If you’re not happy with your first SAT attempt, don’t sweat it. You’ll likely take it again, and improve the second time around. You just need some easy SAT prep hacks.

Getting ready for a second attempt at the SAT will be a breeze if you follow our SAT prep hacks here.

Learn how to prepare for standardized tests with our year-round SAT prep and ACT prep courses today.

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Work On Stamina

Stamina is a muscle; build it.

The SAT is a four-hour exam that causes stress. Don’t worry about it. The good news is if you have poor concentration, you can build it up over time.

Focus on repetition and practice, practice, practice. The first thing to do is to take a couple of practice tests. You can find them online from past SAT dates.

When taking them:

• Time yourself
• Get familiar with how each section works
• Make notes on which questions you’re getting wrong

The trick is treating each practice like the real thing. When test day finally arrives, you’re brain and body will be trained to handle it like a routine.

Pinpoint Your Studying

After practicing, you’ll see where you need to improve.

Besides building up your stamina, another benefit of taking many practice tests is finding weak spots. You may be great at the Math section but your Writing and Reading skills need improvement.

When practicing focus on:

• Identifying the sections with the most room for improvement
• Improving those section skills or knowledge
• Working on your answering pace

You’ll see better practice test scores faster by working on those problem sections first. From there, go back and keep working more practice tests so you’re confident in every single section.

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Set A Personal Score Goal

Set a specific score you want to achieve on the test.

Score goals are the single best motivator for SAT prep. Why? Because you have a specific number you are trying to hit on test day.

The best part is you can measure how close you are to it after each practice test. Here are a couple of tips to set a score goal for yourself:

• Make it ambitious but reachable
• Check on your dream schools’ admissions guidelines

You want the score to be high enough to meet the challenge, but not too crazy so that you panic. If you already have dream schools in mind, check their SAT score requirements.

You’ll know exactly what numbers to hit. At that point, just work towards those numbers.

Brush Up On Fundamentals

Don’t overlook your basic skills in English and Math.

Grammar is a huge spot that you can brush up on when doing SAT prep. Grammar is important if you’re taking the SAT Essay, and also affects Reading and Writing questions.

For example, focus on common mistake area like:

• Comma Splices
• Dangling Modifiers
• Correct Apostrophe Usage
• Subject and Verb Number Agreement

If you need extra help, don’t be afraid to ask an English teacher or tutor for tips. For the Math section, spend time memorizing and practicing common formulas like:

• Quadratic Equation
• Pythagorean Theorem
• Equation of a Circle
• Area of an Equilateral Triangle

You will receive a formula reference sheet, but the better you can memorize them ahead of time, the faster you can answer those questions.

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