4 SAT Myths

MYTH #1: The SAT is a test of intelligence and my scores are a good indication of how I will do in college.

FACT: Your SAT scores reflect how good you are at taking the SAT (as well as how much time you spent preparing)–and that's about it. Nevertheless, admissions officers continue to place great weight on this test. So it's important to do well.

MYTH #2: The SAT tests complex math concepts.

FACT: SAT math can seem challenging because of the way the concepts are tested, not because of the concepts themselves. The math sections include concepts you learned in the seventh or eighth grade, like arithmetic, basic geometry, basic algebra and algebra II. You won't see any calculus or trigonometry on the SAT.

MYTH #3: You can't really improve your Critical Reading score.

FACT: You can improve your Critical Reading score by expanding your vocabulary. Reading comprehension and sentence completions all rely upon your understanding of the words in the questions and answer choices. So read books, newspapers and anything else you can get your hands on, and check out our SAT prep for additional vocabulary-building tools.

MYTH #4: It's better to leave a question blank than to guess.

FACT: Not necessarily. You receive one point for every correct answer, zero points for every question you leave unanswered and minus one-quarter of a point for every incorrect answer If you can eliminate even one of the answer choices, guess! From a purely statistical standpoint, this approach will gain you more points over the whole test than you'll get by playing it safe and leaving the questions blank.