Whether you’re just starting to prepare for the SAT that’s a few months away or your test is tomorrow, this article can help you get extra points and achieve your highest possible SAT score.
Together we’re going to explore these top SAT tips and strategies that you’ll need in order to do your best:
- First, understand what the SAT is and how it’s formatted. We’ll look at some frequently asked questions and discuss an overview of the test so you’ll know what to expect.
- Second, understand the different sections of the SAT. We’ll give you specific tips tailored to each part of the SAT so you’ll know how to approach each section.
- Third, understand the SAT and what it’s looking for. We’ll explore SAT tips and techniques that are geared toward the entire test so you’ll have extra tools that will help in every section equally.
Read through these strategies, tailor them to your own needs, and please reach out to us if you have any more questions on how you can ace your SATs.
SAT English
Improving your score on SAT Reading and SAT Writing is all about knowing your own verbal skill level, then ensuring you pick up all the points that are easy for you and practice to improve the questions you have difficulty with.
On the first half of the SAT, focus on the details and remember:
Pay attention to the information presented in all charts and graphs.
In these verbal sections, there will be data-driven questions about literature, history, social studies, natural sciences, etc. They won’t require you to have specific prior knowledge about the particular subject, but they will expect you to be able to glean information about the topics being discussed. The details are where you will find help with this.
Don’t skip the italicized introduction blurbs, they sometimes have the information you’re looking for.
You can miss out on easy points by trying to go too fast. While there may be misleading answer options, there isn’t usually extraneous or misleading information in the introduction and passages themselves, so read them carefully.
Practice reading boring material.
You won’t get to choose what you’re reading about and working with on test day, but you don’t want to get frustrated or lose interest.
Develop your ability to stick with all kinds of written material so that no matter what passages you are given, you’ll be able to get through them efficiently when it counts.
Know what is expected of you.
This section is as evidence-based as the official title suggests. So here are some of the things you’ll be asked to do:
- Deduce definitions and meaning through context
- Understand the author’s intent and style
- Interpret data sets
- Compare passages
- Complete sentences
- Infer implied information
- Look out for evidence pairing questions
Some of these questions are a two-for-one deal. You are asked a question, then the follow-up question asks you which excerpt of the text supports the answer to the first question. (College Board will list the options.)
When you are asked to call out your proof like this, you have a couple of great strategies you can use. The one that works best is whichever one you feel the most comfortable with, whichever one makes you the most efficient and confident. Practice both to find out which you prefer.
Either:
- Answer the second question first.
If you start by finding the correct evidence to support the answer in the first question, then you’ll be able to answer both questions at once and you’ll save yourself time and guessing with the first question.
Or:
- Speak for yourself.
College Board employs masters of deception to write its tests. They love to include incorrect answers that seem right and correct answers that feel wishy-washy.
As you practice for the SATs, go over the answers you regularly get wrong. If they are these types of situations, then you may want to try answering questions in your own words first so that you aren’t unduly influenced by the tricky test-makers.
If it helps you, go to the passage for evidence before looking at the answer choices.
Don’t be afraid to skip a question.
Unlike SAT Math, SAT Reading is not arranged in order of difficulty. So if you’re unsure, go ahead and circle it in your booklet then come back to it later.
Keep a logical head. Almost like a Star Trek Vulcan might.
Sometimes College Board will include a biased, emotional, extreme, or controversial answer. But these are opinion-based answers, which usually cannot be proven right or wrong.
Opinions are awesome, but they are not what the SAT is asking you to contribute at this time.
Absolute language, language that is more black and white, feels better. As humans, we like the certainly of it.
However, correct answers usually allow for some gray area language. Words like “may” or “sometimes” feel more incorrect due to their flexibility (or they aren’t what you personally believe), but words like these are more likely a part of the correct answers.
So if it feels like your own perspective wants to agree with the spirit of an answer, try to keep the emotions out of it. Look at the answers with impartial eyes and don’t get tripped up by those trick answers that might include “always” and “never.”=
Know the grammar being tested.
Clue-in to any grammar rules that usually give you trouble. Everyday speech can be incorrect, so don’t assume you won’t need to study beforehand.
Some good areas on which to focus your SAT Writing studies are:
- Punctuation
- Subject-verb agreement
- Pronoun agreement
- Adjectives and adverbs
- Comparisons and superlatives
- Conjunctions
Use the ABCs Rule:
Sometimes several of the answers will appear to be correct. When that is the case, the best answer to choose (the answer that College Board will be looking for you to choose) is the shortest answer.
Each time you go to fill in that answer bubble, you want to be sure what you’re selecting checks off these three standards. The best answer will be:
- The clearest.
- The most complete.
- The most concise.
