Imagine two children playing tag in a deep, dark forest. Who’s gonna win, a speed demon from the big city who doesn’t know his way around and keeps tripping and falling? or a slower-footed tyke who grew up in the forest and knows every root, twist, and cranny of the forest?

Here’s the point: Knowing the landscape can be very helpful. If the SAT’s the forest, you’ll have to know the nooks and crannies of the test. That’s why we wrote this chapter.