The SAT is a standardized test used in the United States for college admission. Owned by the College Board, a private not-for-profit entity, the SAT assesses the readiness of a student for tertiary education.

The highest score you can get is 1600, while the lowest is 400. Obviously, you want to get as high a score as possible. Is this a pipe dream? Most certainly not!

Acing the SAT may not be the easiest thing to do, but with proper planning and strategizing, you will get the SAT score you want.

What is the best strategy for the SAT? In this post, we will give you 13 practical steps for acing the SAT.

Follow these 14 steps to ace the SAT

1. Prepare and have a plan

How do I start preparing for the SAT? This is one of the most common questions we hear from students wanting to pass the test with flying colors.

Start preparing as early as sophomore year. It’s not overkill, trust us. Think about how busy school can get – academics and extra-curricular activities – in Junior year and Senior year. By prepping early, you will build a solid foundation and will be more than ready when test time comes. No cramming involved!

But what if you are already in junior or senior high? Is it too late? Of course not! You’ll just have to work with less time.

Try to allot at least three months to prepare. The longer, the better. The idea is to avoid rushing yourself, which results in a better study experience.

Pro tip: If you are the type of learner who needs guidance, consider getting professional help. If you struggle with math, then taking on the services of a math tutor would be the smart choice. There is no shame in asking for help!

2. Set a Goal Score

While 1600 is the highest score, it doesn’t mean that’s what you need to get into your preferred school. “Good” SAT scores differ from one student to another. One thing you can do is to find out the average SAT scores of the schools you want to get into.

How do you do this?

1. List down the schools you want to attend.
2. Identify their middle 50 percent. Coursera provides this example: “For the 2021 admitted class at the University of Michigan, for example, the SAT score middle 50 is 1400 to 1540. That means that the middle half of admitted students scored within this range. The range is 680 to 760 for the ERW section, and 710 to 790 for the Math section.” This middle 50 is your target score.
3. Arrange your schools according to the middle score, highest to lowest. Now you have a clear idea of what score you need for which school.

You can also visit the SAT website for a step-by-step guide on setting your target score.

3. Create a study schedule

The next step is to create a schedule.

Foolproof tip: Use your phone’s calendar to block off your SAT study times and days. If you need a visual overview/reminder, you can print out your calendar. Alternatively, get one of those huge desk calendars and map out your schedule.

Don’t be too hard on yourself – give yourself time for activities that you enjoy. You want to prepare for the SAT, not turn into an overstressed hermit!

4. Familiarize yourself with the SAT format

Since it is a standardized test, the SAT follows a particular format, and being familiar with it is one of the foundations of your preparation. Knowing the lay of the land will help you go through the test more efficiently, as well as focus on the content and getting the correct answers.

The test is broken down into:

1. Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW) – also known as the English part
2. Math

These two major sections are further divided into:

• Reading Test: 65 minutes, 52 questions
• Writing and Language Test: 35 minutes, 44 questions
• Math Test – No calculator: 25 minutes, 20 questions
• Math Test – Calculator: 55 minutes, 38 questions

The essay part was discontinued on January 19, 2021, but if you are taking the SAT on a school day and live in Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Michigan, New Hampshire, or Oklahoma, you may still be required to do this part. The essay section takes 50 minutes.

5. Learn how to read instructions

This is true for any test, and the SAT is not exempt. You may be familiar with the format, but you still need to read the specific instructions for each section during the test and make sure you follow them to a T. Believe it or not, students fail exams not because they do not know the content but because they fail to follow instructions. This is particularly impactful for the English section!

6. Hone the skill of skim reading

What is skim reading? It’s a skill where you read by moving your eyes horizontally (left to right) as much you do vertically (up and down). It allows you to get a gist of a block of text. This will help you quickly understand the general meaning of the reading passages in the SAT. The faster you understand, the faster you go through the test.

Keep an eye out for these things in particular:

• The last line of the introduction – this is usually the thesis
• First sentences of paragraphs
• Conclusion
• Transition words like however, despite, furthermore, etc.

