How to Prepare for the SAT and Ace It From a Student of Newton South High School
Ah yes, the dreaded SAT, the bane of all high school students on their college application journey. Do not fret. It is a beast that can be conquered with proper preparation, and I have several tips to help you succeed.
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What is the SAT?
The SAT® is an entrance exam administered by CollegeBoard for selecting the best candidates for college undergraduate admissions in the US. It is designed with the high school core curriculum in mind, so all of its content is already expected to have been taught by junior year of high school. Millions of students take the SAT every year, and there are test dates in May, June, August, October, November, December, and March for US students. A good SAT score can be an excellent boost to a student’s college admission chances.
FORMAT OF THE SAT:
The SAT is split into two categories: Evidence-Based Reading and Writing, and Mathematics. Both of these categories are scored on a scale of 200-800 points, for a combined total of 1600 points for the SAT.
The Evidence-Based Reading and Writing Section
This section is comprised of two parts: the Reading Section, and the Writing and Language Section. The Reading Section has 52 questions in total and a time limit of 60 minutes (more if you have an accommodation). The Writing/Grammar Section has 44 questions and a time limit of 35 minutes.
The Mathematics Section
This section is also comprised of two parts: the Non-Calculator Section and the Calculator Section. You have 80 minutes to answer 58 questions. Most of the questions are multiple choice with some grid-in questions sprinkled in between. The overall content that the Math Section covers is algebra, analyzing graphs, and manipulating polynomial equations.
How to Prepare for the SAT:
Purchase some SAT Textbooks
This very obvious advice is still extremely helpful. Textbooks that I found to be VERY useful are Erica Meltzer’s The Complete Guide to SAT Reading and The Ultimate Guide to SAT Grammar, as well as Mike Barette’s SAT Prep Black Book. Meltzer’s books go into great detail as to what truly makes the Evidence Based Reading and Writing Section of the SAT tick. They also include many sample SAT Reading and Grammar questions that can mimic the type that are given on the actual SAT. The SAT Black Book is a good complement to the Meltzer books as they introduce both Reading and Math concepts in a more casual and easy to understand manner.
Practice makes perfect
Simply reading about SAT tips and tricks from prep books is not enough to guarantee a good score. Practice is arguably the most important thing needed for a good SAT score, which brings us to SAT Practice Tests. These tests are often previously administered SAT exams from previous years, so they are 100% accurate in terms of their questions. You can find nearly a dozen free SAT Practice Tests on Khan Academy, so absolutely make use of them!
DO NOTE: ONLY USE PRACTICE TESTS FROM COLLEGEBOARD! Private prep companies like Kaplan don’t produce accurate SAT questions. They are often too easy, too hard, and don’t accurately mimic the setup of actual SAT questions.
Know what actually makes the SAT difficult.
The actual knowledge you need to answer questions on the SAT is not as much as you think. You can get a perfect score on the SAT just by knowing basic algebra and grammar. The real key thing to get used to is the WORDING of the questions themselves. CollegeBoard likes to use subtle wording in the questions to trip you up, so make sure to read very carefully. As a reminder, know that there is always ONE objective answer to each question, so try to look through the lens of “what will the test creators view as the right answer” instead of “what do I feel is the right answer”.
How to do well on Test Day
Get a good night’s sleep and eat a hearty breakfast
You won’t be able to function at your best if you are half awake when testing. The tests also last a long time so you need to make sure that you are not hungry when you test either.
Prepare ALL of your materials
Make sure to bring your pencils and calculator, and don’t forget your entrance ticket. You won’t be able to take the exam if you do not have your entrance ticket on hand.
Take a deep breath and take your time
You’ve already made it this far, and test day is not the time to lose your nerves. Being nervous and rushing through the questions can often result in a very bad score. If you’ve already prepared well for the test, then relax, you’ve got this in the bag.
End Note:
All in all, acing the SAT is more about understanding how the questions work than it is about the knowledge of the content itself. If you’ve got that down, then you are already well on your way to getting a 1600. So go on, and get the great SAT score that you always
