, studies, experience, or observations, and follow the
conventions of standard written English.

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