help with preparing for the latin SAT 2

Fabiola · Post by **Fabiola** » Wed Aug 02, 2006 1:04 am

Anyone know what kind of vocabulary I need to know for this? Like primarily military, etc.? And can anyone suggest a book/website where I can learn meter scansion? I seriously have no clue there.

I'm hoping to do well on it (I want to go into college with as many credits as possible), and I'll be taking it next spring (I'll have completed Wheelock's by that point), so any help would be wonderful!

Thanks.

http://www.collegeboard.com/student/tes ... html?latin

Agrippa · Post by **Agrippa** » Wed Aug 02, 2006 4:49 am

Hello I am in the same boat as you are, but taking it in December this year. I heard there is but one practice latin SAT II test out there, hidden somewhere in the back of a Real SAT II practice book with one for every subject, and I haven't found it yet. The vocabulary from what I've seen seems to be straight from Wheelock's, or that's what I saw in the few sample questions in that SAT II book thing, as is the grammar. The scansion thing, that I have no clue about. I read the wiki on dactylic hexameter and understood it, but otherwise I don't know what to do or expect.

The practice questions I've done so far seem really easy, like what is the accusative plural of "saxum" or something, so I'm not that worried.

Fabiola · Post by **Fabiola** » Wed Aug 02, 2006 1:15 pm

Thanks for the info.

Good to know I should be in good shape with the Wheelock's vocab!

And dude, you totally have my favorite pianist as your icon, lol. Good taste.

Agrippa · Post by **Agrippa** » Wed Aug 02, 2006 7:02 pm

Fabiola wrote:And dude, you totally have my favorite pianist as your icon, lol. Good taste.

Dinu Lipatti was the man

Magistra · Post by **Magistra** » Wed Aug 02, 2006 8:21 pm

Ron Palma has a new book out. At a slight perusal, it looks quite good. (I bought one, but lent it out over the summer.)
It has 2 full-length exams and lots of practice and explanations.

SAT Subject Test: Latin -- The Best Test Prep
Palma, Ronald B./Paperback/Year Published: 2005 by REA
ISBN: 0738600903

You can get more information from the publisher's site: rea.com
You may be able to get some reviews from amazon, et al.

Magistra

Mofmog · Post by **Mofmog** » Wed Aug 02, 2006 11:31 pm

I got a 750 on it. I couldve gotten an 800 if it werent for the vocabulary. Seriously, that lowered my score by 40 whole points. The other 10 points were dumb mistakes.

bellum paxque · Post by **bellum paxque** » Fri Aug 04, 2006 4:40 am

If you're looking for some vocab lists, look herefor 1400 of the most frequently used Latin words

You can also find a list of Wheelock's vocabulary here

Fabiola · Post by **Fabiola** » Fri Aug 04, 2006 11:03 pm

Thanks for the suggestions! Much appreciated.

Michaelyus · Post by **Michaelyus** » Sun Aug 06, 2006 2:21 pm

Those sample questions are ridiculously easy. They just cannot be a reflection of the test, can they? I mean, SAT 2 is a university qualifier, isn't it - yet I only got a few questions wrong on them?

In Britain, A-levels are very much the university qualifier. They do not have any questions like what is the ablative singular of "ea". Not even GCSE has that kind of thing (GCSE done at age 16, when compulsory education ends) - it's more translation, more "Discuss the poetic devices used..." (http://cyro.cs-territories.com/latin/). And for the greatest academic qualification before university, we have the recent AEA (Advanced Extension Assessment), introduced in 2002, which is notoriously difficult for A grade students at A-level (Specimen Paper), which really isn't like those SAT 2 sample questions on the link.

bellum paxque · Post by **bellum paxque** » Mon Aug 07, 2006 3:25 am

Wow...I think I'd rather enjoy taking the sample test Michaelyus posted! But that does look slightly more difficult than the standard SAT fare.

David

Fabiola · Post by **Fabiola** » Sat Sep 16, 2006 9:01 pm

Reviving this thread to say that I bought the SAT Latin book by Ronald Palma.

It looks quite good! It has a lot of grammar review, and practice questions. (It is however only "reviews" so you'll want to have your grammar book for anything you're having problems with).

Here's how the test breaks down: (quoting from the book)

Part A: Recognition of Forms

Select the specific grammatical form of a Latin word. Eight questions.

Part B: Derivatives

Pick the Latin root word of the English derivative given in context. Four questions.

Part C: Translation

Discriminate the correct meaning of Latin to English sentences or parts of sentences. Fourteen questions.

Part D: Sentence Completion

Complete the Latin sentences by choosing the correct Latin form. Seven questions.

Part E: Syntax Substitution

Choose an alternate way of expressing the same thought in Latin (substitution, e.e. participial phrase for relative clause). Five questions.

Part F: Reading Comphrehension

Answer English questions on short passages of adapted Latin (about eight lines). There are about three to five sight passages, including one of verse. Uncommon words are glossed. This section includes questions on specific points of grammar and scansion of the first four feet of the dactylic hexameter. Five to fifteen questions per passage.

Agrippa if you want any more information about the test, I'd be happy to look it up in the book for you! There are 2 practice tests at the end.

Agrippa · Post by **Agrippa** » Wed Sep 20, 2006 7:21 pm

That all strikes me as really easy. I kicked Wheelock's butt and I'm now reading Ovid with not problems (though sloooowly). Should I be worried about this test?

Fabiola · Post by **Fabiola** » Wed Sep 20, 2006 10:32 pm

Agrippa wrote:That all strikes me as really easy. I kicked Wheelock's butt and I'm now reading Ovid with not problems (though sloooowly). Should I be worried about this test?

Sounds like you shouldn't be!

Congrats on getting through Wheelock's!