Take a deep breath and try to relax. You still have a few weeks before the test, so you have plenty of time to study before the big day. Follow this plan so you feel more prepared.
• Read the comprehensive Strategies for Multiple-Choice Questions on pages 41-50.
• Take the Diagnostic Test that begins on page 53. The Diagnostic Test will help you in two ways. First, it will give you a stronger understanding of the level of information you need to know to be successful on this test. Second, you will get some experience answering the kinds of questions asked on this test. As you go through the answers, you can pinpoint areas in which you may need to focus your studies. For example, you might need to spend more time studying certain eras, or you might need to focus on particular question types.
• Review key topics in world history by working through the Chapter Review portion of this book, which begins on page 89. Pay special attention to topics covered earlier in the school year, as well as any weak areas you identified via the Diagnostic Test.
• Take at least one more practice test before test day. You can also find a third practice test on our website at mymaxscore.com.
• The night before the test, review The Essentials: A Last-Minute Study Guide on pages 1-37, including Quick Test-Taking Tips and Big Ideas in World History.
• Pack your materials for the next day, get a good night's sleep, and you'll be ready to maximize your score.
Strategies for Multiple-Choice Questions
About the Test
The questions on the SAT World History Subject Test are all multiple choice. Each test includes ninety-five questions, and you'll have sixty minutes to complete the test. That means you'll have about half a minute to answer each question. For each question, you'll select the best answer from a group of five possible choices.
When taking the SAT World History Subject Test, you'll encounter a variety of question types, each of which requires a different strategy or approach. The information on these pages is meant to introduce you to the different types of questions on the test and provide you with helpful strategies for tackling each one. Use these strategies to improve your test-taking skills and maximize your score.
How it’s Scored
The questions on the SAT World History Subject Test are scored by computer, so it's important that you work neatly and avoid smudging on your answer sheet. For each question you answer correctly, you earn one (1) raw point. You do not earn any points for questions you skip, so you aren't penalized for failing to answer questions. However, for any question you answer incorrectly, you lose a quarter of a point (.25).
Strategies for Answering Questions
Although all the questions on this test are of the multiple-choice variety, several different types of multiple-choice questions exist. It's important to take the time to become more familiar with the specific types of questions on the test. This section is specially designed to help you prepare for the different kinds of questions you may find on the test. First, however, we'll look at some general testing strategies.
Basic Question-Answering Strategies
As highlighted in Quick Test-Taking Tips on page 7, there are some important general strategies that you should keep in mind when answering questions on the SAT World History Subject Test. Using these basic strategies on test day will help you answer questions as efficiently and accurately as possible.
1. SKIM the questons
It is important to remember that the SAT World History Subject Test is a closely timed sixty-minute test. As such, it is critical to spend a minimal amount of time on each individual question. One way you can cut down on the time you need is to start by skimming through the test questions and answering the easiest ones first. Since you receive one raw point for every correct answer, skimming through the test and answering the questions you are sure of ensures that you will get credit for these. You can also save time by recording your answers to these questions on the test next to the number of the question or on a separate sheet of paper. This will save you the time it would take to find and fill in these answers on your answer sheet. Then you can go back and fill in the answers later—but make sure you leave yourself enough time to do so! You will not get any credit if you don't mark your answers on the answer sheet.
2. answer questons mentally
Read each question and try to answer it in your head before you review the answer choices. Often, answer choices are designed to distract you
from the correct answer and may confuse you. Answering the question mentally will help you arrive at the correct answer by avoiding confusion from misleading choices.
3. consider all answer choices
Even if you have read the question and answered it in your head, you should still read all the answer options before making your final selection. Keep in mind that there may be more than one correct answer; in such cases, you have to choose the best or the most correct choice. That means that it's important to review all your options before making your final selection.
4. read carefully
When you are reading questions and answer choices, pay careful attention to the wording. Some questions may include negative words such as not or except. These have a significant impact on the meaning of the question and can lead to completely avoidable mistakes. Some questions may also include modifiers, which are words or phrases that limit or modify the meaning of another word or phrase. Common modifiers include always, only, frequently, occasionally, and so on. In some cases, a modifier may be used to direct you to seek an answer choice that is correct under certain circumstances but that is not always true otherwise.
In addition, watch out for double negatives, which are two negative words used together to create a phrase with a positive meaning. Examples include not uncommon, which actually means “common,” and not infrequently, which means “frequently.”
5. use elimination strategies
A key point to remember with SAT subject tests is that they penalize you for guessing—you lose one-quarter of a point (.25) for every wrong answer. Of course, that doesn't mean that you shouldn't take a guess at some answers, but it does mean that you should make only educated guesses.
Start by first eliminating the choices you know are wrong. In many cases, you can also eliminate those choices that seem unlikely or that appear totally unfamiliar. For questions for which the answer choice completes the question stem, you should also eliminate any answer choices that don't make grammatical sense.
