u/Reasonable-Law8021

Could someone enlighten me? I am an international student and just started studying for the SAT and i am quite unfamiliar with the way that points are awarded/deducted. So i have taken 1500 on average from bluebook practice tests so far. Tho, i just did test 11 and the reading&writing sections struck me as incredibly hard, so i had 10 wrong answers overall by straight up skipping and randomly answering a few questions. I thought i would get about 1450 since i thought each question would at least be worth 15 points since they were quite difficult, but i got 1530. Aren't each question supposed to be worth at least 10 points? I'm confused and would appreciate help.

(Task 1 is more than 150 words and Task 2 is more than 250.)
TASK1:
The graphs illustrate what percentage of each material had been recycled between 1982 and 2010 in a particular country. 
Throughout the entire period, the type of material that had always been recycled the most in terms of percentage has been paper & cardboard, always fluctuating above 60%. The least recycled material however, initially being glass containers until 1986, changed 2 times over the years as new materials, aluminum cans in 1986 and plastics in 1990,  were introduced to the practice of recycling.
When we look at the recycling rates of each material respectively, first of all, paper & cupboard initially had an overall increase and peaked at 1994 with 80%; it then decreased steadily to 70% until 2010. Glass containers share an overall similar graph with paper & cupboard between 1982 and 1994; however, it instead increased at a stable rate until 2010 which is also where it peaked at 60%. Aluminum cans always increased after it was introduced to recycling, peaking at 2010 with an even lower highest rate of 45%. And lastly, plastics had a slight increase, although they remained below 10% at all times. 
TASK 2:
The modern world indeed requires the acquisition of knowledge of the English language for it’s inhabitants. However, in some schools throughout the world, instruction of English has diminished the appeal of learning the local language(s) of the region to a high extent. But is this a problem? In this article, we will discuss the dynamic relationship between the amount that English and local languages are respectively taught at school and it’s effects on the corresponding society.
To begin with, it is completely valid to say that English is the key that opens the door to recognising more than where you are at, meaning it is vital if one wants to know the world and gain from it. Therefore, it is important that every level of a society is instructed English to a decent level which, by definition, can only be achieved by schools. We can see that countries which are conceived to be at high levels when it comes to general English knowledge are overall more developed and in relationship with the globe such as the Nordics. Thus, governments should definitely increase the quality of English language education in schools so that they can thrive.
When it comes to local languages however, they are just as important as English for a society if not more. This is because the various cultures around the world are heavily characterised by the local languages of the people that speak them. And a loss of these can significantly impact the distinction of each culture and therefore society in a negative way. This makes is compulsory to make sure they are also protected. The main way that this can be achieved is by establishing organisations that are devoted to protecting these languages by, for instance, determining grammatical rules and preserving different dialects of the language. Moreover, educational organisations should find more efficient ways to teach the nations native language to every level of the society. 
To sum up, both English and local languages are key elements of a nation’s growth. And if the balance between their instruction is established, a society that is highly intellectual in that matter will form over the years. 

The industrial area currently consists of 8 factories aligned near a pathway. The pathway includes a small straight section branching from a significantly longer one. The small section is connected to the round part of the pathway which also connects to a relatively larger straight pathway. The factories initially are built around these 3 sections which are also separated from a farmland by a river.
The planned future development is devoid of factories and instead consists of a wider network of pathways that includes various distinct structures such as housing, a school, a medical centre… The round part of the pathway has 2 road branches that make connections with the new structures. Lastly, a bridge over the river is included which leads to an array of housing across the water. Overall, this area of industry transforms into a place of community with various utility structures that are beneficial for its residents and it becomes wider than it used to be in terms of the area that is made use of and the number of connections of the buildings.

