Year in and year out, well over a million students decide to take the SAT exam. Not only is it an important academic milestone, it’s also part of the differential criteria used to determine whether a student gets to be admitted into the college of their choosing. As such, it should be taken with the seriousness it deserves.
Among other things, this also means it’s a good idea develop a concrete SAT study plan to follow so you can be as prepared as possible when the big day finally arrives. But what goes into making one and how to study for SAT to make the best use of your time?
This is what we’re here to share with you.
1. Make an SAT study plan
At Novel Prep, we can say with absolute certainty that studying will have a positive impact on your grade. But it only work if you start early enough in advance and stick to your SAT study schedule. If you think that merely completing a couple of practice tests is going to cut it, think again! As numerous high-end academic institutions keep pointing out, consistency is key when studying.
The reason being is that it’s much easier to retain things in your memory this way. A good SAT study plan involves studying for at least 2-3 hours a week and, ideally, at least 3 months in advance. Keep in mind that studying for such an important exam is a marathon and not a sprint!
Furthermore, your SAT study plan should focus on the following 3 key elements:
- Memorization. Although the geometry section of SAT math comes with formulas you can use, there are some formulas that you’re going to need to memorize. The same goes for grammar rules if you need to rely on them. Therefore, you should devote some time to memorizing them.
- Learning. This mainly has to do with comprehending the material on a deeper level rather than purely memorizing it. It goes without saying that this will require some time on your end, so make sure to leave enough of it going into your SAT studies if you want to nail the best SAT score possible.
- Practice. It makes perfect! There are several memorization strategies you can use to make sure what you’ve learned stays with you, including associations, writing it out, mnemonics, interleaving and more.
2. Don’t procrastinate
If you keep on putting things off to a later day, sooner or later, you’re going to run out of days! Keep in mind that you’re likely going to be busy keeping up with your regular schoolwork, so make sure to leave enough time in your SAT study schedule. As a general rule of thumb, you should start studying for your SAT test at least 2-3 months in advance (the more the better).
You probably already know it from experience, but it cannot be emphasized enough that cramming simply never works. If you took the PSAT, you probably already know what to expect, but don’t be fooled as the latter is generally regarded as the easier of the two.
3. Get some experience by taking full-length practice tests
If you were to ask us how to study for SAT and we had to answer with only a word or two, the answer would probably be: practice tests! The good news is, you’ll be able to find them on the official College Board website. In essence, the website lets you create an account that allows for easy progress tracking and reviewing the questions you answered incorrectly (with corresponding explanations).
This approach allows you to see exactly where the gaps in your knowledge are and work on them accordingly. Besides, these SAT practice tests serve as a good indicator of how you’ll perform on the real thing. Therefore, it’s not a bad idea to emulate the authentic experience by timing yourself in every section. And, by getting a good SAT score on one of these, you can remain confident that you’ll be able to ace the real one once the day comes.
4. Familiarize yourself with the timetable
The SAT exam is divided into multiple sections. Moreover, you’ll have a fixed amount of time to answer the questions, so learning proper time management is paramount to your success. The fact of the matter is that certain individuals perform better under stress, while others are more likely to crumble, so it certainly pays to possess some level of introspection as well.
At any rate, you’re going to want to practice with a timer to get a grasp on this. To give you a brief overview of the timetable, these are the key points to keep in mind.
| Section | Time Limit | Number of Questions | Time per Question |
| Reading | 65 minutes | 52 | 75 seconds |
| Writing and Language | 35 minutes | 44 | 48 seconds |
| Math — No Calculator | 25 minutes | 20 | 75 seconds |
| Math — Calculator | 55 minutes | 38 | 87 seconds |
The key to success is spending as little time as possible on any given section (but not too little – this comes with practice). Kindly refer to the table above to get a better feel.
5. Work on your reading speed
If you want to know a quick tip on how to study for SAT, just get better at reading things quickly. The reason being is that there is going to be a lot of written material and instructions for you to process, so it pays to brush up on your reading comprehension skills (speed should follow naturally as a result). Once you get good at this, you’ll essentially have more time to prepare your answers. Remember that, on average, you can only afford to spend 30-60 seconds on a question, so there’s really not a lot of time to work with.
6. Identify your Achilles Heel and don’t let it become an anchor
The SAT has a Math section as well as a Reading and Writing section. See one of the chapters above where we’ve talked about taking practice tests and gaining some valuable practice. One of the advantages of doing this is that you get to pinpoint both your strengths and weak points, thereby getting a clear roadmap of what you should be working on next. And, please, don’t shy away from your weaknesses – it’s quintessential for you to work on these (moreso than your strengths).
7. Set your eyes on the prize
You need to ask yourself this: do you have a dream of getting into the world’s top universities like Harvard or are you completely happy with qualifying for one of the colleges with somewhat less strict requirements? This one is completely up to you, so we can’t really provide any one-size-fits-all advice. We can, however, urge you to get clear on what kind of academic goals you have in life and design your SAT study plan accordingly.
