It’s almost time for one of the most important exams worldwide – the SAT. Did you know nearly 3 million students all over the world take this exam at more than 7000 centers?
This standardized exam helps students to get into their dream colleges and pursue the undergraduate courses of their choice.
If you’re also planning to appear for the SAT, your mind must be overwhelmed with so many study tips and tricks. But don’t worry because, in this article, we shall walk you through some basic study tips that will guarantee a good score!
Read the test directions first
Before starting each section, take a few minutes to first read through the directions. Unless you’re familiar with the directions and how to attempt questions, there are chances of messing up.
Even if you know the exam pattern and how to answer, it doesn’t hurt to go through the directions once.
Spend a minute or read them over (don’t just skim or rush without reading properly), and then begin the section. You’ll notice that you’re much more at ease because you know how to attempt.
Practice from test papers
You won’t be able to prepare well for the SAT test if you don’t practice enough. But, even if the practice doesn’t make you perfect, it will ensure you score decently. Moreover, the more you practice, the more familiar you are with the question paper and the difficulty level.
As a result, you won’t have to walk into the examination hall with a blank face and a racing heart. Instead, try to get a hold of good sample test papers from reputed institutions. You can visit your local library or ask your school for a sample booklet.
Take extra classes for language
For non-native English speakers, it can sometimes be difficult to understand the reading and writing portion of the SAT. But if you wish to achieve a high score, you’ll have to ensure that English isn’t a barrier.
Go for tutoring if you feel you’re not comfortable learning so much on your own. Watch English documentaries or news channels to be familiar with how words are pronounced and used.
Additionally, reading English novels and magazines is also a good idea to strengthen this area.
Guess when you’re not sure
Earlier, SAT used to penalize students by deducting marks for wrong answers. Luckily, this norm isn’t there anymore. So when you’re unsure of the answer, you can simply take a wild guess and mark one of the options.
Usually, if you’ve practiced hard and are confident, you can guess the right answer by reading the question more than once. However, before you start guessing, eliminate the incorrect answer right in the beginning.
Practice math regularly
Mathematics is a subject that requires constant practice. Therefore, you have to sit down and dedicate an hour or two (without interruptions) to math to ace this test section.
You might not see amazing scores right in the beginning, but don’t give up. Instead of being demotivated, consider this an opportunity to practice sums even more.
Suppose you see that you’re stronger in one part of math than another; practice accordingly. To make things easier, you can create a schedule and allot an hour each to different sections of the math paper.
Be good at spatial thinking
Since SAT also has a Physics and Chemistry portion, this will require extensive use of your imagination.
You won’t be able to conduct experiments or do lengthy calculations to answer a question. So you need to brush up on your Physics and Chemistry and imagine the figures in your mind.
You can even draw them for your ease, but you need to be good at this kind of reasoning to understand what the answer will be quick. Draw free-body diagrams at home and practice using them as your reference.
Over to you…
Many people feel that the SAT is a highly complex exam, but it only requires some hard work and practice.
However, if you’re struggling with your SAT prep, you can always ask your teachers or parents or hire a tutor to help you out. The main mantra here is to do your best and enter the exam hall with a calm mind!
