SHSAT common mistakes
SHSAT · Understand the traps and how to avoid them.
Solves for x but selects x when the question asks for 2x+5, 'how many more', or another derived quantity.
Under time pressure, the student stops at the first variable value and does not re-read the final question stem.
What to do instead
Before solving, circle or underline the exact quantity requested. After solving, write 'Asked: ___' and substitute the value to confirm it matches the requested form.
Chooses an answer that is factually true according to the passage but does not answer the specific question asked (e.g., picks a detail when the question asks for the main idea).
The student conflates 'true' with 'relevant' and stops evaluating once a familiar-sounding statement appears.
What to do instead
Restate the question in your own words before looking at choices. Test each choice against that restatement and eliminate any choice that answers a different question.
Makes sign or fraction errors when distributing a negative or combining fractions, often writing -3(x-2) as -3x-6.
Mental arithmetic is rushed and negative signs are treated as decoration rather than operations.
What to do instead
Write every distribution step on paper. After solving, substitute a simple number (e.g., x=1) into the original expression and the answer to verify equivalence.
Defines a vocabulary word in context using its most common everyday meaning rather than the meaning the passage requires.
Familiar words trigger automatic retrieval of the dominant definition, and the student does not check the sentence.
What to do instead
Substitute each answer choice into the original sentence and read the full sentence. Eliminate any choice that changes the sentence's logic or tone.
Sets up percent, ratio, or rate word problems with the wrong operation, such as multiplying by 1.2 for a 20% decrease.
The student matches keywords ('percent', 'more') to operations without identifying the base or the direction of change.
What to do instead
Write 'Part = Percent × Whole' and label the base before computing. Test the setup with 100 as the starting value to see whether the result increases or decreases correctly.
Misses grammar and editing errors that 'sound right', such as subject-verb agreement across a long interrupting phrase or an ambiguous pronoun.
Spoken-language habits make certain errors sound natural, so the student relies on ear rather than rules.
What to do instead
Isolate the subject and verb by crossing out prepositional phrases. For pronouns, circle the pronoun and draw an arrow to its intended antecedent; if two nouns could be the antecedent, the choice is likely wrong.
Spends several minutes on one hard problem early in the section, then rushes or runs out of time on easier later questions.
Perfectionism and a fixed question order make the student unwilling to skip and return.
What to do instead
Use a two-pass strategy: answer every question you can solve within about 90 seconds, flag the rest, and return only after completing the section. Never let one problem consume more than two minutes.
Selects an answer based on personal opinion or outside knowledge instead of evidence from the passage.
The test asks for the 'best' answer, and prior knowledge feels authoritative, so the student ignores the text.
What to do instead
Require a line number or paraphrase from the passage for every selected answer. Eliminate any choice you cannot support with specific text.
Skips drawing or labeling a diagram for geometry problems, leading to formula errors such as using circumference for area or diameter for radius.
The student tries to save time by working mentally, but geometry requires spatial tracking.
What to do instead
Always sketch the figure, label every given value, and write the formula before substituting. Check whether the problem gives radius or diameter and whether it asks for perimeter, area, or volume.
Leaves answers blank when unsure, believing a blank is safer than a wrong guess.
The student assumes a wrong-answer penalty exists, but the SHSAT has none.
What to do instead
Eliminate at least two choices, then select from the remaining options. Never leave a bubble blank; a guess has a positive expected value.