SAT test prep isn’t studying math equations and various readings alone. An important component is taking frequent practice tests to further discover and refine your weak areas.

Use these SAT practice test tips to get the most out of your studying and develop effective habits for test day itself.

When your practicing is wrapped up, make sure to follow these test day tips for greater success.

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Be Mindful Of Common Mistakes

When working on SAT practice tests, you will make consistently common mistakes.

Don’t worry, this is the time to work them out. Practice test mistakes commonly fall into one of the following categories:

• Content unfamiliarity or weakness
• Time constraint pressure
• Question misunderstanding
• Careless errors

After finishing each practice test, examine every incorrect answer and question so you can work out consistent errors.

Are you answering particular kinds of questions wrong? Did you keep making silly errors or misreadings on questions you already can answer? Do you constantly miss answering questions because time’s up before finishing?”

Plug-In Your Answer Choices

If you don’t exactly know how to solve a problem, then start using the available answers.

In the Math section especially, plugging-in answer choices is a valid method for finding the correct answer. Why? Because most of the time, it will work without much problem. However, it’s not a 100% guarantee.

Moreover, it is often time-consuming to do so. Again, only use this tip if you absolutely cannot crack the question with practiced methods first. Remember that every second does count.

Look For Problems In Answer Choices

Identifying answer choice problems will help you narrow things down.

On the SAT Reading Test, wrong answers will be one of the following choices:

• Text taken verbatim from a passage and incorrectly edited afterward
• Addressing supporting details rather than referring to the main point
• Making claims that rely on assumptions rather than direct evidence.

Remember, correct answers can always be supported with direct evidence. You never need to rely upon an assumption.

Another means to avoid wrong answer choices is by reading the question, and then working out your own answer before looking at the provided choices. Match the answer that you arrived at with the choice closest to it. You’ll very likely be correct.

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Pay Close Attention To Every Detail

Be mindful of any spelling or grammar errors, no matter how minor they are.

SAT Writing test questions are designed to misdirect you with minor grammatical error details like comma usage or verb tense. If you are answering questions too quickly, then you increase the odds of missing all of those details.

Every missed question sacrifices otherwise easily gained points. Make sure to work through that section at a deliberate pace, and double-check your answer choices before bubbling them in. If you’re not 100% sure and still have time available to address the question, then verify your choice again.

Remember that practice tests are your time to work on building up accuracy at speed. If you have to work slowly at first to guarantee correct answers, it’s ok.

Work On Keeping Calm

Work on always keeping a cool head when taking the test, practice, or real.

If you come across a question you don’t understand, don’t let it stop you from continuing. Above all else, keep going and answering questions you already understand.

You will skip many questions at first, and that’s perfectly fine. You are practicing to find your weaknesses and strengths. Be mindful of the time constraints and work to finish each test section on time.

There’s nothing wrong with answering the questions out of order when necessary. After each practice session, go back and review each section objectively, and don’t dwell on what you get wrong. All you’ve done is found the areas to study for harder.

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