This is the curriculum I designed for CM's 5-week SAT Prep Workshop.

1. SAT Workshop
Classroom Matters
Instructor: Shashank Patil
April 23-May 21, 2017
Week 1: Overview, Planning, & Organization
1. Get to Know You/Each Other
a. Name, School, Year, Hobbies, Icebreaker: “If you could fix one problem in the
world what would it be and why?”
2. Familiarity with the Test
a. Have they taken the test before? If so, when?
b. Have then taken the PSAT before? When?
c. Do they know the structure of the SAT?
d. For people that took SAT or PSAT before, what section was the hardest? Why?
3. Our Reference Book: The Official SAT Study Guide, 2016 Edition (by Collegeboard)
a. This is your copy to keep  Write All Over It
b. Bring it with you to every session
i. I’ll be assigning problems for homework and for classwork
4. Structure of the SAT
Section Number of
Questions
Time Allotted Pacing
(Time/Question)
Evidence-Based Reading 52 65 minutes 1 min 15 sec
Evidence-Based Writing 44 35 minutes ~48 sec
Math (without calculator) 20 25 minutes 1 min 15 sec
Math (with calculator) 38 55 minutes 1 min 27 sec
Essay(optional) 1 50 minutes 50 minutes
a. Briefly preview sections with book
5. Structure of SAT Workshop
a. Week 1 (Today): Overview, Planning, & Organization
b. Week 2 (April 30): Evidence-Based Reading Strategies
c. Week 3 (May 7): Evidence-Based Writing Strategies
d. Week 4 (May 14): Math Strategies
e. Week 5 (May 21): Essay Strategy + Review
6. Establish Target Score
a. 50 to 150 points of improvement is reasonable over 5-week workshop
i. Make sure students check their scores as they set a target score
ii. Emphasize that it is easier to improve scores in sections they’re struggling
with than sections that they’re already doing well in (curved grading)
1. Thus, students should aim to improve their lower-scoring section
by more than their higher-scoring section.
b. “What’s a good SAT Score?”
i. Answer: Depends on the schools you’re applying to.
1. Research average/25th-75th % scores for each prospective school

2. ii. Sample Bay Area Colleges/Universities:
School Average SAT
CSU East Bay 1000
SF State University 1070
Sonoma State University 1070
SJ State University 1100
University of San Francisco 1250
UC Berkeley 1440
Stanford 1520
7. Determine Test Date/Registration
Test Date Normal Deadline Late Registration Online Score Release
May 6, 2017 April 7, 2017 April 25, 2017 June 8, 2017
June 3, 2017 May 9, 2017 May 24, 2017 July 12, 2017
August 26, 2017 July 28, 2017 August 15, 2017 September 14, 2017
October 7, 2017 September 8, 2017 September 22, 2017 October 27, 2017
November 4, 2017 October 6, 2017 October 20, 2017 November 23, 2017
December 2, 2017 November 3, 2017 November 17, 2017 December 21, 2017
March 10, 2018 February 9, 2018 February 23, 2018 March 29, 2018
May 5, 2018 April 6, 2018 April 20, 2018 May 24, 2018
June 2, 2018 May 4, 2018 May 18, 2018 June 21, 2018
a. Register on The Collegeboard website; Encourage them to make an account
(ASAP!) if they don’t already have one
b. If a student is not already registered, tell students to speak with parents/guardians
this week.
i. Tell them to consider SAT II’s, AP tests, Final Exams, Midterms, Projects,
Trips, etc. when selecting a date
ii. My recommendation: Minimum 3 months for study if they haven’t taken it
yet; at least until the end of this workshop if they have already taken it.
c. Accommodations (Additional Time/Separate testing room) are available
i. Talk to me after class and we can discuss protocol
d. Check in with them about registration next class
8. The Optional Essay
a. “Should I take it?”
i. Pros: A good score can strengthen your application (slightly), you will
meet all college SAT requirements
ii. Cons: More to study/practice, longer exam, $11.50 more (unless you have
a waiver)
b. You cannot choose to withhold your essay score
9. Communication
a. My email: shashankpatil@berkeley.edu if you have a specific question
b. Preferred: GroupMe (Make sure their phone #’s are correct)
i. Used to post all homework assignments, vocabulary lists/flashcards,
updates, and reminders.
ii. Use this as a forum to ask general questions to classmates and me!