Another way to eliminate incorrect answer choices is to use the true-false test. This involves reading each answer choice and considering whether that choice is true or false when it stands on its own. If a particular answer choice is false on its own, you can assume that it can't be the right answer.
You can also often eliminate answer choices that use absolutes, such as all, always, only, and never, since an absolute can invalidate an answer that might otherwise be sometimes correct. For example, “The Romans were always at war with their neighbors” is wrong; although the Romans were sometimes at war with their neighbors, there were also many times when they coexisted peacefully with the people who lived near their borders.
Finally, when reading through the answer choices, look for contradictory paired statements. One of these is usually the correct answer. At the very least, you can eliminate the option that's incorrect. For example, if a set of answer choices includes “Russia was politically stable in 1917,” and a second answer reads “Russia was politically volatile in 1917,” you can usually assume that one of these is likely the correct answer and that you can eliminate the other.
Types of Questions
This section provides a brief overview of the different types of questions you will encounter on the SAT World History Subject Test.
Straightforward Questions
The straightforward question is the type of multiple-choice question that you normally encounter on a wide variety of tests. These questions usually appear in the form of a question to answer or a statement to complete. For example, “Which Roman ruler was responsible for initiating the Pax Romana?” or “Martin Luther wrote the Ninety-Five Theses mainly as a response to...”
Keep two important strategies in mind when answering straightforward questions.
MAKE SURE YOU KNOW WHAT IS BEING ASKED
Before answering a question, make sure you fully understand it. Read the question more than once, especially if it is long or includes complex wording. Once you have identified exactly what you are looking for, read through the answer choices. Knowing exactly what to look for before reading the answer choices can help you to get an idea of what the correct answer might be and which incorrect answers you can eliminate.
READ EACH ANSWER CHOICE CAREFULLY
In many cases, more than one answer choice may sound like it could be correct at first. Remember to read through all choices and select the one you think would be the best answer.
Quotation Questions
Some questions on the SAT World History Subject Test are based on quotations. These usually come from famous historical speeches or important works of literature. You may be asked to identify the author, speaker, or work; to discern the deeper meaning or philosophical basis of the quote; to determine another famous person who held similar or opposite views; or some other such question.
The following is an example of a typical quotation-based question:
“In depicting the most general phases of the development of the proletariat, we traced the more or less veiled civil war, raging within existing society, up to the point where that war breaks out into open revolution, and where the violent overthrow of the bourgeoisie lays the foundation for the sway of the proletariat.”
The quotation is taken from
A. The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism by Max Weber
B. Utopia by Sir Thomas More
C. The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith
D. The Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels
E. Reason in History by Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel
Keep two important strategies in mind when answering quotation questions:
READ THE QUOTATION CAREFULLY
To determine the correct answer to a quotation-based question, you must understand the quotation's meaning. Read the quotation carefully, and read it more than one time if necessary. The better you understand the quote, the better your chances of answering the question correctly.
MAKE SURE YOU KNOW WHAT IS BEING ASKED
As with other question types, you should always make sure you understand the question before reviewing the answer choices. Is the question asking you to identify the author or another famous person with a similar philosophy? Are you being asked to identify an opposing party, philosophy, or work?
Negative Questions
Negative questions are unique to the SAT World History Subject Test because they require you to select the “wrong” answer. Negative questions are easy to identify because they usually contain the word except or not. In context, a negative question might look like this: “Which factor did NOT contribute to the rise of National Socialism in Germany after World War I?” or “All of these were results of the French Revolution EXCEPT...”
Keep two important strategies in mind when answering negative questions.
REMEMBER THAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR THE “WRONG” ANSWER
With negative questions, you are looking for the wrong choice among a field of right choices. Also, keep in mind that if any part of an answer choice is incorrect, the entire statement is incorrect.
CHECK YOUR ANSWER BY USING IT TO COMPLETE THE STATEMENT
When you are answering a negative question that requires you to complete a statement, you can check your answer by inserting it into the statement to determine whether it makes sense. If it doesn't, it's probably wrong.
Image Questions
Some questions on the SAT World History Subject Test include an image. Both the subject of the image and the related question can vary widely. Some questions include images of a work of art and ask you to identify the art style (for example, impressionism). Other images may be of famous structures and ask you to identify the originating culture. Still other questions may offer a political cartoon and ask you to translate its meaning.
Keep two important strategies in mind when answering image questions.
USE CONTEXT CLUES TO FIND THE CORRECT ANSWER
Sometimes, the images used for these questions may contain context clues that can guide you toward the correct answer. For example, suppose you are shown an image of the Coliseum and asked to identify the culture it represents. Even if you are unable to immediately identify the building itself, you may be able to infer that it is representative of ancient Rome just by paying attention to the style of architecture.
