How to Prepare for SAT II [antikvár]

PREFACE vii PREFACE The College Entrance Examination Board, known familiarly as the College Board, was founded in 1901. During the Board's first decades, college applicants were given all-essay tests in a variety of specific subjects. In 1926 verbal and mathematical multiple-choice questions replaced the essays and ever since have dominated college entrance tests. In 1974 the Test of Standard Written English (TSWE) came into being. For the first time, writing skills were considered important enough to become the subject matter of a separate exam. The TSWE, however, consisted of only short-answer questions and failed to satisfy critics who thought that in order to measure students' writing ability, a real essay, an actual sample of a student's written work, must be included on a test. Three years later, in 1977, the English Composition Test (ECT) with essay was bom, and a technique for standardizing the evaluation of essays was developed. From then on, everyone who took the December "English Achievements," as the test has commonly been called, was required to write an essay. Now, as the College Board approaches its one hundredth birthday, another revision of college admissions tests has taken place. The SATII: Writing Test has replaced both the TSWE and the ECT. Beginning in May 1994, everyone who takes the SAT II: Writing Test must not only answer multiple-choice questions about writing but must also write an essay. According to the College Board, a new writing test was needed to ensure that students in the 1990s and beyond will be better prepared for college. The new test also reflects changes taking place in America's schools and more accurately measures what students are learning about writing in classrooms nationwide. This book, as its title suggests, is a study guide to the SAT H: Writing Test. As a test préparation guide, it describes and explains the test and tells students what they need to know. It offers plenty of test-taking advice and gives students countless opportunities to practice, practice, practice—which, in the end, may determine whether their test scores will help them push open the gâtes to their college of choice. Whether this book becomes a steady companion for months prior to the test, or whether students merely browse through its pages the night before, using it is likely to improve performance. Barron's test préparation books have a long history of helping students achieve better scores on crucial examinations like the SAT II: Writing Test. Like all Barron's books, this one has been meticulously researched and developed to provide students with accurate and up-to-date review material. As the nation's leading publisher of study aids, Barron's feels an extra responsibility to the millions of students who depend on Barron's books. Therefore, as they turn the pages of this book, students can feel confident that they've come to the right place.