Task 2
Taking risks is regarded as one of the most rewarding acts one can make especially in their professional life. The same can be said in the matter of personal life such as relationships. Though, the term “risk”, in some instances, implies also loss rather than gain. So how balanced is the scale of gain and loss when taking a risk?
To begin with, risks are supposed to be taken cautiously. Meaning maximising your potential gain while lowering your chance of failure is essential when taking a risk in any aspect of your life. Blindly taken, so-called risks are almost guaranteed to go downhill. On the other hand, a well-calculated risk is bound to provide you the window of opportunity you have been looking for in my experience. To provide some solid base for this idea, I can include my decision of abandoning my studies at my high school in pursuit of an international qualification during my 11th grade. Had I failed, it would have meant 2 years lost from my life but since I was well-informed and decisive, now I’m on the verge of a new beginning in my life. Thus taking risks is tremendously beneficial given you see through the obstacles in front of you.
As much as well-calculated risks succeed, sometimes one might miscalculate, hesitate or fail regardless of not doing so. But even then, the experience you gain from that far outweighs the supposed “loss” you have in my perspective. You can always climb back to the place you used to be and even stronger and more knowledgeable than the past.
Continued
In conclusion, taking risks in various instances are far more beneficial than harmful given you have had a sufficient base to do so. And even in the worst-case scenario you have obtained fresh experience you otherwise would never even have thought of.

I am aiming for a band 7 in IELTS Academic writing and i tested myself with a Cambridge mock. What band would you say this is? What are my mistakes and how can i improve? I would be happy to see someone with some kind of grading experience review this. I mean i asked 2 teachers in my school, one said band 5.5 and one said 8 i am confused.

Task 1
The industrial area currently consists of 8 factories aligned near a pathway. The pathway includes a small straight section branching from a significantly longer one. The small section is connected to the round part of the pathway, which also connects to a relatively larger straight pathway. The factories initially are built around these 3 sections, which are also separated from a farmland by a river.
The planned future development is devoid of factories and instead consists of a wider network of pathways that includes various distinct structures such as housing, a school, a medical centre. The round part of the pathway has 2 road branches that make connections with the new structures. Lastly, a bridge over the river is included which leads to an area of housing across the water. Overall, this area of industry transforms into a place of community with various utility structures that are beneficial for its residents and it becomes wider than it used to be in terms of the area that is made use of and the number of connections of the buildings.

Task 2
Taking risks is regarded as one of the most rewarding acts one can make especially in their professional life. The same can be said in the matter of personal life such as relationships. Though, the term “risk”, in some instances, implies also loss rather than gain. So how balanced is the scale of gain and loss when taking a risk?
To begin with, risks are supposed to be taken cautiously. Meaning maximizing your potential gain while lowering your chance of failure is essential when taking a risk in any aspect of your life. Blindly taken, so called, risks are almost guaranteed to go downhill. On the other hand, a well-calculated risk is bound to provide you the window of opportunity you have been looking for in my experience. To provide some solid base for this idea, I can include my decision of abandoning my studies at my high school in pursuit of an international qualification during my 11th grade. Had I failed, it would have meant 2 years lost from my life but since I was well-informed and decisive now I’m on the verge of a new beginning in my life. Thus taking risks is tremendously beneficial given you see through the obstacles in front of you.
As much as well-calculated risks succeed sometimes one might miscalculate, hesitate or fail regardless of not doing so. But even then, the experience you gain from that far outweighs the supposed “loss” you have in my perspective. You can always climb back to the place you used to be and even stronger and more knowledgeable than the past.
In conclusion, taking risks in various instances are far more beneficial than harmful given you have had a sufficient base to do so. And even in the worst case scenario you have obtained fresh experience you otherwise would never even have thought of.

So i am planning to take IELTS academic. I have been scoring pretty well in reading and listening however im worried about writing. I wanted to test myself with a cambridge mock. I am aiming for band 7 ,lower than my target for the other sections, .What band would you say this is? Also i would be happy to see a comprehensive review if anyone had some experience in grading. What are my mistakes and where can i improve?