How to Prepare for SAT Exams: Study Schedule

  There is a common theme among students that are going to take the SAT, that they are the most evil things ever created in the universe. In fact, the SAT is not as demonic as some students make it out to be. If you want to ace your SAT, then there is only one thing to do, prepare. The SAT is a three hour and forty-five minute exam which starts at 8:30 AM on a Saturday. It has ten sections; three each for Math, Critical Reading, and Writing. One extra (experimental) section is also included randomly in one of the three. The test is offered seven times a year in the United States - October, November, December, January, March/April (varies), May and June. So there is no need to have a heart attack if you do not pass it the on the first go.

How to Prepare for the SAT

How to prepare for the SAT if you start a year before the test

  Now, I know that some of you might want to start preparing for the SAT a year early because of parental pressure or you just love studying, but here is my advice. RELAX. Be a teenager for three months, go to a few parties, hang with your friends, and enjoy your last three months of freedom.

How to prepare for the SAT if you start nine months before the test

This can be done in monthly stages:

• September: On a weekend morning when you are free of homework/assignments, download and take a full practice test under exam conditions. This should give you an idea of where you are at without studying.

• October: Read wide! Learn all the vocabulary words humanly possible. You can get your hands on a SAT Study Guide and study a few of the sections each week, do this repeatedly throughout these months as it will not only assist in letting you learn new words at a faster rate, but also to let the words you learn stick in your brain.

• December: When you finally get the long-awaited winter break, don’t use it just to go skiing or throwing snowballs at your friends, HIT THE BOOKS. Does another practice test under the same conditions as the first one you did in September, and see how you have done with this test since you have started studying. If your test score went up, congrats to you, marvelous student. If your test score stayed the same, do not worry, that is what is normally expected. So, before you grab your smartphone and call a tutor just because all of your long hours studying did not seem to work, don’t. Your tests score are not expected to improve until after three or more practice test, so take a breath and don’t have a nervous breakdown.

• January-May: Now is the time to crack open all those practice tests. Try to take one of these tests every weekend, and write down your scores to track your progress. Occasionally, it is good if you try to take these practice tests in unfamiliar environments – the principal’s/teacher’s office, the school’s library, home room, etc. – this should help you to get a feel of what the examination room will be like. You should continue to study your vocabulary in between the practice tests. At some day in April, you can go online and register for a free administrated SAT, as it is important that you take at least one practice test in an environment more like the real thing. 

How to prepare for the SAT if you start three months before the test

Even though you would be starting to prepare for the SAT a bit late, you can still get things done in time to ace the exam:

• The first thing to do is take a diagnostic practice SAT by yourself, and look at what kind of questions you got wrong. You should do this in the morning so you are under similar conditions as when you take the real SAT

• Start Learning, read some SAT prep books, while focusing on the areas where you think you can gain the most, and try to learn as much vocabulary as you can.

• When there’s two months left start taking practice tests every weekend, and evaluate what you did wrong, and where applicable try to understand why your answer was wrong. However, don’t be afraid to give yourself a pat on the back for the things you’re doing right. Try to take at least six SAT practice tests before you need to take the test.

• Shortly before the SAT take a free administered SAT, from for example Kaplan. This way you can already get used to the environment the test will be in.

How to prepare for the SAT if you start one month before the test

If you start at this point you can still get a lot done, maybe you’ll not be perfectly prepared but you can learn a lot in one month, if you set your mind to it.

• The first thing to do is take a practice test by yourself. You should do this in the morning so you are under similar conditions as when you take the real SAT.

• Skim trough a SAT prep book. So you have some idea of what’s in it, and try with the help of your diagnostic SAT to figure out on what you should focus first. For example if you got many vocabulary words wrong, you should start there.

• Take at least two practices SAT, besides letting you know on what to focus, this also helps your performance by for example making you better at keeping calm when you eventually do take the real test.

• Skim trough your SAT prep book again and read all the vocabulary words. Even if you won’t memorize all of them some will stick.

• Shortly before the SAT take a free administered SAT, from for example Kaplan. This way you can already get used to the environment the test will be in.

How to prepare for the SAT if you start one week before the test

  If you start at this point you can still get a lot done, some preparation is better than none.

• The first thing to do is take a practice test by yourself. You should do this in the morning so you are under similar conditions as when you take the real SAT.

• Skim trough a SAT prep book and try to pick up some useful ideas and maybe a word or five you didn’t know.

• Take another test.

How to prepare for the SAT if you start the night before the test

If you start at this point you can still get a lot done, there are lots of university students that start the day before their exams, and some preparation is always better than none.

• Try to read trough a SAT prep book and try to do the drills and exercises. But don’t be afraid to look at the answers and try to understand or memorize those as applicable.

• Watch the some TV or your favorite movie, anything that makes you relaxed.

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