As a student in high school in the USA, you will inevitably have to face the dreaded SAT testing. Standardized testing is still a common occurrence through out most high schools in America, even though it has received a fair share of backlash. Like it or not, you will have to do it, so read this article to get some precious advice
Table of Contents
What Is The SAT?
The SAT is an assessment test that measures the writing skills, numeracy, and literacy ready to start college. The SAT intends to measure a student’s readiness to join college and academic success in college. The test is usually taken by high school juniors and seniors preparing for college.
The SAT is also used as an entrance exam by most colleges and universities starting their academic year. This entrance exam offers a common ground for all the colleges and universities to assess and compare all applicants. The SAT is a multiple choice-based exam consisting of two portions Math and English. The goal behind the questions that appear on the SAT is to measure the student’s skills in the core areas essential for academic success ahead.
Do students often face problems in deciding how to study for the SAT? To answer this question, we have compiled the following article to help you decide how to study for the SAT and all the necessary details you need to know before taking the SAT exam.
How Long Does the SAT Take? And How Many Questions Are on the SAT?
The English portion of the test consists of evidence-based reading and writing, and you will be given 96 questions in this part of the exam. You might be eager to know how long the SAT is. The answer to this question is as follows:
- Time allocated for evidence-based writing is 65 minutes, in which you have to attempt fifty-two questions.
- Writing and language test is given thirty-five minutes, in which you need to make sure to complete forty-four questions.
- The other portion is numerical based, consisting of 20 such inquiries that you need to attempt in 25 minutes without using a calculator.
- The remaining math portion consists of 38 questions that have to be completed within 55 minutes using a calculator.
Hence, you have three hours to complete your SAT exam. Students are always eager to know the highest SAT score ever achieved; the answer is 1600. So you now know that you can aim for this score, and it is achievable.
Ways To Study For The SAT
The SAT is a generalized assessment, so you don’t need to work on a specific curriculum; instead, the emphasis should be on skill-building. Hence, start your prep by working on developing general skills. If you are wondering how to practice for the SAT and what things to study for the test, the following information will be of great help.
If you are weak in English, read and summarize lengthy essays and articles to strengthen your English. Read long passages and work on improving sentence clarity, analysis, word structure, word choice, sentence structure, etc.
SAT preparation for English is relatively easy, but how to prep for SAT if you are weak in math as its curriculum is vast and you can’t prepare the whole curriculum. The math assessment also includes multiple-choice questions with grid-in questions where the student needs to find an answer.
The trick to improving your math skills is to practice topics like linear equations, problem-solving, data analysis, non-linear expressions, exponential, radicals, and other topics that are a part of advanced math. Going through the basic concepts of each topic will help a lot in SAT preparation. If you have time, you can even practice some questions from each of the above topics to increase your chances of scoring a high SAT score. It would be best if you remembered that these approaches are not enough to reinforce a skill in a short period; however, reading and practicing in your free time can take you a long way.
Quick Guide On How To Prep For SAT
We have listed some valuable ways to answer the many questions you might have on what best prepares you for the SAT.
- Set a goal:
The first step toward deciding how to study for the SAT is determining your SAT score goal? Many online practice test websites allow you to recognize your current score. This will enable you to analyze your area of weakness and what to study for Sat.Khan Academy offers eight practice tests that are College Board affiliated, so if you are wondering how to prep for the SAT, then this is the best way to study for the SAT. Since this site is affiliated with the official College Board, you will get personalized recommendations on which areas to work on to improve your SAT score. The next step in deciding how to start studying for the SAT is to work on your weaknesses. - Use online learning platforms:
There is tons of information available on YouTube and other sites that will help you understand the concepts in a better way. So, if you get stuck somewhere, you can quickly look up the information related to it on the internet. - Take notes:
The best way to retain knowledge and understand things better is to take notes. When you pen down the information in your own words, you tend to remember information for a longer time. - Try explaining the concepts to someone:
An effective way to strengthen your concepts or learning then to explain the concepts to someone else. If you are hesitant somewhere, you are not confident about it. - Use interactive learning
Interactive learning can make the preparation process enjoyable hence try to look into the various options you have. You can screen record the lectures and compile them for ease. While listening to lectures, you can doodle the concept to avoid noting down the large amount of information.
How To Practice For The SAT
SAT consists of questions that analyze the skills you have developed in your high school. As you have already taken the practice tests, you now have a better idea of your weaknesses, so here is a list of things you can do to prepare for the SAT.
- Review your mistakes: Review your mistakes regularly to rule down the chance of making that mistake again. For Math questions, you can practice solving the incorrect questions,8t34, and for English, you can go through the concept several times to get the information installed in your head.
- Create a practice routine: While preparing for the SAT, always design a practice routine and stick to it. One of the best ways is to practice each section everyday don’t go into details but have a thorough look at the time you have allotted for the preparation. When less time is left before the test day, you can take a practice test daily to better prepare for the SAT.
