How to Improve a Vocabulary Score on the SAT

Colleges want the best and brightest, but maybe your vocabulary is a bit below the bar. But there is hope - you have recognized your need to bolster your vocabulary skills, and will be traipsing off to the ivy league in no time. All it takes is a little patience and perseverance.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Dictionary
• SAT study guide
• Practice Tests
• The internet
• Weekly Periodical
• Home Made Flash Cards

1. Each week read a periodical like Newsweek, or Time magazine. These weekly editions have greater attention to grammar and colorful word usage. When you don't know a word, look it up. These periodicals are available at your local library.

2. Read short stories or works that are required at the collegiate level. Many high school teachers can help with procuring titles, usually from your local college. Reading authors who are rated at the university level not only helps vocabulary but verbal understanding - also tested on the SAT.

3. Ever word you look up, write down onto a list or a flashcard. Before long you will have a lengthy list of words and their meanings. Study these words daily until you know them.

4. Take the PSAT. It helps. Colleges and institutes also give funding based on the PSAT. Few people know this, but its a good way to fund your college career!

5. Practice as many SAT verbal sections as you can. The 5 - 10 dollars it can cost to access tests online or through preparatory books is well worth it considering how much funding is given on SAT scores.

6. Practice practice practice. Practice makes you better, and perfect practice makes perfect. Spend at LEAST one hour each day in lead up to your test studying vocabulary, grammar, and other SAT skills. You are learning a new portion of language, and so need 1 hour.

7. Look over questions you got wrong, and analyze why. It may be false cognate words, poor grammatical structure, or lack of attention to detail. Look up all words you dont know!.

8. Study "word of the day" on sites like dictionary.com or else use a search engine to find a repository of 'words of the day'. Some words are GRE words some you will find very basic, it does however provide a wide range of words.

9. Look up words around your question word in the dictionary. This helps to develop an understanding of roots and suffixes, as well as bringing up new words you may not know.

10. Keep using those flash cards - and keep adding to them. Try to use your new vocabulary as much as possible. Its going to be VERY handy in getting good scores in college.

Tips & Warnings

• Practice at least one hour a day.
• Read books slightly above your school grade as much as possible.
• Don't be afraid to look up basic words you 'mostly know'.
• Study all meanings of a word.
• Practice, practice, practice SAT Practice tests!
• Use your vocabulary regularly
• Don't say "I know it" if you cannot identify the part of speech, and know at least two uses (when applicable) of the word.
• ETS regularly reminds students not to impinge upon their ownership of their SAT prep materials.

[stichbug]

on 11/9/2009 Good article keep up the good work!

[serdacar]

on 10/6/2009 Good tips. Also look at my article about improving vocabulary.