Mixed Set
Unit Review
This mixed practice set covers all skills from the Weekly Practice unit:
- Creating and following a practice schedule
- Tracking progress and adjusting plans
- Managing time effectively during tests
- Analyzing and learning from mistakes
Comprehensive Practice
Apply all your weekly practice skills. Click to reveal each answer.
Question 1: Create a sample weekly practice schedule for a student with 5 hours available per week who struggles most with SAT Math.
Sample Schedule:
Mon: 45 min Math (30 min practice, 15 min review)
Tue: 30 min Reading
Wed: 45 min Math
Thu: 30 min Writing/Language
Fri: 45 min Math
Weekend: 1 hr mixed practice or full section
Strategy: More time on weakest area, but don't neglect other sections. Include review time in each session.
Question 2: A student's practice test scores over 4 weeks: 1050, 1100, 1090, 1120. What does this pattern suggest?
Answer: Overall upward trend with normal variation. The dip to 1090 is within normal fluctuation. Progress is happening.
Strategy: Look at trends over multiple tests, not single results. Scores naturally vary by 30-50 points between tests.
Question 3: You have 10 minutes left in the SAT Math section with 8 questions remaining. What's your strategy?
Answer: Quickly scan remaining questions. Answer the easiest ones first. For harder ones, eliminate choices and make educated guesses. Never leave blanks.
Strategy: With about 1 minute per question, prioritize questions you can solve quickly. Mark answers for all questions.
Question 4: After reviewing a practice test, you find you missed 6 questions due to careless errors, 4 due to content gaps, and 2 due to running out of time. Where should you focus?
Answer: Careless errors are the biggest issue. Develop checking habits and slow down on easy questions. Also address content gaps and pacing.
Strategy: Careless errors are often the quickest to fix. Build a personal checklist and add a review step before moving on.
Question 5: What is the ideal time gap between full practice tests?
Answer: 2-3 weeks. This allows time for targeted practice and skill development between tests.
Strategy: Taking tests too frequently depletes quality practice materials without allowing improvement. Taking them too rarely misses progress checkpoints.
Question 6: How should you adjust your practice plan when you hit a score plateau?
Answer: Analyze errors more deeply, try different study methods, focus on harder question types, consider if you've been avoiding weak areas.
Strategy: Plateaus often mean you've mastered easy gains. Progress now requires targeting more challenging material.
Question 7: Design an effective 30-minute practice session structure.
Answer: 5 min: Review previous errors. 20 min: Timed practice on specific skill. 5 min: Immediate error review and logging.
Strategy: Start with review to reinforce learning. End with analysis to prevent repeating mistakes.
Question 8: A student improved their Reading score but their Math score dropped. What might be happening?
Answer: They may have shifted too much practice time to Reading. Or the drop is normal variation. Check if Math practice time decreased.
Strategy: Balance is key. Improving one section shouldn't come at the expense of another. Monitor all areas.
Question 9: How do you decide if you should study content or practice test-taking strategies?
Answer: If errors are mostly content-based, study content. If you understand concepts but still miss questions, work on strategies. Most students need both.
Strategy: Your error log tells you. "Didn't know how" = content. "Knew it but missed it" = strategy or carelessness.
Question 10: What should your practice routine look like the week before the actual test?
Answer: Light practice only. Review error logs and key formulas. Get good sleep. No full practice tests the last 3 days. Stay confident.
Strategy: Cramming doesn't help and increases stress. Last-minute studying rarely adds points but can reduce performance through fatigue.
Next Steps
- Implement your personalized practice schedule
- Maintain your error log consistently
- Move on to the next SAT/ACT Skills unit when ready