How do I prepare for the SAT? It makes sense because it’s typically harder to study for a big exam than it is to actually take it. The actual operation itself might be more stressful and uncomfortable than trying to answer challenging test questions. This is particularly true for the SAT because it carries a lot of pressure and can be rather taxing to take.
After that, we spoke about the debate around SAT prep courses, instructors, and resources. Learn more about SAT super scores as well. Utilise learners’ private SAT instructors to the best extent possible! Get tailored help to help you accomplish your goals.
Nevertheless, if you have a solid plan in place, you can study thoroughly and effectively for the exam.
If you are unsure of how to begin your SAT preparation, the following is a quick, step-by-step guide:
Ways to Effectively Prepare Yourself for the Exam
1. Do your research.
The best approach to starting to prepare for the SAT is to learn as much as you can about it beforehand. It is very logical to treat this test as an adversary that must be vanquished, as many individuals do. If you do this, you’ll be more motivated to go through all the required procedures.
By the summer before your senior year, you should be an expert on the SAT. The answer to the query “Is the SAT difficult?” should already be known to you. and “How is the ACT different from the SAT?”
You should be well aware of what the SAT comprises, including the exam’s timetable and levels of difficulty. It’s sometimes described as the exam used by schools and other institutions to choose applicants. Universities analyse your test scores when determining whether or not to accept you since they offer crucial information about your readiness for education. You know where you stand because SAT percentiles were also covered.
Your research should also teach you a few ideas about how to ace the SAT. You might be able to start out effectively by using a number of strategies, tips, and ideas that others have employed. They may also be used to design a productive study schedule.
Naturally, you shouldn’t forget to study the exam’s format, weighting, and topic content. The ideal method to prepare for the SAT is to take these factors into account, since they may really ensure that you are aware of the challenges you will face. Be aware that certain schools could ask for your SAT essay while others might not (for more details, see the Does the SAT Essay Matter? page).
2. Take a diagnostic test.
Once you are familiar with the SAT’s standards, you should be prepared to start working on your exam preparations. The first step in this method is a diagnostic test.
An SAT practice test is all that a diagnostic examination is. On the other hand, the initial one you take will serve as a diagnostic evaluation of your skills. It will offer you a general picture of what you’re up against because you haven’t actually started studying for the test yet.
The results of your diagnostic exam will show you exactly what you already know and what you still need to learn. This should give you a clear idea of how much study you still need to do in order to perform well on the actual test.
Make a note of the questions and parts you had trouble with, then go looking for them. Then, you should concentrate on those subjects to create the best SAT preparation approach. Take into account the SAT reasoning test as well.
Where can I take a SAT practice test? There are several places to find this information, but the College Board’s resources are the best, in our opinion.
Thankfully, you may use a handful of the College Board’s free practise exams as a diagnostic test. They created the test, so their study resources may be quite helpful.
They offer the same quality of questions, so you can make sure to get the same kind of challenges as you would when you take the exam, as explained in this post.
The best SAT prep book you can get will also provide useful practise exams that you may use for your diagnostic assessment in addition to the College Board prep tests. Just be sure to be really selective when selecting the book to purchase so you can be certain to get a sample of the highest quality. You may use the answer sheet given by the creator of the sample test to double-check your answers after taking the diagnostic exam. You may review the ideas you forgot throughout this process and make a note of the ones you need to pay more attention to.
3. Find out what kind of learner you are.
While this stage doesn’t have to fall into this category, it would be helpful to know your learning style before moving on to the next one. Why? Discovering your learning style can help you identify the most effective SAT study strategy. For instance, reading about new concepts and ideas tends to help you understand them better. With this knowledge, you may simply decide to self-study using the top SAT books as your main study resources.
It would be wise to get the official SAT study guide if you want to self-study, since it would be useful for such students. Enrolling in a SAT prep course—of which we have evaluated many here—might be a better option if you need some help or coaching to learn new subjects. You have the option of an online or in-person programme. You’ll work with a specialist and other students in these after-school programmes, which are essentially tutorial sessions where you’ll practise for the test.
Yet, those who are visual learners could have a harder time getting ready for the SAT. You may need to hunt for some alternatives since the majority of printed items are text-heavy. Nonetheless, there are some instructional films available online, so there’s still a decent possibility you’ll discover helpful study resources there.
4. Create a study plan according to your learning style.
You may now begin making a study plan, as you have all the essential information you need to design a unique one. Strategy for preparing for the SAT. This will allow you to schedule the things you need to study in a way that will have you prepared on exam day.
- Set a target score.
