If you’re trying to get into one of the nation’s top universities, or you are going into a field of study that requires extensive math knowledge, you will want to earn an 800 on the SAT Math section.

Getting an 800 on the SAT Math section means that you don’t have to score as highly on the Reading section to get a high composite score, and it also makes you more competitive to selective colleges.

Consider the percentile scores for a couple of top colleges, for example. The average SAT Math score for students at MIT is 790, and the 25th percentile score is 780. For Princeton, which is an Ivy League school with less of a math focus, students still have an average SAT Math score of 780, and the 25th percentile score is 730.

If you’re not earning a score of 790-800 on the SAT Math section, you are not going to be competitive with other students who are applying to these top schools.

When I received a perfect score on the SAT, it unlocked countless opportunities for me including college acceptances and scholarship money. If you earn an 800 on the SAT Math section, you will be well on your way toward an impressive (or perfect!) composite SAT score. Here are a few ways to earn a 800 on SAT Math:

Understand your weaknesses

Before you can improve your performance on the SAT Math section, you need to know what is standing in the way of a perfect score.

Do you have trouble managing your time? Are you spending too much time focusing on your calculator? Is the content too difficult? Do you know how to handle the student-produced response questions?

Pinpoint your weaknesses by taking an SAT practice test under normal testing conditions and another one without any time constraints. If your score is low even without time limits, it is a good indication that you need to work on your understanding of the test content and the types of questions that are being asked. If you get a perfect score with unlimited time, then you need to work on your time management.

Once you are able to identify your weaknesses in the test, you can implement strategies to combat these weaknesses and boost your score.

Learn from your mistakes

All too often, students take SAT practice quizzes or answer SAT practice questions and then move on after seeing the questions they missed. This is one of the worst ways to prepare for the SAT because it dooms these students to continue to repeat the same mistakes over and over again.

Whenever you miss a question or have to guess on a question, spend time learning exactly why you were wrong and how you can avoid making the same mistake in the future.

For each question that you miss, write down the question and pertinent information, write down the correct answer, and write down why the answer you selected could not be correct and why the answer that is right is the only possible answer.

This is an efficient form of review because it will help you learn from your mistakes so that you are able to do better the next time you encounter that type of question.

Get help from experts

While self-studying is better than not preparing at all, it is not nearly as efficient and effective as working with experts who already earned a perfect score on the SAT Math section. 

Why pass up an opportunity to learn from someone who already accomplished your goal in order to try and figure out how to earn a good score on your own?

Hiring a private tutor or taking an SAT prep course, like the ones offered through Prep Expert, will allow you to learn from experts so that you’re ready to earn a perfect score on the SAT Math section.

Working with a private tutor is beneficial because these tutors will be able to help identify your personal strengths and weaknesses and teach you at your own pace. When you work with one of Prep Expert’s private tutors, you will get instruction from an expert instructor who scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT and follow a personalized instruction plan that will make sure you are equipped to do well on test day.

SAT prep courses are also helpful because they provide students with the tips, tricks, and strategies they need to master the content and game the test. At Prep Expert, all of our SAT prep courses are taught by experienced instructors who scored in the top 1% of test-takers on the SAT.

When you take advantage of these resources, you can receive the instruction you need to earn an 800 on the SAT Math section.

Enroll in an SAT prep course or sign up for private SAT tutoring today when you visit our website.