5 Step Guide to Easily Prepare for the SAT exam

In the midst of highly competitive college admissions, preparing for the SAT exam is not an easy challenge today. The SAT exam is considered a significant standardized test for undergraduate program admissions for students aspiring to pursue international education in the top ranking universities abroad. The SAT exam tests out evidence-based reading and writing and math skills in the students to assess their competencies and potential to approach higher education in top universities overseas.

Here is a 5 step guide to help you make steady progress and fully prepare for your SAT exam with effective learning and preparation test strategies.

Make a Study Plan

Setting aside some time to plan, prepare and practice with a study schedule will give you the peace of mind that comes with being ready to take the test. This will help you stay consistent with your studies and keep your head in the race making progress every day. It’s important to diagnose the score that you’re aiming for based on the universities you’re interested in and then plan your study schedule accordingly. For instance if your goal is to improve your point score by 80–100 points, you’ll need to at least put in 50hrs of work to achieve that goal. Accordingly you can plan to put in 5hrs a week of work straight for 10 weeks if you have a couple of months to prepare, and then allow yourself some time for final practice sessions before the exam. Putting greater emphasis on independent thinking in our teaching pedagogies at SNIS International Residential School in Bangalore, we motivate our students to plan, prepare and follow a study schedule discipline to maintain their own academic learning journey right from their formative years at school.

Familiarize yourself with the SAT exam format

More often than not, students find themselves in a real pickle when they don’t recognize the exam format and are not familiar with the overall SAT structure. The actual preparation of the SAT is going to make an impact if you’re also familiar with the way the questions are asked and know how to answer them. The different sections of the SAT exam are created in a way to test the student’s academic abilities in every aspect ranging from multiple choice questions, to essay writing and reading test. So, the preparation strategies will also differ accordingly to bring out the best of their knowledge in writing, reading, math and language studies.

 Target your Score count

Setting a score goal will help you lay down your priorities in the time frame that’s available to you and accomplish as much as you can while preparing for the SAT. This will effectively improve your performance in real time and help you build a strategy to nail all the important touch points while timing your point improvement realistically. Depending on how much time you have got to prepare, setting a score goal will also help you target the university you’re interested in attending and improve your baseline score to match your goal with point improvement.

Take those Practice Tests

Don’t forget to take at least 2–3 practice tests to actually put all your SAT preparation to test before the real exam. It is not only a great way to pinpoint your weaknesses, but also a great way to see if you can find strategies to manage your time better and approach the test in the best ways. A fully-timed practice test on paper will help you get comfortable with the exam layout and get ready for the real exam experience worth of 3hrs hard work. It is a valuable experience that lets the students test out their strengths in all three dimensions of the exam and familiarizes them with the section-wise instructions. Timing your thinking process on these instructions and important topics also helps to come up with strategies that work to avoid a mental block. At SNIS International Residential School in Bangalore, we build resilient learners with top-rated international education that lets them pursue their higher education abroad with the key competencies needed to thrive in an environment of learning beyond.

 De-stress the Night Before the Test

It’s a good idea to take the night before the test to de-stress and clear your mind. Getting a full night’s sleep will help you focus better and prepare yourself for the big day. Lay out the things you’re going to need for the test, set an alarm for the next morning, and go to sleep early. De-stressing your mind the night before the test will help you get ready for the test both physically and emotionally with ample energy to take the challenge and sit out the test with enough self-assurance and confidence. Taking the time to relax before the test will help you take the pressure off to let you walk into the exam with a free mind and also avoid a mental block while writing the test.