3. 10. Homework This Week
a. Take Practice Test #1 from the study guide
i. Take it under testing conditions (timed, quiet, no unscheduled breaks) and
then score the test.
1. If you would like, Classroom Matters offers SAT proctoring
($25/hour)
b. There will be weekly homework (Sorry, not sorry!)
i. Time + Effort  Target Score
c. Vocabulary Plan: Lists and Flashcard links will be posted on GroupMe
i. “Why study vocabulary? I’m not going to be tested on vocabulary words!”
1. Concession: True. If you’re an avid reader, you probably won’t
have to study vocabulary. If you’re not, I would recommend
reading news articles (The Washington Post, The New York Time,
etc.) to expose you to a greater range of vocabulary.
2. Fact: Expanding vocabulary is a proven means for SAT score
improvement (http://blog.prepscholar.com/the-best-way-to-study-
sat-vocab-words)
11. Scoring
a. Overall
i. English (200-800) + Math (200-800) = Overall Score (400-1600)
b. Raw Score: The number of questions you answered correctly
i. Equating: “Ensures that the different forms of the test or the level of
ability of the students with whom you are tested do not affect your
score…makes it possible to make comparisons among test-takers who take
different editions of the tests”
1. Equating controls for variations across different exams (Harder
Test  More Generous Scaling)
ii. Math Score (Section 3 & 4): Add Raw Scores  Scaled Score (Using
Conversion Table)
iii. English (Section 1 & 2): Add Raw Scores (Using CT  Multiply by 10 
Scaled Score

4. 12. Sample Practice Problems from PT2 [35 minutes]
a. Reading Comprehension: pg. 452-454 #1-10 (12.5 minutes)
b. English Language & Writing: pg. 468-471 #1-11 (8.75 minutes)
c. Math (without calculator): pg. 484 #6-10 (6.25 minutes)
d. Math (with calculator): pg. 492 #6-10 (7.25 minutes)
Week 2: Evidence-Based Reading Strategies
1. Housekeeping
a. Everyone join the GroupMe!
b. Did everyone register/think about potential dates?
c. Any questions for me about the logistics of the test?
2. Practice Test #1 Review
a. How did you feel?
i. What was difficult? Where do you think you need to improve?
3. Strategies (Going through PT1 Sec 1 Passage 1)
a. Previewing Passages
i. Skim over first few lines of each passage
1. There will always be five passages per section
ii. Rank passages from easiest  hardest (complete in that order)
1. Rationale: Every question is worth an equal amount of points. Get
the low-hanging fruit first and then spent the remaining time with
the more difficult passages.
b. Annotating
i. Always read the pre-text description
1. It can help you contextualize a passage (time, issue, author’s bias)
ii. Underline transition phrases or pivots: signal important information is
coming up
1. Examples: “At the same time”, “However”, “Although”,
“Despite”, “Yet”
iii. “According to ____” indicates an important person or organization
c. One Line Summary
i. Will help anchor you when answering primary purpose questions
1. Prevents you from being trapped into bait answer-choices!
ii. Write It Down
1. May seem basic but it works.
d. Support every answer with a line in the passage
i. Be able to put your pencil on a line that corroborates your answer choice
(even if it is an inference question)
ii. My advice: Don’t make up a story to justify your selection … the correct
answer should have a (relatively) clear supporting statement(s) from the
passage
e. Paired questions
i. Do evidence question first (The second question)
1. Once you find the correct line, you can go back and do the original
question
2. The strategy helps get rid of many irrelevant/bait answer choices

