Get ready for test day by keeping these key points in
mind:
- The Timing of Each Section is
Flexible.
Be aware of your time. If you need a few extra minutes on the
Verbal Section, you can take them. If you finish the section
early, you can get a jump on the Math Section. This flexibility
can be helpful, but it can also get you into trouble. No one will
stop you from spending an hour and a half or two hours on the
Verbal Section. However, you cannot get the time back to spend on
the Math Section. Therefore, make sure that you are aware of your
time since, ultimately, you are responsible for managing it.
- No calculators.
Leave your calculator at home! If you did not realize that you
could not use a calculator on the test and have been practicing
with one make sure you do some practice without a calculator.
- You'll See Fewer Verbal Questions Than Math
Questions. Remember that the Verbal Section contains 45
questions while the Math contains 50. This is because Scrambled
Paragraphs are weighted more heavily than other question types.
Math and Verbal count the same toward your overall score.
- You'll See Questions You Do Not Know How to
Answer.
This is going to happen because the SHSAT is hard. The moral of
this story: Don't panic if you do not know something. You don't
have to get everything correct to do well on the test. When you
see something you don't know, see if you can quickly eliminate
answers that cannot be correct and then guess. Save your energy
for the stuff you know and don't freak out about the stuff you
don't know.
- Do Not Leave Any Answers
Blank.
If you leave an answer blank, you have a 0% chance of getting the
question right. If you guess, you have at least a 20% chance of
getting the right answer. Go with the odds.
- Your Value
as a Human Being Does Not Depend on Your Performance on the
Specialized High Schools Admissions Test.
Hopefully you know this already. The point here is that you are
probably feeling a lot of pressure as the test draws near. Some
of it may be self-inflicted. Some of it may be coming from your
parents. The test is certainly important and has the potential to
affect your future. But ultimately, it's just a test. Have faith
in the preparation that you've completed and give yourself a
break.
