How To Prepare For The SAT

The SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test) is a standardised test used to evaluate high school students’ critical thinking, problem-solving, and analytical skills. The exam is widely used to assess readiness for college-level education in the United States. While not the only one, the SAT is a critical factor in college acceptance as admissions staff are able to use your score to consider your academic potential and aptitude relative to other students applying for admission. A strong score certainly makes your application more competitive and doing the very best you are capable of is essential. Read on to learn more about preparing for the specific sections of the SAT, when to get started, how many hours to spend on the SAT, and more helpful strategies.

When Should I Start Preparation For The SAT Test?

Ideally, your preparation timetable should begin around 3-6 months before your test date so that you have time to become really familiar with the test, its format, and how it is marked. There are various test dates for non-US students, which can be found on the College Board website, which is the body that administers the SAT.

For most students, the best place to start is to orient themselves thoroughly with the test format, and then take a practice test. This way you have a baseline score to work with, and you have an initial idea of where your strengths and weaknesses lie. It is important not to neglect your strongest areas, but at this stage it is wise to focus on improving your weak spots. Take a mock test at least twice a month, and work on practice questions daily. Review your answers, check your mistakes, and do not move on until you understand where you went wrong and know how you would get the right answer in the future. Here is it helpful if you check your tests using the official mark scheme so you can see first-hand exactly how the tests are marked.

After a month of focus on your weakest area, you should start to see an improvement. It is important to keep your practice steady, particularly for mathematical techniques, as these can easily become rusty without regular practice. Remember that even if you are scoring highly by this stage, this is not a sign to slow down your preparation and let your hard work be wasted.

In the final month before the test it is important to keep your practice schedule regular and make sure that you are clear how much time to spend on each question, and how you are going to handle any questions where you are stuck. In the final couple of weeks you should be focusing on taking care of yourself and honing your exam strategy rather than still building up your specific section skills.

How Many Hours Does It Take To Prepare For The SAT?

The answer to this question really depends on you, your current level of ability, and your commitments. However, it can be useful to think of the SAT as an additional subject you are studying and allocate around 5 hours a week to studying it at first, and increasing this gradually as the test comes closer and your preparation becomes more focused.

Common Challenges During SAT Preparation

Lack of time

This is likely to be a very busy time in your life already, so it is tempting to avoid SAT preparation. However, the SAT’s importance should not be underestimated in getting you into your college of choice and some discipline here will pay off. If you are really struggling to find the time, emphasise quality over quantity of hours spent on it; start small and regular and build up gradually as the test gets closer.

Thinking your strengths can compensate for your weaknesses

Although it is naturally less appealing to focus on our weaknesses, this strategy really is key to success on a test like the SAT. Sitting a practice test early so that you can identify these (they may not be what you were expecting) is the best place to start as then you can design your preparation around addressing your weaknesses, while still keeping your strengths sharp. While focusing on the things you find hard is initially challenging, many students find that seeing the steady improvement is a huge confidence boost that continues well beyond the SAT.

Fatigue

A major challenge for all students taking the SAT is developing the stamina necessary to take a long, intense test after often many months of focused preparation. This is an opportunity to develop your focus and resilience, qualities that will serve you well in the next stage of your academic journey. Also, if you plan carefully, including breaks, the challenge is a manageable one, that you may even enjoy!

Why Starting SAT Preparation Early Is Key

If you start your SAT preparation early, this means that you can identify your strengths and weaknesses early so that you can focus accordingly, and practice your strategies in practice exams. If you leave your preparation too late, you will not be able to create a tailored strategy for yourself, and worst of all, you will feel panicked, rushed, and disappointed that you know you are not giving yourself the best chance of success.

Tips To Prepare For The SAT

The digital SAT is composed of two sections: Reading and Writing and Math. Students have 64 minutes to complete the Reading and Writing section and 70 minutes to complete the Math section for a total of 2 hours and 14 minutes.

Each section is divided into 2 equal length modules, and there is a 10-minute break between the Reading and Writing section and the Math section. The first module of each section contains a broad mix of easy, medium, and hard questions. Based on how students perform on the first module, the second module of questions will either be more difficult or less difficult.

1. Create a study schedule and stick to it

This helps you to organise your time, builds your confidence, and avoid any last-minute panic. Allow yourself enough flexibility to be realistic, but avoid the temptation to think you’ll make the time up later.

2. Use Practice Materials

To efficiently identify your strengths and weaknesses, taking a first sample exam can be helpful to adjust your study strategy accordingly. Regularly taking sample tests will also hone your exam technique and help you to track progress and where you need to focus your efforts.

3. Develop Your Test-Taking Strategies

Stick to the time allotted for each question as closely as possible, ideally leaving some time for checking. Use strategies such as eliminating incorrect answers to narrow down your options.

4. Target Specific Areas

As you practice more, identify the sections you are weaker in, and the question types you struggle with. Adjust your study time to focus at least half of the time on these until they are no longer noticeably weaker areas for you.

5. Take Care of Yourself

It is important to manage stress during exam preparation and also to take care of your general wellbeing, such as getting enough sleep and staying well-nourished and hydrated. The SAT is important but so are you and you deserve to feel happy and healthy. You will also perform at your best if you have taken care of yourself in the months and weeks leading up to the test. It can also be helpful to remind yourself that if you get a lower-than-hoped-for score, you have opportunities to retake the test.

Preparing For Each Section

Key to success in the SAT is understanding each section and developing strategies appropriate to handling their unique challenges. The SAT math section has a wide range of concepts, from algebra and geometry to trigonometry and statistics. To master this section, start by reviewing basic math concepts and gradually work on more advanced material. Use practice problems to reinforce your understanding of each concept and focus on areas where you struggle the most.

The reading component of the SATs assesses your ability to read and analyse complex texts and your knowledge of grammar and vocabulary. To improve your performance in this section, focus on developing your critical reading skills and expanding your vocabulary. Read challenging texts, and practice identifying key themes and arguments. Also, review grammar and punctuation rules and practice identifying common errors in sentence structure.

For each segment of the SAT, calculate the maximum number of minutes you can spend per question. It is ideal to leave some time for checking, however, it is also acceptable to aim to finish on time, having chosen each answer carefully.

Additional Preparation To Boost Your SAT Score

In preparing for the SAT, it is essential to use study materials that closely mirror the content and structure of the actual test in order to build a solid foundation of knowledge and increase your confidence in your test-taking abilities. More specialist support can be found in SAT preparation courses and personalised tutoring can help you to better understand your specific strengths and weaknesses and create an effective, tailored strategy for success.