5. f. Process of Elimination
i. Get rid of wrong answer choices first
1. Probability of correct answer increases as you eliminate wrong
answer choices: 1/4  1/3  ½
ii. Note on Multiple Choice Tests
1. Bait answers are designed to sound correct because they include
phrases from the passage
2. My advice: Aim to understand the passage as a whole so that it
will be easier to eliminate answer detail-based questions
a. “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree”
g. Guessing Strategy (Letter of the Day)
i. Pick a letter (before you begin the test) that you will select for every
question that you cannot get to or cannot eliminate any answer choices
1. Saves you time!
h. Moderate Language
i. In general, authors will choose diction with some degree of temperance
1. Avoid answer choices that use words/phrases like: “always”,
“never”, “exactly”, “without exception”, and “definitely”
2. Consider answer choices that use words like: “suggests”, “maybe”,
“should”, “can”, “could”
i. Paired Passages
i. One question will almost always ask you to identify the relationship
between the two passages
1. Use your one line summary to help you discern whether the
relationship is that of micro vs. macro, one argument contained
within another, two authors critiquing the ideology of each other
etc.
ii. Strategy: Helps to mitigate “Who said What” problem
1. Read Passage 1  Do Questions for Passage 1
2. Read Passage 2  Do Questions for Passage 2
3. Answer Questions related to P1 and P2
j. Practice
i. PT 2 Section 1 Start @ p. 455 Passages 2-5
ii. As you review questions, have students pair up and defend their answer
choices/convince their partner of why they think they are right.
1. Great activity to keep engagement levels up!
k. Homework: PT4 Section 1 ALL
Week 3: Evidence-Based Writing Strategies
1. Check-In
2. Strategies: My 10 Points for Success (Going through PT1 Sec 2 Passage 1)
a. (1) Idiomatic Expressions
i. “The advantages of Greek Yogurt outweigh the potential drawbacks of its
production” – PT1 Sec 2 Passage 1 #1
ii. Solution: More reading  More exposure
1. Ex. The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic
b. (2) Punctuation:

6. i. Periods: Indicate end of independent clause
ii. Colons (#16 PT1 Sec 2 Passage 2)
1. Setting up a list
2. Providing an introduction for a proper noun
3. Explaining a term
a. 3 examples on whiteboard
iii. Semicolons: Separating two independent, but closely-related, clauses
iv. Commas: descriptive dependent clauses
1. Ex. #11 and #15 (p. 353 and 355)
v. Exclamations: *Almost never seen on SAT*
1. Exclamatory, forceful/alarming/surprising statements
vi. Question marks: *Rarely appear*
1. Questions
vii. Apostrophes:
1. Used to show possession
2. Singular vs. Plural Noun (Student’s vs. Students’)
c. (3) Parallelism in syntax (sentence structure)
i. #8 (p.352): serves & contains (same verb tense)
d. (4) Interpreting Graphs
i. Read title, source, legend, scaling units, of ALL graphs/charts/tables
e. (5) Transitional Phrases
i. Base on valence:
1. Positive: As such, Moreover, In continuation, Additionally, Also,
Thus, It follows that, etc.
2. Negative: However, In contrast, On one hand…on the other hand,
On a different note, Although, Whereas, But, Nonetheless, Yet, In
contrast, etc.
f. (6) Subject-Verb Agreement
i. Usually tested in long, complex sentence in which the subject and verb are
separated by modifiers
ii. My Process: Find the subject of the subject of the sentence and then
determine appropriate verb conjugation before looking at answer choices
g. (7) Possessives
i. Apostrophe Usage
ii. Be sure to locate the object or objects that are possessing the thing
iii. #19: Particles…their (p.356)
1. Possessive Pronouns:
a. Singular  its
b. Plural  their
h. (8) Concise/Succinct is ALWAYS better
i. Compelling writing = articulating ideas in the fewest number of words
ii. Avoid Repetitive Statements  #21 (p.357)
iii. Active Voice vs. Passive Voice
i. (9) Sentence/Paragraph Reorganization Questions
i. #22 (p. 357): The reason you need to read the entire passage
ii. Passage Structure (Think Hourglass!)

7. 1. Intro: General
2. Body: Detail
3. Conclusion: General
iii. Paragraph Structure (Think Funnel!)
1. General  Specific
j. (10) Keep Purpose/Attitude of Author in mind
k. Practice
i. PT 2 Section 2 Start @ p. 472 Passages 2-4
l. Homework: PT4 Section 2 ALL
Week 4: Math Strategies
1. Arithmetic (translating word problems into expressions)
a. Sec. 4 # 6 (pg. 292)
2. Algebra I/II
a. Forms of linear equations
i. Slope-Intercept: y= mx+ b
1. m= slope =
rise
run
=
∆y
∆x
2. b = y-intercept (point where line crosses the x-axis)
ii. Point-slope: y – y1 = m(x- x1)
iii. Standard form: ax + by = c
b. Solving simple equations
i. Ex. If 5x+3 = 10, what is 10x + 3?
ii. Tips: Remember order of operations and always do the opposite of the
function given to solve for a variable.
c. Systems of equations: solving for a point of intersection between two lines
i. Methods of Solving:
1. Equal Values Method
a. Set equations equal to each other and solve for the variable.
Use this value to find other value of the other variable.
b. Ex. y = 13x + 5; y = 12x - 6
2. Substitution
a. Substitute value of one variable into the other equation in
order to get one equation with one variable.
b. Ex. x + y = 0 and 3x – 2y = 10
3. Elimination
a. Write each equation in standard form. Then, multiply one
of the equations by a specific factor so that you can cancel
out one variable.
b. Ex. x+ y = 0; 3x – 2y = 10
d. Factoring/FOILing
i. FOIL: First Outer Inner Last
1. Ex. (x+3) (x-4) = x2 – x - 12
ii. Memorize binomial expansions (helps to factor)
1. (a+b)2 = a2 + 2ab + b2
2. (a-b)2 = a2 – 2ab + b2
3. Ex. Factor (9a4 + 12a2b2 + 4b2) = (3a2 + 2b2)2
e. Quadratic functions

