How Do I Prepare for the SAT?

Are you interested in learning how to prepare for SAT exams prior to sitting for them? Waiting for test day can undoubtedly cause anxiety, but if you spend the time before your test day studying and familiarizing yourself with the format of the test you will feel much better the moment you sit down and begin answering questions. The SAT exam is a Scholastic Aptitude Test that can either help you or hinder you from getting into the college of your choice. This is why preparation for a test has never been more important. Read on, and reference these preparation tips as the big day comes so that you can get the highest score possible.

Practice by Answering Practice Test Questions

During your senior year of high school you will have professors who will stress how important it is to earn a high score on the SATs. These dedicated teachers may also help you by giving you practice exams that will include math problems and questions that will test verbal, reading and comprehension skills. It is important to familiarize yourself with the wording of test questions and what options you can select from when choosing an answer. SAT preparation books can be very helpful if you want to see actual questions that have been used on previous tests. It is important that you understand that these questions will not come up on the test, but they are questions that were used at one time.

Learn the Test-taking Tricks that Can Help You

There may be difficult question on an SAT exam that you will find hard to answer. You do not necessarily need to know every answer to every question when you know the test-taking tricks. You should prepare to make educated guesses and use the process of elimination on questions you are not certain of the answer. It is also important to answer the easy questions first and to save the difficult or more time-consuming problems for last.

Take a Preliminary Test At Your School

A Preliminary SAT, or PSAT, is given months before the actual SAT is given. You must pay a fee to sit for this test, but by taking the PSAT, you can learn what you need to focus on and the materials you have strengths on. While the PSAT is a lower level test and it does not include the same amount of questions, it is like a trial SAT test that can be taken without prejudicing your SAT scores. If you want a performance indicator that will not affect how your scores on the test in the future will be perceived, this is a great way to prepare.

If your goal is to score high on the SATs, preparation is key. You cannot simply cram information nights before the exam and expect to get a score that will qualify you for admission into a respected college. Be sure to reference the practice questions that are available on the official testing site, learn about the test-taking tricks that can help you when you are stuck on a question, and pay the fee to take preliminary tests. By doing this, you can create a study plan, focus on the right test areas, and prepare for SAT exams the right way.