SAT Test Preparation

SAT test preparation can be challenging if a student is not guided properly. The SAT test is designed after a lot of research. It emphasizes on reasoning skills and ability to demonstrate competence under pressure. There are many strategies that can help students score well on the SAT. While the actual SAT sends shivers down the spines of many, even a full length SAT practice test can shake the confidence of students. Which is the best SAT test preparation strategy?

SAT FAQBefore starting to prepare for the SAT, a diagnostic SAT Practice test should be taken. This test can either contain SAT Pre test questions, or comprise of the problems taken from the actual test. The idea behind solving SAT Pre test questions is to access the level of a student- identify weak areas.

Why is the SAT Exam score important? Most colleges across the United States accept the SAT Exam Score for admissions. In fact, more colleges accept the SAT scores than the ACT test scores. This is the reason why a solid SAT test preparation is important, and highly recommended. The SAT has undergone many changes. Certain sections have been added, others removed. A student writing the new SAT should ensure that every SAT practice test contains revised structure as per the new test pattern.

There are primarily three popular SAT test study methods- learning center, private tutor, and online test preparation. A test preparation batch in a learning center generally consists of 10-30 students, wherein one tutor addresses the whole group. Students work together to solve problems in math and English. The tutor is required to conduct SAT prep practice tests, cover strategies to make educated guesses, and finally cover the curriculum in the stipulated time frame. Many students use expensive test preparation books- some worth reading, some others average. These books consist of several practice questions and test strategies. Many students, however, find it difficult to religiously read the book on a daily basis. A private tutor, by inculcating discipline in the student, coaches the student for the test. However, a private tutor might not be available according the convenience of the student/parent.

 

The SAT is not a complicated exam. It is a result of the myths surrounding this exam that students get nervous while taking the SAT. There are proven strategies that can help students crack the SAT test without burning the midnight oil.

One of the first strategies that a SAT aspirant should follow is to start early. The PSAT is a great way to acquaint with the SAT. Students should try taking the PSAT in their sophomore year. The dates for the PSAT can be confirmed by visiting the College Board website. By planning a SAT test preparation program in advance, students can systematically prepare for the test.

There are hundreds of students who can solve even the most difficult questions on the SAT, but lack time management skills. Contrary to what most people believe, the SAT test does not judge students on the basis of their strengths; it tests their capacity to solve the right number of questions in the given time. It is a bad idea to try solving each and every question appearing on the SAT. As there are three different sections containing problems of varied difficulty level, students must prepare well for all the three sections. Research has shown that students make silly mistakes while trying to solve even the simplest problems.

SAT test takers should analyze their problem areas - some students are good at math, while others are fluent in English (reading/writing). Students should try building their strengths while eliminating the weaknesses. Free SAT practice tests can help locate the areas that require more efforts.

There is no substitute for hard work. But hard work is not as productive as ‘smart-hard-work’. It is a bad idea to sit for hours trying to solve SAT Pre test questions without proper concentration. Proper concentration is crucial to score well on the SAT. While the Critical Reading section requires a student to scan through long (and often boring) passages to answer a few questions, the math section challenges the reasoning skills in all ways.

More is not always better- Just by solving hundreds of SAT practice tests a student might not get high SAT scores. Students should try to monitor their scores for all the SAT practice tests they take. A SAT prep class, under the guidance of a capable tutor, can be more productive than self-study. In a SAT prep class, a student can learn many new things that might not be learned otherwise.

SAT Exam scores reflect an individual’s best attempts at each of the three sections. The test comprises of questions across three levels on the basis of difficulty- Easy, Medium, Hard. Interestingly, SAT does not reward students with more points for attempting a difficult question (which might be time consuming) than an easy one. Therefore, students should aim at maximizing their scores by solving all the easy questions first.

Being a Multiple-Choice-Questions test, the SAT expects the students to find the right answer from among the given choice; the answer lies in front of the student- The SAT just asks the students to extract it and register it on the bubble answering sheet. Even here, the SAT tests your concentration. Marked answer sheets are meant for machines. And machines do not think! These systems are designed to calculates student’s scores (SAT Exam score) on the basis of what’s visible on the sheet, and not on what the student intended to answer. It is therefore important that students fill in the ovals (bubbles) correctly and completely.

SAT test preparation courses prepare a student to understand different aspect of the SAT, and learn how to handle them in the right fashion. An online SAT test preparation class provides students with the flexibility to study as per their schedule. While a SAT test study guide provides full length SAT Practice Tests, and their answers, it may fail to ‘speak’ to the student for analyzing weak areas. SAT test preparation is not an overnight affair. It takes consistent practice and hard work to make a SAT test preparation program fruitful. Preparation for the SAT test should be customized according to the student’s requirements. With BrainQuotient, a student is guided through SAT pre test questions.