Know the Test and Rules

All standardized tests, including the SAT, have specific content you are tested on. This information is generally provided to you in a detailed way. That is our starting point. From there, you have to understand the rules of the game to ensure you know exactly how to maximize your score.

Create a Study Plan

Studying without a plan is a recipe for failure. It’s critical to spend the necessary time putting down on paper what you intend to study and when you intend to study it. It means creating a live and adjustable calendar and committing to a schedule. This, of course, also requires knowledge of and the content that will be on the the test.

Master the Fundamentals

For the SAT Math exam, there are four sections to prep for - Heart of Algebra, Data Analysis, Passport to Advanced Math, and Additional Topics. For the writing portion, your grammar skills need to be excellent. Focus on your fundamentals first and the rest of it will become much easier.

Practice Questions, Questions, Questions

Understanding the fundamentals is a solid first step but you need to be able to apply those fundamentals into solving questions that appear on the standardized exam. Research after research has shown the value of practicing questions for tests. Practice questions, read the explanations for the ones you got incorrect, and develop a deep knowledge of the types of questions that will appear on the exam.

Turn Weaknesses into Strengths

Practicing questions is critical because it helps you understand the types of questions that will appear on the exam. It is also essential for helping you isolate you weaknesses. Figure out where you’re struggling, review the associated content, and work on similar problems to make sure you turn your weaknesses into strengths.

Work on Test-Taking Skills

Test-taking skills includes a lot of different things: understanding the rules of the test, timing yourself, knowing how to maximize your points if you’re struggling, among others. For example, did you know that the SAT Math test gets gradually harder but each question is worth the same? Also, did you know answering 0.4 on the grid-in portion of the exam is not the same as .4. Only one of these is correct. Know your roles, make sure you understand how to apply them to maximize your score.

Understand pitfalls, common mistakes, and hacks

Practice enough questions and you’ll start to see patterns in not just the question type, but also the answer choices. The SAT knows how students think and they put the right kind of wrong answer. Once you get into their head and understand how they write answer choices, it’s practically game over - you will outwit the exam writers.

Retention through Spaced Repetition

This is key and scientific research backs it. Spaced repetition works for memory retention. A common mistake students make is to repeat the same thing over and over every for a few days and then not go back to it until months later as they get closer to the exam (or maybe never). Our memory doesn’t work that way. It requires repetition that is spaced out.

At Worthington Prep, I am a firm believer that this is the key to my success on standardized exams - having a plan on when to repeat key concepts.

Prep for Exam Day

How do you get the jitters out before exam day? Prepare like crazy before the exam and diligently prepare for the day of the exam. Know how to get to the exam center. Make sure to get a good night’s rest. Visualize how the day will go. Prepare for what could go wrong. Do all of this and exam day will be actually be memorable because you’ll leave knowing you just mastered the SAT!