As you’re doing so, you might wonder if 1300 is a good SAT score and all the other questions we’ve covered in our detailed SAT score FAQ, so we invite you to give it a read. Above all else, don’t let anyone tell you what your goals should or shouldn’t be – you’re free to set them yourself in alignment with what you want to achieve in life.
After completing a few of the SAT practice tests, you should have a general idea about what SAT score you’re likely to get, so use it as a baseline for researching colleges with admission requirements somewhere in that range. Ultimately, having a goal to work towards (which can be a prestigious college) will help you gather the motivation necessary to improve your SAT score.
8. Pay attention in class
The SAT won’t test for something completely unexpected – it all revolves around what you’re already learning in class. Therefore, you should stop your mind from wandering around too much and pay attention to what your teacher is talking about! The more time you’ve spent in school, the more equipped you’ll be to ace that perfect SAT score when the time comes to prove yourself, especially as a senior. And yes, you can take the SAT as a senior, although we generally don’t recommend waiting that long because you’ll get opportunities to re-take it if need be,
9. Try getting a study buddy
This one is also a bit subjective, but the gist of it is this: are you a solo learner or do you consider yourself to perform better in a group setting? Whether it is one or the other, you should at least try studying with a study partner if you get the chance. The reason is, this is how to study for SAT if you want some accountability and someone to nudge you in the right direction if you find yourself slacking off or unable to keep yourself motivated for whatever reason. This can be your classmate, a friend, or one of our Novel Prep tutoring experts.
10. Be well-rested for the test
This is something that so many people completely forget about, but know that if you turn up underslept for the test, this is going to dim your potential to shine, effectively undermining every effort you’ve put into it so far. On the last day of preparation, your time is most effectively spent on cementing these formulas in your memory and getting a good night’s rest.
On that note, don’t attempt to take the SAT on an empty stomach either, as this could take away from your focus. You can even go the extra length to prepare your favorite meal if you have some extra time to spare. Be sure to take care of all the other biological duties as well – the goal is to eliminate anything and everything that could potentially be a distraction and mess with your focus.
By no means, however, should you attempt to cram in one final study session – chances are it won’t do you any good anyway, and when the final day approaches, you’ll need to pour all of your valuable energy into making sure you’re your best self. This is your chance to shine – don’t blow it by neglecting the essentials of your biological functioning!
11. Know that you can re-take the SAT at will
Afraid of failing your SAT exam or not reaching your goals? Don’t be. While it’s important that you do your best to prepare for it, getting a lower score than desired is not the end of the world, as you can re-take the SAT at will (at least while your high school years are still not over). At Novel Prep, we’re noticing that many students take advantage of that option, and it’s not uncommon to see them taking the SAT test at least twice.
The reason is straightforward: the more attempts you take, the more likely it is that you’re going to improve your score. While the importance of taking dummy SAT tests in your home environment cannot be understated, the experience pales in comparison to the real thing, and the first time you take one of these, it’s going to be a true eye-opener to what it really takes to perform well under so much stress. In the end, the experience will serve you well the second time around or even during one of your subsequent attempts.
The drawback of re-taking the SAT, however, is having to pay the test fee again (typically it’s $60, unless you qualify for an exemption), which means you need to make your every attempt count. This is especially true if you’re already in your senior high school years, in which case your time is running out! Keep in mind that, in each calendar year, there are no more than 7 SAT test dates, so plan your attempts strategically.
12. Get help and guidance from our Novel Prep SAT prep tutors
The SAT exam is such an important milestone, so we wouldn’t want you to climb this mountain all on your own. That’s why our specialized SAT prep tutors are willing to accompany you on this journey by offering their support, guidance, and expertise wherever and whenever you need it. In fact, we even guarantee a higher placement that’s based on your current mock test score.
For example, let’s suppose you scored 1200 points and aren’t quite satisfied with the results. In this case, we can guarantee you’ll score 1350 or higher OR your money back! Note that as many as 90% of our students actually score 1450 or above. In addition, we’ll help you:
- Identify your strengths and weaknesses
- Get familiar with the SAT test format
- Learn how to manage your time properly
- Be confident all the way and overcome exam anxiety
Our experienced tutors will develop a customized study plan that’s based on your individual learning style and needs. You can come to our classroom or we can do it online – that’s completely up to you! If any of that resonates with you, we encourage you to take action and get started today!
Conclusion
Taking the SAT can be an anxiety-ridden experience, but only if you’re going about it the wrong way. If you want to expand on the tips we’ve provided today, we invite you to read our new year resolutions for students post that covers additional points that are bound to help you in your learning journey. And once you’re ready to start working with us directly or in case you have any questions, don’t be a stranger – fill out the contact form and let’s see how we can make things easier for you.
