The Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) is administered by the college board to assess a high school student's readiness for college and to give universities a single point of comparison for all candidates. The SAT is divided into three main components: reading, writing and math. The exam takes around 3 hours to complete, not counting the optional essay writing section, with each test segment lasting between 25 and 60 minutes. The SAT is a challenging yet necessary test that must be taken by all students but yet there are always some misconceptions about the best way to study.
Most Effective Study Plan
The most effective way to study for the SAT is to take as many practice tests as you can. Usually 2-3 months is sufficient, and the big idea to focus on is to review your mistakes after taking practice tests. Taking practice tests that simulate your testing environment and making sure to review your test answers after you've taken it is crucial as you learn what you are doing wrong. When you know what specific things you are getting wrong, you can target those areas and work hard to master those concepts. Most people who take the SAT already have the skills necessary to do well on it, however, they just struggle to employ those skills during the test.
Khan Academy
Khan academy is the best tool to use for studying: it's free, it gives you questions based on what you missed on your last practice test, and it provides 8 practice tests to work on. If you struggle with understanding the material, you can use Khan Academy to learn the concepts. No other prep book will give you the personalization or the resources that Khan Academy does, and most prep books usually cost 20-30 dollars while Khan Academy is free. Not only that, but Khan Academy partnered up with the college board and has released real practice tests that were actually administered in past years.
The Black Book
Written by Mike Barret and Patrick Barret, the Black Book covers every element of the exam with practical assistance, making it unique in the SAT prep area. It is not simply a recap of content from your high school subjects, instead, it teaches you to exploit faults in the SAT's design by employing its own "SAT tricks" against it.
The Black Book provides 600+ thorough, logical, easy-to-follow walkthroughs for actual College Board SAT problems, so you learn how to approach each question properly and effectively. Every question from the first four official SAT Practice Tests will be attacked in a way that clearly displays the optimal SAT thought process. The Black Book is essential, as it teaches students to change their mindset about how to approach the SAT and as it teaches the various question types to look out for.
College Panda (For Math)
For those of you who struggle in math, the College Panda Math Workbook teaches you how to solve every problem on the SAT. But for the majority of people, the problem isn't learning how to solve the problems, but actually learning to refine your skills and learning to eliminate silly mistakes. Thats why the College Panda released their new book: The College Pandas 10 Practice Tests for SAT Math. This book provides more than enough practice to perfect your mistakes in math, and it provides concise solutions that aren't too wordy or redundant. This book is not affiliated with the College Board but the questions are very accurate and go over concepts from the SAT.
Getting into an Ivy League college is a dream for many, but the SAT isn't the only way to make that a reality. Good grades, high GPA, relevant extracurriculars, teacher recommendations, essays, and many other things can affect your chances of getting into your dream school. For those taking the SAT, consider the resources listed above as they may be beneficial in helping you prepare for the exam.
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