Bear in mind, however, that you do not have to rely solely on skimming. In fact, if you feel that you do not have a good grasp of the passage, and you struggle with the questions, go back to the passage. Skimming will give you an edge, but it is not always the answer.

7. Memorize math formulas

Why should you memorize formulas when the math section includes a list of formulas? It will save you time! Sure, you can check the formula list whenever you need it, but can you imagine how much time you’ll waste going back and forth? If you have the formulas memorized, you’ll have another edge!

If this is not your forte and you require some help, give us a call. We will pair you up with the best tutor in Las Vegas who will unravel the mysteries of math with you.

8. Memorize/understand and punctuation grammar rules

You may speak English perfectly, but the SAT will be following strict grammatical rules. To avoid potential confusion – and making a mistake in NO CHANGE answers – refresh your grammar knowledge and stamp the rules in your memory.

In the Writing Test, you will find an option “NO CHANGE”, to indicate that there is no error in the question/statement.

This option is usually correct only 20% of the time, but examinees choose it much more than that. Usually, it’s because they miss the grammar error – the sentence “looks right” and that’s that. But just because something looks right doesn’t mean it is. You need to be a stickler for grammar for the test. Knowing the difference between your and you’re is no joke.

Here’s a handy guide to SAT grammar and punctuation rules.

9. Practice, practice, practice

Once you’ve got all the above down pat, you’ve got to hunker down and practice. Yes, it’s time for the cliché…practice makes perfect. Or at least, your SAT goal score!

The thing is, you want your practice to reflect the real deal as much as possible. That is why we recommend using official material.

Enter your new (SAT) best friend…

10. PrivateLVTutors

Yes – us! We have a comprehensive program specifically designed to help you ace the SAT. Our six-week program includes timed tests and over 30 mock exams that simulate the SAT – straight from the College Board! That’s as real as you can get.

So, yes, not to toot our own horn, but we have you covered for all your SAT prep needs. Learn more about our Standardized Tests plans.

11. Identify and analyze your mistakes

You may practice a hundred times, but if you do not learn from your mistakes, your efforts are for naught.

An integral part of getting ready for the SAT is to identify and analyze the mistakes you make during practice runs. It could be an aspect of your test-taking approach – say, you are struggling to understand a reading passage. It could be misremembering mathematical formulas. Or, it could be some confusion with a grammar rule.

Whatever kinds of mistakes you make, it is imperative you take time to understand the concept. By doing so, you solve the problem at its root. It will translate to NOT making the same mistakes when you take the exam. Which is what we want, yes?

12. The day before…

You’ve spent months and months preparing for the SAT. You’ve got this!

The day before the exam is the time to give yourself the break of breaks…no more books. No more practice tests.

Pamper yourself by doing the things that relax you. You may feel stressed and anxious, but do your best to let go on the day before the exam.

Have a light dinner, and go to bed early so that you wake up rested the next day. Test day may be the day, but the night before is key to having a successful test day. 

To quote Tom Roth, “Sleep is an investment in the energy you need to be effective tomorrow.”

13. General SAT test-taking tips

Let’s drop a few more tips here before we end…

When taking the SAT, there are some good practices to follow:

• Identify wrong answers. For multiple-choice questions, there will always be wrong answers in the choices, right? If you are not sure about the correct answer, learn how to identify the wrong answers. This process of elimination will reveal the correct answer.
• Skip questions you find difficult. Time is of the essence. Don’t spend more than a minute on Math and Reading questions. If you struggle, mark the question, skip it, and move on. You can go back to those questions (which you marked) if you have time.

14. Don’t overthink things

First instinct may not always be correct, but you do not have the luxury of time when taking the SAT. Trust yourself, your preparation. Get out of your head. The less you overthink, the smoother your journey becomes.

Taking the SAT may be one of the most important things you do in your life. By following the steps above, you will prepare yourself to the best of your ability and achieve your goal score. Don’t forget – if you want extra help, PrivateLVTutors has tutorial plans developed especially for SAT review. Give us a call today!