- Practice difficult questions: Practice difficult questions for every topic to prepare for the worst.
- Memorize the formulas: For the Math section, you must learn the formulas as some are super helpful and makes it easy to solve the questions.
- Practice! The best way to prepare for any test is to practice. Therefore, after you feel you have prepared for the test, practice as much as possible. Sometimes practice also helps learn important concepts; hence take a practice test daily when the test day is close.
- Learn from other’s experiences: Talk to people who have recently attempted SAT and ask about their experience. They will tell you the more critical topics and which part to emphasize while preparing. Also, you can get some valuable tips and tricks from such people on how to attempt the test.
- Stick to the study method that works for you: Different people have different study techniques that help them learn things faster and easier. If you know better in groups, then take a preparatory SAT course. On the other hand, if you are more comfortable studying alone, switch off your cell phone and start your studies at your favorite spot around the house, school, or college. Moreover, you can hire a private tutor to help you prepare for the exam in the comfort of your home. Choose what is best suited for you to have fun while you prepare for your SAT exam.
How To Pass The SAT And How To Get A High SAT Score?
If you have decided to take the SAT, aim for a high score and start preparing for the test three months before the test day. You will probably be having school or college, so you will have to manage the preparation alongside, or even hire a nerd to do the schoolwork for you. However, if you choose a time when you have vacations, you can focus more on your practice. Either way, since it’s not compulsory, but you are still making an effort to prepare for it, aim for the highest SAT score possible. Read on to find out some valuable tips and tricks on how to improve your SAT score:
- Build your vocabulary: SAT requires you to have an excellent vocabulary to score big in the English section; hence, read many books in your free time to increase your vocabulary. You can also practice SATs to improve your vocabulary as some words appear more often on the test; this way, you can learn the meaning and usage of such words later in the SAT exam.
- Read and write:
Read as much as you can; it can be your favorite book, newspaper article, blogs, or anything that might interest you. After reading, summarize what you understood to develop your critical and analytical skills, which are very important for the SAT exam. - Look into different study materials/short courses: Short courses and study material guide students in preparing for SAT; hence, when you get connected with such sources, there is less chance of distraction or confusion regarding what to study and how to study. Also, such sources can connect you with experienced people who have given the tests and scored good grades. You can talk to them and learn from their experience.
- Practice: The more you practice, the higher the chances of doing good on SAT.
- Don’t stress: Stress can make you forget what you prepared; therefore, stay calm and start your preparation months before the test date. Students should try to relax a day before the test to prepare themselves mentally for the big day ahead for the test.
- Write your way through numerical: You might be stressed out on the test day, due to which there is a chance that you forget an essential step while solving numerical. Hence, make sure to write down each step when solving Math questions.
- Play smart! Most of the questions in a SAT exam are multiple-choice questions; use this to your advantage. If you get stuck somewhere while solving Math questions, you can see which answer seems closest to the equation and choose it. Likewise, select the solution that matches the question’s theme for the English portion. If the question asks you to improve the sentence structure, the best way is to read repeatedly, as sometimes the correct answer doesn’t click to you in one read.
Need Help Studying For SATs?
The above-mentioned SAT tips and methods could help you get a good score on your SAT exam. A higher score increases your chances of getting into your dream college or university. You can get prepared for SAT in a day; however, if you are desperate to score well because of the requirement of your desired college, then it will be a good idea to hire an online expert exam helper to help with the test.
We have skilled and reliable experts who promise secured services that pass your test. You can seek our assistance in acquiring top grades by solving assignments, projects, class tests, homework from school level to graduation. Our custom services are available to students and teachers of all class
FAQs
Here are some common questions students have about taking the SATs:
What’s the highest score on SAT?
The highest score you can get on the SAT is 1600, and the lowest score is 400.
How many times can you take the SAT?
You can take the SAT exam as many times as you want. There is no limitation on it from the SAT board.
How long does it take to study for the SAT?
You can spend between six to twenty hours preparing for the test; if you have the time, it’s better to practice more for better results.
How to study for the SAT in a month?
Thirty days gives you enough time to prepare for the SAT in the following way:
- Get familiar with the SAT format
- Take practice tests
- Review core math topics that appear on SAT
- Learn math strategies
- Look into grammar topics
- Develop a routine to read SAT passages
How to study for the SAT in a week?
The best way to prepare in a week is to consult different books or websites to know the SAT format. Moreover, take as many practice tests as you can to get the hang of the exam and familiarize yourself with the topics in it.
What to bring to the SAT?
Here are some items to grab for the SAT:
- Printed admission ticket
- Photo ID
- Two pencils with erasers
- Face covering
- An approved calculator
How is the SAT scored?
You can earn a score between 200 and 800 points on each section for 1600 points. The number of correct answers in each section is multiplied by the scaled score of that section. Then the scaled scores are added together to calculate the total SAT score.
