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Tips and Tricks to ace the SAT

Updated: May 14, 2022

The scholastic aptitude test (SAT) does exactly what its name suggests- accessing your high-school level aptitude and college-readiness. To be precise, the exam evaluates the mathematical, creative, comprehension skills of the students. And most importantly, it is highly valued by colleges worldwide.

Your SAT scores are an integral part of your college application along with mandates like your high school grades, LOR, essay etc. The exam consists of three parts: Critical Reading, Writing and Math.

This blog is aimed at helping you ace the SAT exam and showing colleges that you are ready. Read on to get some choicest tips and tricks by those who have been there and done that. Like any other exam, it’s a good idea to begin preparing for the SAT exam by learning about the exam structure and thinking of strategies to conquer each part of the exam. Let’s see what the experts consider as the best practices for the SAT aspirants.


Preparation tips


Mathematics


1. Work on your basics

The best and the fastest way to increase your SAT scores manifold is to have a stronghold on mathematics foundation. Revise those Grade 8 concepts and watch yourself gliding through the test effortlessly.


2. Give it another try

It’s natural to take a peek at the answer explanations when you can’t get your answers right. But consider re-attempting the question possibly with a fresh perspective before seeing the explanation.


3. Formulae are your friends

When you are revising your concepts, make sure you have all the formulae on your fingertips. Even while preparing, memorizing the formulae instead of referencing them every now and then will help you revise effectively.


Writing


1. Game on with grammar

No matter how fluent you think you are in English, SAT believes in adhering to grammar rules to the T. So, there’s no other way to conquer the Writing section than memorizing your grammar rules thoroughly.


2. Rhetoric challenges

The comprehension passage is given to you for a reason. And the reason isn’t just reading it once and answering questions. Revisit the passage before attempting every question especially the rhetoric ones. You’ll be surprised to see how many times you find your own mistakes.


3. Precise is perfect

Do you come across questions that seem to have two correct answers? Well, there can be only one answer. But here’s a tip: if both seem correct, pick the answer that looks crisp and concise.


Reading


1. Subscribe to high-calibre publications

Read better to get better at your SAT reading game. It’s never too late to become a better reader. Read up all high-quality material that you can find like New York Times, the Economist, Sports Illustrated, The New Yorker and Scientific American.


2. Learn from your mistakes

Experts believe that people commonly make these 4 types of mistakes in the SAT reading section:

  • Unsurety about content

  • Stress

  • Understanding the question incorrectly

  • Negligence

While preparing, examine your mistakes and detect pattern if any. See what kind of mistakes you are making. Make yourself sharper in that area.


3. Elimination method

Just like in any multiple-choice question, SAT questions also have only one correct answer. When you can’t seem to get to the correct answer, try eliminating the wrong ones. Keep reminding yourself that the three incorrect answers have solid reasons behind them to be incorrect.


4. Read strategically

Plan out the passage in such a way that it gives you all the hidden answers in one go. The passage given to you is a comprehensive resource that contains all the answers if read closely enough. Here’s how to decode it:

  • Step 1: Skim the passage and get the gist of the story

  • Step 2: Read through the questions and see how many you can answer after step 1

  • Step 2: Read the passage thoroughly

  • Step 3: Now attempt the questions that require deep diving


5. Get your hands on the best SAT study resources

Books like The Official SAT Study Guide, SAT Prep Black Book etc will give an edge to your study plan. In addition, apps like the Khan Academy, Daily Practice for the new SAT and Study Timer: Test Prep Focus will keep you up to date with the SAT preparation strategies.


D-Day Tips


Here are some things to keep in mind on the day of the exam.

  1. Tackle difficult questions later

  2. Underline important parts of the questions

  3. Double check your answers


Book a consultation with WritersQi to talk to us about the SAT exam, the per-requisites and the hacks to ace it. Our experts have learned from years of attempting and mentoring experience so that they can guide SAT aspirants like you. All the best!

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