I teach SAT Chemistry overseas. One of my five students took the exam this time. On my diagnostic test, they missed about 40 out of 100 questions, so I had estimated their level in the 500s, though they had never taken the actual exam. This time they scored 770—a rise of roughly 300 points by that rough comparison. Over two months, we solved close to 2,000 questions from Barron’s, my own question book, adapted past papers, and practice tests in various SAT Chemistry books. This student now causes me considerable worry because moving from 770 to 800 is not easier than moving from around 500 to 770. Only two weeks remain before the next exam, with two lessons scheduled, and the student is exhausted after spending so much energy. I think skipping this sitting and waiting another month might be wiser, but as the instructor I find it difficult to say so. To reach 800, even if a student misses a few difficult questions, mistakes elsewhere must be almost nonexistent. Yet how do you answer a large set of questions without slips? In the many mock tests I assign, students often miss easy rather than difficult questions. Some errors are so elementary that they are dispiriting. Time pressure makes them more common. Minimizing such mistakes is essential, but calling every wrong answer a careless slip will not improve ability. The bigger problem is that students then glance at the answer and move on. An apparently small mistake can conceal a deeper gap in understanding. Honestly, I am finding this student’s level difficult to judge. We focused on questions to raise the score quickly, leaving little time for detailed explanations. Most errors are on easy questions. Are they truly just slips? I am not sure. Yet I cannot simply tell the student their foundations are weak and destroy their confidence. I am trying to keep their spirits up while we practice. As a teacher hoping for a perfect score, this is a difficult situation. I need to work harder. Update: the October exam contained many questions about the colors of elements, unlike the November 2017 sitting. Many students struggle with colors, so I should organize the topic and upload a video lesson. — JjangJi Science