8. i. Shape: Parabola (U-shape)
ii. Standard form: y = ax2 + bx + c
1. -b/2a  x value of vertex and the vertical line of symmetry
2. Ex. PT2 Sec. 4 #29 (p.499)
a. Recognize that Real only if 1) a>0 and b< 3 OR 2) a<0 and
b>3
3. Quadratic Equation:
a. 𝑥 =
−𝑏±√𝑏2
−4𝑎𝑐
2𝑎
iii. Vertex form: y = a(x-h)2 + k
1. (h,k) = vertex; x = h is the vertical line of symmetry
2. Ex. PT1 Sec. 4 #30 (p. 385)
f. Exponent Rules
i. A0 = 1
ii. A-n = 1/An
iii. (Am)(An) = Am+n
iv. (Am)/(An) = Am-n
v. (Am)n = Amn
1. Ex. #7 p. 484 (difference of squares)
g. Imaginary Numbers
i. Group imaginary terms together (just as would you with any other like-
term). All other arithmetic rules apply.
1. Ex. Evaluate (3 + 4i) – (1- i) = 2 + 5i
2. Ex. (3+ 4i) (1 – i) = 7 + i
ii. Use the conjugate to rationalize the denominator
1. Ex. #11 (p. 485):
3−5𝑖
8+2𝑖
×
8−2𝑖
8−2𝑖
=
24 – 40𝑖 – 6𝑖 + 10𝑖2
64−4𝑖2 =
7
34
−
23𝑖
34
h. Exponential functions
i. General form: f(x) = abx where
1. Where a= initial amount and b= exponential growth (b>1) or decay
(b<1) constant
2. Ex. #14 (p. 486)
3. Trigonometry (Math of triangles)
a. Types of Triangles
i. Acute = all interior angles are <90o
ii. Right = one interior angle = 90o
1. Special right triangles:
iii. Obtuse = one interior angle is >90o

9. b. Similar triangles: triangles that have identical interior angles and have respective
side lengths that differ by a specific factor.
i. Solve by setting up a proportion between the two triangle side lengths
ii. Ex. #18 (p. 488)
c. Unit Circle:
i. Remember: A circle is 360o
ii. Convert between radians and degrees using 180o/π or π/180o
iii. Ex. #19 (p. 488)
4. Statistics Graph/Table Interpretation
a. Stats Review
i. Mean: Average = Add all terms and divide by # of terms
ii. Median: The middle number in a ordered list (least to greatest)
1. Most robust to outliers
iii. Mode: # that appears most frequently
iv. Range: Biggest # - Smallest #
b. Practice
i. Sec. 4: #11 (unit analysis), #14, #16 (p. 493-195)
ii. #16: Probability =
# favorable outcomes
total # of outcomes
5. Geometry
a. Circles
i. General Form: (x-h)2 + (y-k)2 = r2 where (h,k) = center and r= radius
1. Converting an expanded equation into this form requires you to
complete the square: (b/2)2
2. Ex. #24 (p. 497)
a. Solution: Center = (-2,1) Radius = 2
6. PT3 Practice problems (if time permits)

