The SAT is intended to assess students’ readiness for college. The College Board states that the SAT measures literacy and writing skills that are needed for academic success in college. They state that the SAT assesses how well the test takers analyze and solve problems—skills they learned in school that they will need in college.
So you must know how to ace the test. It can be challenging for you to figure out what sort of study plan best suits you and prepares you to succeed. What might work for your friends or classmates might not work for you. You must analyze your study preferences while considering different approaches and choose the one that best suits you.
Here is a list of ideas that you can consider for your SAT preparation:
Take practice tests: Nothing can prepare you for SAT like actually taking the mock test. Firstly this will make you comfortable and familiar with SAT format plus it gives you a realistic sense of how long the test is and where you tend to get tired or mentally blocked. After giving the test, evaluate your performance and work harder on your weakest areas.
Read anything you see: Develop a reading habit and start reading articles on familiar as well as unfamiliar topics. Start analyzing what you read and try to understand the essence of a particular article. This will help you with your SAT reading comprehension passages, which are always boring and strange.
Work on your vocabulary: The SAT isn’t a spelling bee and you don’t have to learn every word in the dictionary. But a good vocab is definitely going to help you in your SAT. Download any dictionary app on your mobile phone and turn on its notification. So that you are notified with a new word along with its meaning daily. Or you can make flashcards of words along with their meanings and read them whenever you are free for 5-10 mins.
Practice essay writing: The prompt will undoubtedly touch on a broad issue like justice, success, failure, honesty, the value of knowledge, or the importance of learning from mistakes. Choose any topic and start writing about it. Make sure to make your essay informative as well as understandable. And keep the time limit in mind, write whatever you want to in 25 mins. Don’t be fake, write what you really feel instead of trying to impress the test checkers.
Know when to guess a question and when to skip it simply: If you know that you have no idea about a particular question, then there is no smartness in sticking to that question and wasting your time over it. You must learn to value your time and use it where you think you can find the answer. Be realistic about your abilities.
In the end, there is no need to stress over this test. Start with your preparations as soon as possible and don’t allow to stress yourself. SAT is not about intelligence but all about strategy and presence of mind. Spend your last days before taking the test relaxing.