SAT Tips & Strategies For Students

Dear Parent, 

Be sure your student pays attention to the registration dates for the SAT.  The best time to take the SAT is in late spring of the junior year.  Registration deadlines are usually 5 to 6 weeks prior to the date of the test.  The counseling department at your student’s high school will have all the information necessary to obtain dates and instructions.  

Here are a few tips and strategies for your student to get the best possible score!

• Know the directions for every section.
• Know the order of the questions.  Answer easy questions first. Mark skipped questions in your exam book so you can quickly return to them later.
• Guess smart.  If you can rule out one or more answer choices for a multiple-choice question as definitely wrong, your chances of guessing the right answer improve. Use your test booklet to organize your thoughts. You can cross off choices you know are wrong and mark questions you have omitted so you can go back to them if you have time.
• Avoid stray marks on the answer sheet. A machine scores your test and can't distinguish between a correct answer and a careless doodle.
• Easy questions usually precede hard ones. Mark only one answer per question.   Don’t change an answer unless you are sure you made an error.
• Check that you are placing your answer in the correct section and number on the answer sheet.
• Don't spend too much time on any one question. You should spend only seconds on the easiest questions, and hesitate to spend more than 1-2 minutes on even the hardest ones.
• Don't panic if you cannot answer every question.  You do not have to answer every question correctly to get a good score. You can get an average score by answering about half of the questions correctly and omitting the remaining questions.
• Remember that the SAT consists of a series of small, timed, mini-tests. Keep track of the time you're allotted for each one and how much time remains.   You can bring a watch to the test center.
• Read the words in the question carefully. Be sure to answer the question asked and not the question you recall from a practice test. 

There are several websites that offer test-taking tips, strategies and, essay and practice questions.   Some websites to check out are: www.CollegeBoard.com, www.Kaptest.com, and www.Powerscore.com. 

Print off these tips for your student so he/she can go over them right before they take the SAT.  Anything they can do to be prepared in advance is encouraged! 

Until next month….best wishes!