The SAT, part 1: General Suggestions

By Ilana W-B

The SAT is a three-part (math, critical reading, and writing) test required by many colleges in their admissions processes. (Most will accept the ACT as well, but the tests are similar in structure, so much of the same advice applies.) I plan to write a post with suggestions for preparing for and taking each section of the SAT. To begin, here are general tips.

Don’t wait. You can take the SAT multiple times and colleges will only see the scores you choose to send. You might as well take it early (freshman or sophomore year) to discover your strengths and weaknesses. Don’t be concerned if your scores aren’t as good as you’d like them to be: Your scores will probably increase in the next couple years, even without focused preparation (because you’ll be learning new vocabulary and math and improving as a writer during your time in high school). You should also be sure to take the SAT early if you are advanced in mathematics—the SAT only tests math concepts through basic Algebra II. If you’re already beyond that, your scores are only likely to go down with time as you forget what you learned in Algebra and Geometry. Most schools will consider your best score on each section individually, so nail that good math score now and re-take the test later to improve your writing and critical reading scores.

Take at least one timed practice test. You may or may not believe in test-prep classes or tutoring—either way, you should practice once. You’ll get a feel for the types of questions on the test and the amount of time you have so that nothing takes you by surprise on test day.

Don’t read the directions for each section. If you’re like most test-takers, you feel like the time given for each section is not quite enough. Don’t waste some of it reading the directions. If you’ve taken a practice test, you know what to do for each type of question.

Don’t get stuck on a single question. If it’s difficult or you know it will be time-consuming, circle it and move on. If you have no clue how to do it, just skip it. You can come back to it later. All questions are worth the same amount, so get the easy questions right before losing time pondering the difficult ones. 

Guess if you can eliminate at least one answer choice. The scoring method is in your favor. On multiple-choice questions, you lose a quarter-point for a wrong answer and gain a point for a right answer, so if you can narrow it down to four or fewer answer choices, you ought to gain by guessing. (Note: on the ACT, always guess, as you do not lose points for wrong answers.)

Be careful when filling in the bubbles on the answer sheet! This is especially true if you’ve skipped some questions—it’s very easy to start entering answers in the wrong rows, and that will definitely hurt your results. Keep checking that you’re filling in the right bubble in the right section, corresponding to the right question.

Read the question carefully. It’s sometimes easy to miss words like “not” and “except,” which the writers of the SAT are very fond of throwing into questions. Those sorts of words change which answer you ought to pick.

Sleep the night before the test. It will do you a lot more good than last-minute studying.

The SAT might not be enough. Most colleges only require the SAT or ACT, but some will want SAT II Subject Tests. Engineering schools often require Math Level 2 and Physics or Chemistry, and some schools request two or three subject test scores of your choice. Be sure to schedule and take the tests you’ll need for your schools of choice.