High Score Tips for the SAT
by Alex L.
I’d like to share my experience preparing for the SAT/PSAT, in the hopes that others will take the proper actions for their test with these tips for a high score.
In my freshman and sophomore year, my highest score on the school issued PSAT was 1240.
I was told by prep programs that I had to take intensive courses to do well (over 1500), but over the summer I self studied and scored 1570 out of 1600 on my first SAT test and 1500 out of 1520 on the PSAT as a junior.
Timing
In my opinion, taking the test right after summer is the best time, especially if you have a busy school schedule.
I took the test on August 24, 2024, and the PSAT in early October. It was nice because I was still fresh from my most intense studying during the summer.
Preparation Time
I dedicated approximately 6-8 weeks during the summer of 2024 for test prep, spending around 1.5 hours daily studying and maybe around two or three hours on the weekends.
On weekdays, I would, for the first two weeks, study both math and reading or grammar content/knowledge in 45-minute blocks, two blocks per day.
Beyond that, I would use Barron’s prep book (or any available practice questions) and spend 45 minutes doing questions. Then after a break, I’d review my mistakes for 45 minutes. I would usually review and work on practice questions for 45 minutes.
If I missed any serious concepts or realized I didn’t know a piece of information, I’d spend an extra twenty or so minutes reviewing that topic.
On weekends, I would take mock exams on BlueBook (save them! They are very useful), ensuring that I sat through the entire 3 hours in a quiet environment to simulate the actual test conditions. With only about 6 practice tests available, it’s essential to be well-prepared and make the most of each mock exam.
Content Coverage
To achieve a comprehensive understanding of the SAT material, I focused on both breadth and depth. For breadth, I watched a YouTube video that covered all the content points on the SAT. I used my previous experience on the PSATs to gauge what I had to review more or less.
The test also helped me understand what to expect on the exam, but it’s not super important to know the format as long as you know a rough timing, just show up and take it! For depth, I would watch videos about challenging reading questions and math problems on the SAT titled ‘ the most difficult SAT math questions from 2022 ‘, etc. to make sure I can handle challenge questions too.
Reviews
Reviewing is extremely crucial; it didn’t matter how many practice tests or mock exams I took if I didn’t thoroughly analyze my errors.
I kept a notebook to record all my mistakes, and many of them were repetitive. To reinforce my learning, I would review this notebook every 3 days to ensure I fully understood each concept. Once I knew I had understood a question, I’d put a little check mark near it or if it was especially hard, I’d mark it as well.
Additionally, I used flashcards on a Quizlet to memorize unfamiliar words or math formulas, reviewing them a couple of times a day for 5-10 minutes. This consistent review helped solidify my knowledge, and I ramped it up especially near the exam (like once a day), and the night going into the exam, when I would review for only around 20 minutes.
A Few Tips
- Know the formulas for the sum and product of the solutions for a polynomial.
- Read texts or books from the 1800-1900s. I read The House of Mirth and my friend who aced the PSAT read Shakespeare.
- Understand that many of the questions are repeated throughout the exams, so review well!
- Take BlueBook tests 5 and 6 LAST since they are the hardest.
- You can take an unscheduled break during the exams, and I took them during the math module to prepare for the 2nd module- just take it if a module is easy.