10. a. Section 3: 1, 3, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12 (distribute and complete the square), 13 (Test-
Taking Strategy: Picking #’s  x = 1), 14, 17, 18, 19, 20
b. Section 4: 5, 8, 10/11, 13, 15, 16, 19, 24, 25, 27, 28, 30, 34, 37/38
7. Homework
a. Practice Test #4: Section 3 (1-20) and Section 4 (1-38) under testing conditions
b. Print out Practice Test #6: https://cdn.kastatic.org/KA-share/sat/5MSA05_FV.pdf
i. We’ll be doing review problems from this PT
Week 5: Review, Practice, & Essay
1. Reading Comprehension Review (5-6 minutes)
a. Annotate: underline transition phrases
i. Helps to understand valence of argument
b. Write One-Line Anchor: helps to answer primary purpose questions
c. Support every answer with a line in the passage***
i. Pencil on the line that supports your answer choice! No stories! No
“sorta/kinda/I guess it could be”!
d. Process of Elimination (POE): Think valence and avoid extreme language
e. Paired Questions: Evidence question first, original question second
f. Practice: First 2 passages of PT6 (26 minutes 15 seconds)
2. Writing Language (5-6 minutes)
a. Review of 10 points given on Writing/Language day
b. Practice: All of PT6 Section 2 (35 minutes)
3. Math (5-6 minutes)
a. Review: Can’t go over all topics. Any general topics you’d like me cover?
i. Test-Taking Strategies: Picking Numbers, POE, Guess-and-Check(  if
listed in numerical order try B or C first, then pick a direction based on if
selected answer is too small or too large)
b. Practice: PT6 Section 3 All
i. Extra practice (Sec 4): 6, 7, 10, 12, 13, 15, 16, 22, 23, 25, 27, 28, and 29
4. Essay (Optional)
a. Basics
i. Objective: Write a persuasive essay using a passage as reference
ii. Timing: 50 minutes [Taken after Section 4]
iii. Scoring: Two different people will read and score your essay
1. Each scorer awards 1-4 points for each dimension: reading,
analysis, and writing.
2. The two scores for each dimension are added.
3. You’ll receive three scores for the SAT essay – one for each
dimension – ranging from 2-8 points.
b. “Should I take it?”
i. Pros: A good score can strengthen your application (slightly), you will
meet all college SAT requirements
ii. Cons: More to study/practice, longer exam, $11.50 more (unless you have
a waiver)
c. “How do I get a 4 on each dimension?” [Rubric from CollegeBoard]
i. Reading:
1. Demonstrates thorough comprehension of the source text.

11. 2. Shows an understanding of the text’s central idea(s) and of most
important details and how they interrelate, demonstrating a
comprehensive understanding of the text.
3. Is free of errors of fact or interpretation with regard to the text.
4. Makes skillful use of textual evidence (quotations, paraphrases, or
both), demonstrating a complete understanding of the source text.
ii. Analysis:
1. Offers an insightful analysis of the source text and demonstrates a
sophisticated understanding of the analytical task.
2. Offers a thorough, well-considered evaluation of the author’s use
of evidence, reasoning, and/or stylistic and persuasive elements,
and/or feature(s) of the student’s own choosing.
3. Contains relevant, sufficient, and strategically chosen support for
claim(s) or point(s) made.
4. Focuses consistently on those features of the text that are most
relevant to addressing the task.
iii. Writing
1. Is cohesive and demonstrates a highly effective use and command
of language.
2. Includes a precise central claim.
3. Includes a skillful introduction and conclusion. The response
demonstrates a deliberate and highly effective progression of ideas
both within paragraphs and throughout the essay.
4. Has a wide variety in sentence structures. The response
demonstrates a consistent use of precise word choice. The response
maintains a formal style and objective tone.
5. Shows a strong command of the conventions of standard written
English and is free or virtually free of errors.
d. “You lost me at rubric. So what do I do exactly?”
i. Write an essay that is:
1. Extremely clear
2. Consistent, smooth, and easy to read
3. Has few errors
4. Is not repetitive in content or language
5. Is sufficiently detailed (using evidence from the text) to fully
support the writer’s thesis
6. Demonstrates that you understand the text and the author’s claims
ii. Structure: Introduction (includes thesis), evidence paragraph 1, evidence
paragraph 2, evidence paragraph 3, conclusion
1. Ways to organize body paragraphs:
a. Appeals to logos (P1), pathos (P2), ethos (P3)
b. Analysis through the lens of three rhetorical devices :
diction, imagery, metaphor/simile, palilogy (repetition of a
word or phrase), syllogism, hyberbole, etc.
c. Identify and analyze two or three major arguments/themes
the author discusses

12. e. Review PT6 Essay Prompt
i. Create outline on board
5. Feel free to email me if you have any further questions regarding the SAT. Wish you all
the best of luck! 😊