How to run this lesson. Before this session the student completes a full, timed practice test under real conditions (one official digital SAT practice test). This lesson is the error-analysis review: sort every miss by type, then build the fix list. The dark navy notes are for the instructor only.
The frame for today
One line to open: “A practice test isn’t a verdict — it’s a map. Every wrong answer tells us exactly where the next points are.” Today we read that map: categorize, diagnose, and plan.
00 Before you begin
Pre-work handout
The student should arrive having already taken the test, with their answers and the scoring in hand.
Practice Test — Pre-work
Complete BEFORE our session · about 2 hours 14 minutes
Warm-up
1. Take one full, timed official practice test in a quiet room — no phone.
2. Take only the one scheduled break; mimic real timing.
3. Score it and bring the list of every question you missed.
4. Note any questions you guessed on, even if you got them right.
Answer key (instructor)
Bring: your score, the list of missed questions, and any lucky guesses. We diagnose them together.
02 Real conditions
Why conditions matter
A practice test only predicts the real one if it’s taken like the real one: timed, quiet, one break, no phone. Otherwise the score lies in your favor.
Pacing1
Each Math module gives about 35 minutes for 22 questions. Roughly how much time is that per question?
Why B
35 min ÷ 22 ≈ 95 seconds per question. Knowing this number is how you pace the section.03 The four error types
Sort every miss
Almost every wrong answer is one of four kinds. Naming the kind tells you the fix.
The four error types
Content gap
You didn’t know the skill. Fix: re-learn it and drill similar problems.
Careless
You knew it but slipped — arithmetic or bubbling. Fix: slow the final step.
Misread
You answered a different question than asked. Fix: underline what’s wanted.
Timing
You rushed or ran out of time. Fix: timed sets and skip-and-return.
Diagnose2
You knew the formula but ran out of time and guessed on the last four questions. This is mainly a —
Why B
You had the skill but not the clock — a timing error. The fix is pacing practice, not re-studying.Diagnose3
You solved 3x = 12 and correctly got x = 4, but bubbled x = 3. This is a —
Why A
The math was right; the transfer was wrong — a careless error. The fix is double-checking the final answer.Diagnose4
The question asked for the perimeter, but you found the area. This is a —
Why A
You answered the wrong question — a misread. The fix is underlining exactly what’s asked.04 Turn misses into a plan
Each type has a fix
Diagnosis is only useful if it becomes an action. Match every miss to its fix and build a short, ranked to-do list.
Match the fix5
What is the best fix for a content-gap error?
Why A
A content gap is a knowledge problem — the fix is re-learning and drilling that exact skill.Match the fix6
You keep running out of time on the last few questions. The best fix is to —
Why B
Timing errors are fixed by timed practice and a skip-and-return habit, not by re-studying content you already know.Rank the fixes
After sorting, have the student rank their two or three biggest leak categories. Two content gaps fixed cleanly usually move the score more than a dozen scattered “be more careful” notes. Make the plan specific and small.
05 Vocabulary Lab
This week’s words — think in synonyms and antonyms
Tap a card to flip it. Learn each word next to its opposite — that’s how the test frames them.
Quick check
Synonym7
Which word is closest in meaning to methodical?
Why B
Methodical = orderly and systematic.Antonym8
Which word is most nearly opposite to rigorous?
Why C
Rigorous = extremely careful; its opposite is lax.Word in context9
One surprising data point was an ______ that the rest of the results did not explain.
Why A
Anomaly = something that deviates from the expected pattern.06 Wrap-up
Three things to carry out the door
Say them out loud — that’s how they stick.
It’s a map
A practice test shows where the points are — not your worth.
Sort every miss
Content, careless, misread, or timing — the type names the fix.
Rank the fixes
Close your top two gaps before chasing scattered ones.
Close the loop
Have the student commit to their top two fixes in writing. Confirm the two review days, point them to the workbook error log, and preview that Lesson 10 is final review, pacing, and test-day prep — the last session before the real thing.
07 Keep the fire lit
Next-two-days handout
Short, daily, cumulative.
Error Analysis — Work for the Next Two Days
About 30 minutes a day · turn every miss into an action
Day 1 · Build the error log
Sort every miss
1. List each missed question and label it: content, careless, misread, or timing.
2. Count how many fall in each category. Which is your biggest leak?
3. Pick your top two categories to attack first.
4. For each top category, write the one-line fix.
5. Note any topic you guessed on but got right — it’s a hidden gap.
Day 2 · Drill the top gaps
Close the biggest leaks
1. Do ten practice problems on your #1 content gap.
2. Do ten on your #2 content gap.
3. Redo three timed questions you rushed, this time on the clock.
4. Write one sentence: what will be different on test day?
Answer key (instructor)
There is no single answer key here — the “answers” are the student’s own categorized misses and the ranked fix list. The teacher guide explains how to lead the sort.
This sets up Lesson 10. You now know exactly where your points are — next week we sharpen pace and lock in the test-day routine.