This will enable you to visualise your objective and assist you in estimating the amount of effort required to achieve your desired objectives. You may determine how much effort is still needed to enhance your scores by calculating the difference between your goal score and your diagnostic test score (see here for information on how to raise your SAT score by 200 points). If you want to go very specific, you may use the difference between the two as a benchmark for how many hours you should devote to SAT prep. You may surely choose this path if you believe it would be helpful for you; you can find many tips about it online.
- Create a study timeline and stick to it.
Since there are many subjects to study in addition to your regular academics and extracurricular activities, and there is a specific test date, you’ll need to schedule your time wisely if you want to ace the SAT. To make sure you can finish all of your tasks and won’t forget anything, create a study plan for the SAT.
For each timetable, you should specify the courses you’ll cover and provide time for SAT prep. Additionally, this will make it simpler for you to keep track of your work and make sure you cover all the necessary content in order to improve your SAT results. Ensure that your SAT prep schedule is doable and that you can and will follow it. If you know you won’t be able to devote much time to studying on some days due to other commitments, it would be best to avoid scheduling long study sessions.
However, this does not mean that you can’t be accommodating with your study schedule. Although it’s not necessary, it would be really helpful if you could follow it as closely as you can. You must thus develop it properly to prevent having to rush thereafter.
5. Sign up for a prep class.
As was already said, enrolling in SAT prep courses may also be a useful strategy for getting ready for the big day. Despite the fact that you might prefer to study alone, these sessions could be useful in some situations. With some of them, especially the online ones, you can still exercise your preferences and get help when you need it. This makes it tremendously helpful for many individuals.
6. Get a few of the best SAT prep books and other study materials.
Perhaps one of the SAT study techniques that people tend to overemphasise is this one. Whatever method of learning you like, a good exam guide may be quite beneficial. Although you can’t always rely on them completely, you may utilise them as a reliable resource to make sure that you’ll have everything covered.
Some folks could discover that all they need is a truly great book, like the College Board SAT book, to be prepared for the big day. They can already help you review the theories and ideas you need to be familiar with in order to perform successfully. These might also be used as SAT study guides, where you can act out sample SAT questions and rehearse answering them to get a better sense of the test’s format and processes.
7. Additional SAT Tips and Tricks
In addition to the above-mentioned methods, there are a few other helpful SAT strategies that may significantly increase your chances of achieving a better score. The following are a few things you need to try:
Balance your reading list with some nonfiction materials.
In actuality, you should practise reading for the SAT! If you want to do well on the SAT, you must absolutely become used to reading a lot without becoming fatigued after a few pages. To provide you further help, we have developed the essential SAT reading strategies.
While you will read a lot of fiction for your high school classes, you should also get into the habit of reading non-fiction. Since non-fiction passages will frequently occur on the SAT’s reading and writing sections, it would be advantageous for you to get used to them. They can also assist you in balancing the many genres of literature you read while introducing you to a range of fresh ideas and notions. It is advisable that you buy copies of or subscribe to the most well-known journals’ new editions for this reason.
Make use of your “dead time.”
You’re going to discover pockets of “dead” time here and there. No matter how much scheduling you do to make the most of your spare time and utilise it for SAT prep. You could always use this to prepare for the SAT.
You may want to have some useful study resources close at hand to make the most of this time.
In this manner, you may efficiently utilise any downtime you come across to study for the SAT.
- Brush up on your grammar.
Many students struggle with grammar, so it would be wise for you to pay special attention to this subject and master the SAT grammar rules we presented in our SAT Grammar Rules guide.
- perfect at doing mental math.
As math is another subject where many students have difficulty, it would be excellent for you to focus more on SAT mathematics problems. If you’re one of the many people who needs to raise their score on the SAT math exam, reading our practise recommendations can help.
- Do not overstress yourself.
It makes sense that you could feel anxious while you study for the big day since it can seem as if your future hinges on getting an amazing SAT score. You shouldn’t worry too much about your score’s significance in the admissions process, however.
The SAT score of a student is only one of several characteristics that some of the best colleges in the US claim they take into account. Don’t get too worked up about it since it most certainly isn’t the decisive factor.
- Do not cram.
You should actually get a head start on your preparations. You’ll need to cover a lot of material to prepare fully for this test, so allot some time for it.
- Find an SAT buddy.
Having a study buddy will make it easier to monitor your progress. They could help you be held accountable for your goals and plans, which will force you to stick to your deadline.
- Stick to your study schedule.
Although it can seem like common sense, this is an important piece of information that has to be emphasised. To effectively prepare for the SAT, be sure to stick to your study plan and timetable.
