Are you doing everything you can to prep for the SAT? Hopefully you’re not making one of these classic mistakes!
1) Studying only vocabulary
Yes, the SAT tests your knowledge of vocabulary quite heavily. However, if you can tell me the meaning of recondite, yet aren’t able to tell me how a sentence is functioning in a paragraph, or how a paragraph is functioning in an argument, or what the tone of a passage is, you’ve got yourself a rather disconcerting imbroglio there.
2) Not taking practice tests
This one’s a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised how many students show up for the SAT without ever having taken a practice test. Maybe they’ve taken the PSAT—and that’s it. Just like any skill, taking the SAT is something that you’re guaranteed to improve at with practice. Not only will you gauge your sense of time management and be able to adjust accordingly—you’ll also learn the extent to which you’re able to perform gracefully under pressure. Looking to take a free practice test? E-mail us at [email protected].
3) Not brushing up on your grammar
What’s a dangling modifier? How do you use a semicolon properly? The SAT Writing test won’t ask you these questions outright, but they’re going to require that you prove your knowledge of standard English grammar conventions. And just between you and me (or is it you and I? [it’s not]), this is the easiest section on which to gain hundreds of points. For many who don’t do as well as they’d like on the test, this is their missed opportunity.
To get you started towards higher SAT Writing & Language scores, here’s a link to the best SAT Grammar textbook on the market.
4) Not knowing fundamental math concepts and formulas
Yeah, they’re in the formula chart. But so what? Without being able to spot a 45-45-90 triangle, you’re never going to think to find the formula to determine its side lengths. Maybe you’re able to do algebra but you’re shaky on exponent rules, so the answer you got doesn’t match up with the test’s answer choices, because yours has a negative or fractional exponent. Maybe you think that the “square” of a number means “the square root” (it does not). Find where your math gaps are and fill them in. Everybody’s got that story of the bad geometry teacher, or something of that ilk. Take charge of your learning and contact a tutor!
If you’re more of the “self-study” type, we’ve got you covered with the best SAT Math prep book ever written.
5) Calculator dependency
It ruins lives, guys. If I had a dollar for every time a student reached for a calculator when they didn’t need it or didn’t know what they were going to do with it, I might be paying someone else to write this article! Only use the calculator when you know exactly what you plan to do with it. Let it crunch big numbers for you. Use it to confirm some function rules. Allow it to convert a fraction into a decimal. Get my gist? If you’re fumbling with a calculator the whole time you test, you’re wasting precious time. Don’t be surprised if savvy students outperform you with their trusty pencils!
To sum it up: study vocabulary as part of this complete breakfast of reading and thinking about literature. Take practice tests to gauge your progress and simulate test conditions. Study fundamental grammar concepts. Know math rules and formulas. Use the calculator like a trained assassin.
Looking to take a free practice test? Contact us! Want more tips and a free eBook? Join our mailing list!
Till next time, friends!
Additional Resources:
SAT & ACT Grammar Mastery
SAT Math Mastery Volume 1 and Volume 2
Conquer SAT Vocabulary Video Course