*A helpful mnemonic device is to remember your A.B.C.s: the Answer has got to Be Clear, Complete, Concise.*
Say yes to “No Change,” but only sometimes.
Don’t be fooled or intimidated by the “No Change” answer option. Some students will feel tempted to choose this a lot, thinking they don’t see a good answer. Some students will feel tempted to avoid it altogether, thinking it might be a trick question.
Both strategies can lead you astray if you’re not careful.
In reality, “No Change” is correct 25-35% of the time. So explore all the other answer options first, but do use the “No Change” bubble when it’s right.
SAT Math Tips
You don’t need to be a math prodigy to raise your score on the SAT Math section. Follow these SAT math tips to give yourself the confidence to take on whatever your SAT test day throws at you.
Know the formulas being tested.
While the SAT makers do include a list of formulas for you in the test, going back and forth to the front of your test section to check them can be a time-waster. Also, if you haven’t practiced enough to have them mostly memorized, you likely won’t use them well on test day.
Think of the list as a life-saver if you have a brain flub but don’t lean on this resource as an excuse to not practice. Be as familiar (and practiced) as you can be with all the possible formulas and preferably have them memorized.
Study the subjects that will be covered in the SAT Math section.
Target your pre-test studying toward any mathematical principles or equations that usually give you trouble.
SAT Math prioritizes exploring your understanding of mathematical concepts or methods of solving math problems and seeing you apply them to real-life situations.
Things to review and work on include:
- Linear equations
- Ratios
- Percentages
- Graphing
- Statistics
- Complex functions
- Geometry
- Trigonometry
For more detailed information, see what College Board has to say about the SAT Math Test.
Don’t be afraid to work out of order.
Generally speaking, the difficulty increases as you move through the Math Section of the SAT. (The exception is that the challenge level resets when you reach the free-response questions toward the end of the section.)
However, your idea of easy may not be the same as the test makers’ idea of easy. So, if a question seems challenging to you, don’t beat yourself up. Feel free to skip it at first but be sure to circle the number in your test booklet so you know which one you skipped.
And always try to leave enough time to circle back to skipped questions at the end because – particularly on easier questions – your brain will make the connections necessary to solve it while you’re solving other questions.
It’s a little bit of math magic that can help you gather up extra points on test day!
Make the multiple-choice work for you.
Here’s a useful work order to follow:
- Solve the problem on your own. If the answer you get is available, trust it and move on.
- If you’re having trouble, eliminate any answers you know are wrong by crossing them off in your testing booklet.
- If you’ve eliminated some answers but are still unsure about the correct one, try plugging random numbers into the equation to see if that yields one of the offered results.
- As a last resort, you might try plugging the offered answers into the equation until one of them proves correct. Now, some people might be tempted to use this as a first option in order to shortcut the solution, but be aware that this isn’t always possible. College Board makes an effort to avoid questions that can be solved this way to ensure they are testing your understanding of a math concept and not your ability to substitute and evaluate. But if it IS possible, it’s nice to have it as a backup when you’re stuck on a problem.
Break word problems into small, easier-to-comprehend pieces.
You will be less likely to miss an element or get stuck. Sometimes it’s simply about slowing down and looking at things in a less stressed, more careful way.
Remember, accuracy is more important than speed. Speed matters of course, but you never want to leave points on the table that you should have earned.
Remember that every SAT graph has three variables.
One of the most common SAT Math errors is only taking into account two of the graph’s three variables.
When you are asked a question about a graph, immediately and explicitly identify all three variables for yourself.
When you come up with an answer, be sure that it fits all three variables.
Practice with your calculator in advance.
Don’t lose precious time being tripped up by unfamiliarity with a brand-new calculator you brought in.
Unsure of which calculator to bring? Here are the rules and the most up-to-date list of approved calculators you can use for the SATs.
Don’t be afraid to put down your calculator sometimes.
Every question in both SAT Math sections can be solved without a calculator. So in practicing and preparing for the SAT, train yourself to know when it’s best to not use the calculator. Sometimes it will make you faster, sometimes slower. Don’t use it as a crutch to the detriment of your overall testing time.
Be prepared that not all the questions are multiple-choice in the SAT Math section.
Most are multiple-choice, but you’ll usually get eight grid-in questions as well.
Again, grid-in questions are free-response questions without any proffered answer possibilities.
Above all, remember that accuracy is more important than speed.
If you don’t have a lot of room in your schedule or the SAT is coming soon to a Saturday near you, you can be ready to go in four hours for less than $200 with our exclusive Quick Sprint course.
Or, if you have a little more time to prepare, we also offer an on-demand SAT Comprehensive Course, which you can finish over 8-12 weeks whenever it fits your schedule!
If you’re eager for more, we have SAT tutors that would love to work with you through our sister company, March Consulting.
