SAT Tips for the Present and the Future

With SAT’s bearing down tomorrow, many students are feeling apprehensive leading into what many students feel is the most important test of their lives.

Junior Dawson Blades said, “No, I do not feel like I am fully prepared for the SAT. I bought a book and I study and work out problems every night when I get home to help prepare me. This is my first time taking the SAT and after this, I will be able to know exactly what I need to study for in order to further my strive for greatness.”

Junior Trace Strouse said, “I do not feel like I am prepared to take the SAT. This is my first time taking the SAT. I have taken the ACT before and it was very complicated and I did not do well on it so it makes me worry about the SAT. After I take the SAT I hope I can learn what I need to study for. I have not studied as much as I should have for it though.”

Here are 15 tips to feel better prepared heading into the SAT:

1. Make sure to be aware of testing dates and registration deadlines

SAT registration is done through collegeboard.org. They show SAT test dates and when registration starts and ends. They also show late registration deadlines, but late registrations come along with a late fee. It is best to give yourself enough time to plan when the best time to take the SAT is so you can study and better prepare yourself for the test.

2. Take online practice test/buy an SAT preparation book

The SAT test preparation book has examples of every section that will be on the test. It would be best to buy a book so you can pretend that you are actually taking the test and check your answers on the back. Online practice tests can also be very helpful if buying a test book is not an option.

3. DO NOT forget to print out your admission ticket and a form of ID, this will allow you into the testing room

Your admission ticket and a form of ID are required to get into the testing room. The teacher in the room during the test will check your admission ticket and ID before you enter the room.

4. Don’t try to study for the test the week before

It is important to give yourself enough time before the test to feel fully prepared. Take some time each night to look at examples in the SAT prep book or take a short online quiz.  It is useless to stress yourself out by cramming a week before.

5. Work on time management

The test sections have a large amount of questions in a short amount of time. Don’t stay on one question too long if you don’t know the answer. Skip the question and come back to it if you have enough time. Your goal is to answer enough questions correctly as possible. You don’t get counted off for wrong answers, but it’s best to focus on the questions you know you will get right to get more points.

6. Know when to guess an answer and when to skip the question entirely

Since you don’t get counted off for wrong answers, guessing on a question wouldn’t be a big deal. However, if you come across a question that you have no idea how to answer, then skip is and move onto the next question. Guess on the questions that you think you have a shot at getting right. Multiple choice questions can work to your advantage.

7. Know the structure of the test (pretty much the same as the PSAT)

The entire test takes about 3 hours (without the essay). The sections are the following: evidence-based reading and writing, writing and language, and math. The reading portion will have a passage with 10-11 questions relating to the passage. The writing and language test will be a revision of sentences in the context of short passages. The math test will be broken down into both multiple-choice and free response questions. You won’t be allowed to use a calculator on a 20 question section of the math, and you will be allowed to use it on a section with 38.

8. Be aware of your testing weaknesses and work on them before the test

Not everyone is an amazing test taker, especially in all of the categories that are in the SAT. Study the things you know you don’t do well. If you aren’t good at time management, practice being timed while doing a certain amount of homework. Focus on your weaknesses rather than your strengths to help increase the possibility of getting a really good SAT score.

9. Get plenty of sleep the night before the test, and eat breakfast in the morning

The SAT is a long test. The test itself takes three hours, but you will be at your testing location for longer than that. If you get a better night’s sleep, you will be able to focus better during the test which will improve your chances of getting a higher SAT score.

10. Bring healthy snacks to eat during breaks

You get 10 minute breaks between each section. You can use these breaks to use the restroom, to relax, and to eat some snacks. You should eat before the test, but you should also bring snacks like crackers, granola bars, or something else that will keep you energized. You should also bring water to drink, but you will not be allowed to eat or drink in the testing room.

11. Bring multiple sharpened pencils and an eraser

This is the most basic testing tip, but it’s very important. Chances are, you will want to change an answer during the test or you will realize that you calculated a math free response question wrong. You should have an eraser just in case. Extra pencils never hurt anything either. You won’t be able to get up and sharpen your pencil during the test, so it’s better safe than sorry.

12. Make sure you bring an appropriate calculator that you’re comfortable with using

Calculators save time during the section in which they are allowed. Familiarize yourself with any shortcuts your calculator might have. Using a calculator at all times possible will make your life a lot easier during the test, and it will reduce the likelihood of calculating errors.

13. Be aware of the supplies you’re allowed and prohibited from bringing into the testing room

Cell phones are prohibited from the testing room. If a cell phone is on and rings during the test, all tests can be voided. You are allowed certain types of calculators. You aren’t allowed to have any sort of electronic device that could make noise or possibly connect to the internet during the test. Watches are allowed.

14. DO NOT overwhelm yourself, especially during the test

The SAT is an important test, but don’t allow that to stress you out during the test. It will be hard, but there will be more opportunities to take the test. The most important thing to remember during the test is to try your best and answer as many questions as possible.

15. Set a goal, but do not have outrageous expectations for your first test

Think about what college you want to go to and look up the average SAT score they accept. If that college is the one you want to go to, try to set your goal around the average score they accept. Don’t be disappointed if you don’t get the score you hoped for. There is always room for improvement, and you can work on the things you struggled with during the test to help improve your next score.