How to prepare for the SAT

The SATs are a critical stepping stone if you want to head out of India for higher studies. This test, which stands for Scholastic Assessment Test or Scholastic Aptitude Test, measures your readiness for college post-high-school. Administered by the College Board, the SAT exam is a critical one to clear with good scores because this test is used by colleges and universities to decide if they want you as their student.

Why should you take the SATs?

The SATs are a decision-making tool not just for US colleges but also for institutions in Australia, Singapore, New Zealand, the UK and Canada. If any of these is your study abroad destination, then sitting for the SAT exam with the right kind of preparation should be a priority for you.

Good SAT scores often make the difference between gaining admission into a top college and having to settle for a little-known one. The good news is that you can ace this test by preparing yourself for the right amount of time, with the appropriate tools and in the most effective way. Before we dive into prep, take a quick look at what the SAT looks like.

The test format

The test is in the digital format and you can take it at one of many designated centres across India.  Questions are spread over three subject areas-

• Reading
• Writing
• Maths

The Reading-Writing section had two modules and you have 32 minutes for each. The Math section also has two modules with 35 minutes allocated to each one. A little more detail about both sections:

When should you start preparing?

The simple answer to this question is: the earlier, the better. Starting early gives you the advantage of completing many practice tests. This makes your actual SAT exam a very familiar test to breeze through and you know exactly how to pace yourself to make the most of the given time. 

At a minimum, you need four to six months of preparation to score well in SAT exams. This will ensure that you can cover the subject areas thoroughly and also take enough practice tests to make you confident on exam day. Remember that you can retake the exam if you are unhappy with your scores. But if you don’t plan well, you may not be able to take the test again and get the scores in time to meet college application deadlines. This means you have to wait for the next intake.

SAT preparation resources

You can prepare on your own for SATs using online resources that are quite easily available. Your classes at school cover all the basic subjects that you will need for the SAT. The College Board’s BlueBook app has practice tests as well. This is the app you use to take the actual test so familiarizing yourself during prep is a great way to build your confidence to face the exam anxiety-free.

College Board has a tie-up with Khan Academy to offer what is called the Official Digital SAT Prep. Khan Academy’s SAT prep can be linked with the College Board BlueBook app too so you get a well-rounded training module for your SATs. The BlueBook app makes you familiar with the test, its format, question type, difficulty level etc. Khan Academy’s modules teach you the subjects that the SAT questions cover.  

Many students also enrol in face-to-face classes offering training for this exam.

Steps to prepare for the SAT exam

The subjects covered in the SAT test are those taught to you at school so the ideal initial step is to pay full attention to school work and to read up thoroughly on additional materials that can help cover these subject areas. While this is the groundwork you lay for your SATs, you also need a game plan to prepare for the exam in the months leading up to it.

Here is how you prepare step by step for your SAT exam:

1. First, identify the colleges/ universities in the different countries that you are aiming to apply to. Find out what SAT scores they look for. You will find this information on their website in the admissions/ requirements pages. With this information in hand, you know what score you need to aim for.
2. Take a SAT practice test even before you start any preparation. The test score will give you a rough idea of your weakness areas. It will also show you how comfortable you are with the digital format of the test and how much practice you need to face the exam confidently.
3. Discipline is key to preparing for any exam and it is no different with the SATs. Make a study plan that outlines what you will be studying on which day of the week, and for how many hours. Follow your study plan diligently. Remember, the earlier you start prep, the more the number of weeks you can spread your studying over.  
4. Using the BlueBook, Khan Academy- College Board resources give you an accurate representation of the actual SAT test you will face. This means you don’t have any rude shocks on exam day and you know exactly what you will have on your screen. That’s why, using these officially green-ticked resources are your best option. Try out the in-built calculator that you are allowed to use in the Math section. Familiarize yourself with it so that you can use it intuitively on exam day.
5. Get very familiar with the SAT pattern. Learn how much time you have for each section, how you can work through it and how to plan your available time on exam day to make the best of each minute.
6. Joining SAT study groups can help keep you motivated and also help you get information and tips that can prove to be really useful on exam day.
7. As you do your practice tests, understand where your weaknesses lie and focus more on those. For example, if you are scoring less in Reading questions, then spend more time on reading tougher, more complex passages from varied sources during your study hours. 
8. Watch videos and talk to students who have aced SAT to know how to approach different sections of the exam. For example, in the Reading section, as you read, you can identify answers to some of the questions, instead of reading through one entirely before coming back to find the answers.

Once you are well prepared, you can head to your SAT exam with confidence. The day before the exam, spend enough time on ensuring that you have everything you need to be allowed into the exam hall. Wind down and get some good rest before you head to the exam. Stay calm and tackle the questions with the knowledge that you have done this a number of times already and you can score well on it.