SAT® Skills Insight™

Using SAT® Skills Insight™

SAT Skills Insight is only a general guide. Its goal is to help you determine and improve your current skill levels in the areas tested on the SAT.

Review Your Options: Begin by determining the level your skills are at right now. Look at each score band to see what types of skills it requires. Decide how comfortable you feel with the skills described. Don’t worry if you’re not an exact match for any one score band; it’s normal to have some of the skills in the next higher or lower band.

Make Your Selection: Start by looking at the scores you earned on the PSAT/NMSQT®, SAT, and any practice tests you have taken. Then choose a separate score band for each section of the SAT—for example, 300–390 for math, 400–490 for critical reading, and 500–590 for writing.

Once you’ve chosen your bands, you can look at the areas that need improvement to help you achieve more.

Writing Skill Groups: 1 2 3

1. Manage word choice and grammatical relationships between words

Academic Skills

A typical student in this score band can do the following:

SKILL 1: Recognize vague pronoun usage
SKILL 2: Recognize shift in person (e.g., from third person to second)
SKILL 3: Recognize subject-verb agreement with brief interrupter that alters number and shifts focus away from the proper subject
SKILL 4: Recognize when a subordinate clause must include a subject and verb

Suggestions for Improvement

To prepare for the next score band, try the following:

In your reading, choose a paragraph and examine the relationship between the pronouns and their logical antecedents. In your own writing, make sure that your pronouns refer specifically to logical antecedents.
In your reading, try to become aware of idiomatic expressions, especially the use of prepositions. In your own writing, peer edit or proofread for the idiomatic use of prepositions.
In your reading, pay attention to how temporal elements (dates, times, etc.) dictate the appropriate verb forms. In your own writing, be sure to use consistent verb tense.

Skill Examples

The example questions below demonstrate the Academic Skills found in this score band. Without looking at the answers, try out the questions to see how comfortable you feel with the skills they test.

Skill 1—Example

Recognize vague pronoun usage

The following sentence tests correctness and effectiveness of expression. Part of the sentence or the entire sentence is underlined; beneath the sentence are five ways of phrasing the underlined material. Choice A repeats the original phrasing; the other four choices are different. If you think the original phrasing produces a better sentence than any of the alternatives, select choice A; if not, select one of the other choices.

In making your selection, follow the requirements of standard written English; that is, pay attention to grammar, choice of words, sentence construction, and punctuation. Your selection should result in the most effective sentence-clear and precise, without awkwardness or ambiguity.

Big John Patton, a soul jazz organ player of the 1960s, often departed from its aesthetic traditions when collaborating with experimental jazz musicians.

often departed from its aesthetic traditions when collaborating with
he often departs from its aesthetic traditions when collaborating with
collaborates, often departing from the aesthetic traditions of soul jazz with
when he collaborated, often departs from the aesthetic traditions of soul jazz with
often departed from the aesthetic traditions of soul jazz when he collaborated with

Answer: E

Skill 2—Example

Recognize shift in person (e.g., from third person to second)

The following sentence tests your ability to recognize grammar and usage errors. The sentence contains either a single error or no error at all. The sentence will not contain more than one error. The error, if there is one, is underlined and lettered. If the sentence contains an error, select the one underlined part that must be changed to make the sentence correct. If the sentence is correct, select choice E. In choosing answers, follow the requirements of standard written English.

If one	desires	to become an	accomplished pianist	,	you	must devote each day	to
	A		B		C		D

practice and study.	No error
	E

Answer: C

Skill 3—Example

Recognize subject-verb agreement with brief interrupter that alters number and shifts focus away from the proper subject

The members of the planning council	has given	permission	to increase	the
	A		B

number of trees	planted along	residential streets.	No error
C	D		E

Answer: A

Skill 4—Example

Recognize when a subordinate clause must include a subject and verb

Many ancient Eastern rulers favored drinking vessels made of celadon porcelain because of supposedly revealing the presence of poison by cracking.

because of supposedly revealing the presence of poison
for being supposed that it would reveal the presence of poison
because of being supposed to reveal poison in it
for it was supposed to reveal that there is poison
because it was supposed to reveal the presence of poison