Don't Let Messy Handwriting Impact Your SAT Score - Because It Can - Mr Test Prep

You have gone over endless vocabulary flashcards, practiced word problems and read countless pages to prepare for the SAT, but have you overlooked one detail? Your handwriting has the potential to play a role in your SAT score.

Messy is Ok

Don’t panic too much, handwriting has to be absolutely illegible in order to impact your score. If the entire essay is impossible to read, you will receive the lowest possible score, which is a 1 out of 4. However, if your analysis is unintelligible because keywords are impossible to decipher, you may loose points. As long as your writing does not get in the way of the graders’ comprehension of your essay, you will not loose points.

No Extra Points for Nice

Attractive handwriting will not improve your score either. Your score is based on how well you demonstrate your comprehension of the given passage, your analysis of the passage and your ability to use writing and grammar knowledge to communicate. Don’t waste time making your handwriting perfect and as a result miss out on writing an excellent essay.

Under Pressure

Writing a timed essay under a tremendous amount of pressure can lead to handwriting that is less than perfect. This is a minor factor. You don’t need to add to your pressure by worrying about how neat your handwriting appears. When you are done with your essay, you can go back and read it. If there are any words that seem unclear, you can correct them. This is also a great time to fix grammar errors.

Practice

The best way to avoid nervous handwriting problems and feel confident about how to approach the essay is to take practice essays. The more you practice a timed essay, the easier it will be to perform under pressure. Practice writing quickly and clearly.

The College Board states, “Remember that people who are not familiar with your handwriting will read what you write. Try to write or print so that what you are writing is legible to those readers.” Make reading your essay as easy as possible for your graders. Keep in mind that they cannot withhold points because they think your handwriting is messy. Maintain a good balance between quick, efficient writing and writing that is legible.

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Mr. Romano is the best tutor I have ever worked with… EVER!! I had gone to previous SAT prep centers, but none of them gave me the help and results that Mr. Romano did! One thing that was different with Mr. Romano, was that I actually enjoyed attending his test preps, and would even look forward to them!! As a busy student, with multiple extra curricular activities, his flexible schedule and no homework policy made prepping for the SAT less stressful! Mr. Test Prep’s one-on-one assistance helped me to not only identify my mistakes, but understand, and correct them as well. Also, Mr. Romano’s relaxed demeanor and constant positive attitude created a wonderful learning environment, which helped me improve my score by 500+ points! I also scored in the 700s on my SAT Subject Tests too! Mr. Romano totally prepared me for these exams, and I know I would not have been able to do as well as I did without him! Because of Mr. Romano, I am more confident in my test taking and academic abilities! Mr. Test Prep is more than a tutor! He is a mentor, and a pretty incredible one at that! It is safe to say that Mr. Romano is the one of the reasons why I was accepted to UC Davis, UC Santa Cruz, UCLA, UC Berkeley, Cornell University, and Georgetown University, where I will be attending in the fall!! THANK YOU SO MUCH MR. TEST PREP!! YOU’RE THE BEST!!!

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Guillermo Lopez

Mr. Romano is simply the best. Upon entering Mr. Romano’s test prep, I knew little about the SAT. The knowledge and wisdom that I inherited from Michael is truly priceless. While at Mr. Test Prep’s, Michael helped me zone in and conquer the areas in which I was struggling. Mr. Romano was very encouraging and supportive to me every time I was in his presence. Mr. Romano would carefully evaluate my progress and generously give me tips on any of my consistent confidence shortcomings. Michael’s years of experience and great social skills has enabled him to express his knowledge in ways that would help me better understand any given material. My scores, in all sections of the SAT, had climbed very significantly. Along with my growth in confidence, the appreciation I have for Mr. Romano and all his hard work grew even more. For anyone who has worked with Mr. Romano, it is clear that MICHAEL ROMANO IS THE “GO TO” GUY FOR ANYTHING RELATING TO THE SAT. Mr. Romano goes far beyond that of a SAT prep teacher. Michael has become to me more of a mentor and good friend. Other than being a great teacher, Mr. Romano is also a great person; a likable person. Michael Romano ranks among the highest all around great individuals I have had the honor of knowing. It meant all the more to me that Mr. Romano was always someone I can turn to for valuable insight on things that might be giving me trouble; both in and out of the classroom. I struggled a lot with academics in high school and often worried about my ability to continue education in a college setting, but Mr. Romano made all the difference. After I was taken under Michael’s wing, my academics made a significant change for the better. My grades began to soar hand-in-hand with my SAT scores. Mr. Romano helped me the way nobody else could. I owe a lot to Michael and thank God that He has blessed me in coming to know Mr. Romano. With all that he has done for me, Michael has helped my once far-fetched dream of continuing my studies in Santa Barbara a reality.

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Lincoln High School '14
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Veronica Louise Mendoza

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PALY 2014
Tufts University 2018

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