Unlike many of the exams you’ve taken in school so far, it is important to realize that the SAT is a completely new ball game. There is no syllabus, no prescribed text book and no class teacher to help you. Fortunately or unfortunately, however you look at it, your SAT score is very important and may be crucial in deciding which college you end up at a year from now. While we’re sure many of you already are familiar with the scoring patterns and various sections of the test, here are a few tips to keep in mind while preparing for the SAT:
#1 – Give it Time
The first thing to remember is that being intelligent does not guarantee you a good SAT score. We have come across several academically gifted students who have been unable to master the test. Similarly, several students who under-perform in classrooms have got great scores on the test. The reason? More than just a test of intelligence, the SAT is a test of your test-taking skills. What this means for you as a test-taker is that it is essential to devote plenty of time to preparation. If you are looking to take the SAT in the next couple of months, and are keen on attending a top college next year, the SAT must be your top priority for now.
#2 – Learn Question Types
One common mistake test-takers tend to make is neglecting to understand the various question types that repeatedly appear on every test. Rather than spending all your time learning wordlists and formulae, it is crucial to familiarize yourself with different clusters of questions that you will face on test day. In addition to helping you save critical time, knowing what to expect will only make you a more confident test taker, letting you spend time on questions that necessitate more attention.
# 3 – Choose Resources Wisely
Perhaps the questions we at College Connect get asked most are “which book should I study from” and “which coaching center should I attend.” While there is obviously no hard-and-fast answer to either of these questions, the key is to remember to adopt a smart approach to the test. What often tends to happen in group classes is that your performance will be dragged back to the worst performing student in the class. Rather than lowering your expectations in such a situation, try and keep yourself motivated and measure your performance only against yourself and not with weaker students in the class. As clichéd as it may sound, ultimately the classes you attend or the books you use will have little bearing on your final score – it will primarily be the time and effort you put into preparation that will reflect in your score.
#4 – Understand your Strengths and Weaknesses
Since the test is comprised of different sections, it is understandable that some of you will be better at math and some of you will be better at critical reading. On a macro level, rather than spending an equal amount of time preparing for all three sections, it is imperative that you discern which sections you struggle with more and spend time addressing your weaknesses. Even within sections, do not spend an equal amount of time on question-types. Breeze through what you know well and lay special emphasis on the types of questions that tend to stump you.
#5 – Stay Calm
With all this talk about the importance of the SATs, and incredibly high scores being thrown around in conversation, it is easy to get carried away and make the test a bigger deal than it actually is. While there is no doubting that the SAT is an important component, it is just one of many things admissions committees consider when making decisions. It is important to go into a test with this attitude. Unnecessarily worrying about your test score during the test and while preparing will only raise your anxiety levels and ultimately compromise the effectiveness of your test-taking ability.
# 6 – Practice Tests
Perhaps the most important piece of advice we can give you is to take several full-length practice tests. With every passing test you will not only become increasingly familiar with the different sections, your strengths, and weakness, but will also notice your score increasing. Given the multiple-choice test format of the SAT, merely knowing the subject matter will not ensure that you get a high score. Additionally, since it is not advised to take the SAT more than a couple of times, practice tests become even more important.
At the end of the day, every test-taker will have their own way of approaching the test. The tips mentioned above are only meant to serve as indicators of how some of our most successful applicants have approached the SAT in prior years. To discuss your own SAT strategy and formulate your own action plan, do set up a free appointment with College Connect by calling +91-9999177517.