EXAMINE POLITICAL CARTOONS CAREFULLY
Questions that require you to interpret political cartoons can be tricky. In many cases, the intended meaning of a political cartoon may not be readily apparent. Some political cartoons may also contain small, easy- to-overlook details that are crucial to meaning. Before you try to answer these questions, make sure that you have examined the image carefully and are confident that you understand the message.
Map, Chart, and Graph Questions
Finally, some questions on the SAT World History Subject Test require you to use a map, chart, or graph to arrive at the correct answer. Before you attempt any of these questions, you should feel confident in your ability to accurately interpret the visual information.
On most tests, you are likely to encounter a few map-based questions. These questions usually ask you to simply use a given map to determine the correct answer. In many cases, the exact type of map used for these questions varies. Along with basic geographical maps, you may also find maps that illustrate military campaigns, trade routes, historical trends, or other information. To do well on these questions, you need to make sure that you are capable of reading and interpreting a wide variety of maps.
You will also likely encounter a few questions that require you to interpret a chart or graph. To answer these questions correctly, you need to know how to read a chart or graph and understand the information it contains. Most commonly, these questions require you to be familiar with pie charts, bar graphs, line graphs, and tables.
There are usually two types of chart and graph questions: trend identification and detail and/or comparison. Trend questions ask you to analyze a graph or chart to identify the trend that it represents. Detail and/or comparison questions ask you to pick out or compare certain details from the graph or chart.
The following table is an example of a type of graph common to the SAT World History Subject Test.
IMPERIAL COLONIZATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIA, CA. 1850s
|
COLONY |
CONTROLLiNG iMPERiAL POWER |
|
Borneo |
Netherlands |
|
Burma |
Great Britain |
|
French Indochina (Vietnam) |
France |
|
India |
Great Britain |
|
Malaysia |
Netherlands |
|
Malay States |
Great Britain |
|
New Guinea |
Netherlands |
|
North Borneo |
Great Britain |
|
Philippine Islands |
united States |
A trend-identification question might ask you to choose the imperial power that exercised the most control over Southeast Asia in the 1850s, on the basis of the chart. A detail and/or comparison question, in contrast, might ask you to determine the imperial power that was in control of Malaysia at the time.
Keep three important strategies in mind when answering map, chart, or graph questions.
STUDY THE MAP, CHART, OR GRAPH FIRST
It's always a good idea to carefully examine the map, chart, or graph before you read the question. Suppose you find yourself faced with a chart-based question. Take a moment to look at the chart and try to determine its overall meaning before you look at the question. Since you can refer back to the chart at any time, you don't need to remember specific details. Spending a little time getting familiar with the chart will help you to better understand the question, which may be difficult to interpret correctly if you have skipped right to the question.
WHEN STUMPED BY THIS TYPE OF QUESTION, SKIP IT AND COME BACK IF YOU HAVE TIME
Some maps, charts, or graphs may be difficult to interpret. If you are having a hard time with a map, chart, or graph, it may be in your best interest to just move on. These questions often consume more time than other types of questions. Since your test time is limited, it may be best to skip questions such as this.
PAY ATTENTION TO LABELS
Most maps, charts, and graphs have labels that provide information about the contents. Take these into consideration when reviewing.
The Diagnosis: How Ready Are You?
Diagnostic Test
This chapter includes a diagnostic test, which covers a combination of topics that may appear on the SAT World History Subject Test. It has been designed to help you practice for the SAT World History Subject Test and identify areas of weakness, ultimately helping you improve your score. After taking the diagnostic test, you might recognize that you are spending too much time with each question or that you are not reading the questions closely enough. You might discover that you consistently struggle with certain types of questions or with questions that address specific topics or ideas. All of these issues are resolvable. However, to identify them, it is essential that you complete the diagnostic test in an environment that closely mimics the actual testing environment.
Therefore, you should follow these guidelines:
• Block out one hour for the diagnostic test. Stay within this time frame. Stop testing when you reach the end of the allotted time.
• Select an environment that is quiet, with a minimal amount of distraction, such as a quiet room in your home, at your school, or in the local library.
• Turn off your cell phone and your computer. Ask family and friends to avoid disturbing you during the testing period.
• While taking the multiple-choice section, have only the examination and information sheet open. Don't use any other resource materials! You're only cheating yourself.
• Again, don't cheat! Even though you may be tempted, looking up the answers will only hinder your progress.
• As you take the test, have a highlighter available. Use it to quickly mark any term or concept that seems unfamiliar. Later, you can use this information to direct your studies.
• Finally, make sure you follow any instructions provided.
Once you have completed the examination, assess your score by checking your answers against the key provided at the end of this section. More information about assessing your performance is provided in that section.
Good luck!