How to Crack SAT Exam in 2022: Strategies You Must Know

Every country’s universities have some form of standardised test to filter out their candidates. In the case of the USA, the universities judge candidates based on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). To get into American universities, you need to know how to crack SAT exam. In this blog, we have compiled the strategies and plans that you can follow for an effective SAT crack and score well in the exam.

Overview of SAT Exam

The SAT exam is a comprehensive exam in the USA used as a parameter for a candidate’s capabilities. This exam also holds validity in Canada, UK and Australia. The Educational Testing Service administers the test and focuses on the candidate’s verbal, mathematical and writing skills. It is a pen-paper test and requires great skill and strategy to score well. The score of the test can range from 400 to 1600. Around 192 countries worldwide accept SAT scores as a criterion for admission. The exam is conducted 7 times a year, and there is no limit to how many times you can sit for the exam.

SAT Exam Structure

The SAT is a three-hour-long exam divided into two sections: Evidence-Based Reading and Writing [EBRW] and Mathematics. These sections comprehensively test your English reading, writing, language and mathematical skills.

EBRW (Total Questions: 96, Time Limit: 100 minutes, Score Range: 200-800)

The EBRW section has two parts – a Reading Test and a Writing and Language Test.

• The Reading Test comprises 52 questions to be solved within a time limit of 65 minutes.
• The Writing and Language Test consists of 44 questions to be solved within 35 minutes.

To improve your SAT reading score, begin by creating a passage reading strategy that helps you in your SAT prep. Take an SAT practice test for the reading section. Set a timer and check whether you can complete the reading section within the required time. Finally, analyze your section, identify your weakness, and work on them. This will help you manage your time during the test and prepare the perfect strategy for your test attempt.

Mathematics (Score Range: 200-800)

• The math with a calculator section consists of 20 questions to be solved within 25 minutes.
• The math without a calculator section consists of 38 questions to be solved within 55 minutes.

Your SAT math test practice will be inadequate without memorising the formulae you need to ace your SAT math section. Familiarise yourself with strategies such as picking numbers, backsolving, etc. These strategies will help you solve the questions more quickly.

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Strategies Required to Crack SAT Exam

Like every other competitive exam, the SAT exam requires consistent hard work and smart work to score well. It is a lengthy exam, and every second counts. Thus, students need to work consistently for months to practice and polish their time management and problem-solving abilities.

Week-by-Week Guide to Crack SAT

The preparation for SAT exam needs to be approached skillfully so you are fully prepared for it. We have divided the preparation path into weekly timeframes to help you prepare for the SATs in three months. This timeframe is not rigid and depends solely on the aspirant’s capabilities. Week 1 

• During the first week, you should thoroughly assess the SAT syllabus and plan your preparation schedule accordingly.
• You can take a sample SAT available online. This will help you get familiar with the pattern and structure of the exam and identify and understand your mistakes. This will make it easier for you to plan your preparation.
• After the sample SAT test, you will be able to identify your strong and weak areas in the exam. Now you can divide your preparation time according to your weak areas and work on them.
• Look at and understand what you did wrongly in the test and how you can work on it. For example, you might be able to score well in the algebra section but do poorly in arithmetic. So, arithmetic should get more of your attention during your preparations.
• Additionally, sample tests will help you understand the timeframe within which you were able to solve the paper and specific sections. Based on this, you can decide which sections you need to focus on more to shave off some valuable time in your test attempt.

Week 2

• You should practice equations, algebra and inequality-based questions during the second week.
• The concepts that are hard for you to understand or where you are making mistakes should be the focus of your preparation this week. Revise them thoroughly and understand them well.
• Pick 10 random practice questions and try to solve them.
• Pick any two writing passages and practice questions from them. You should practice 22 questions from 2 different tasks during this week.
• Use online resources such as YouTube to watch tutorials and read books that include chapters on all the exam topics.

Week 3 

• Review and revise a minimum of 3 lessons of advanced mathematics and start practising trigonometry-based questions.
• Revise the concepts you learned previously and begin solving mixed-bag questions.
• Practice writing passages. Make sure you read newspapers, journals and articles every day. Keep a tab on them until you sit for the test.

Week 4 

• Pay attention to arithmetic-based questions as well as complex numbers during this week.
• Practice a minimum of 30 to 40 random questions from every section.
• Spend at least 2-3 hours every day solving questions based on comprehension passages.
• Read various newspaper editorials and subject-based articles and write down what you read in the form of a summary. This will help you improve your writing skills and your vocabulary.

Week 5 to 8 

• This is the time to start giving mock tests. Everything you have learned in the past four weeks should be put to practice now. Write as many mock tests as you can and complete every section. This will give you a fair idea of where you stand in your preparations.
• Use the College Board’s official practice guide and revise it thoroughly.

Week 9 to 12 

• Do supplement reading during this period.
• Practice your coordinate geometry skills.
• Revise and review statistics lessons.
• Read several longer-form pieces and practice questions on them.
• Use an official SAT study guidebook. This book will help you find problems and their explanations.
• Since these are the final weeks of preparation, solve mock tests as if you are sitting for the official exam. Work on your final weak points, get a handle on time and complete the final SAT preparations.

Tips & Tricks to Crack SAT

Divide questions into separate sections based on difficulty

Every student preparing for the SAT must know their weak points in every section. Focusing on all the weak points at once can be confusing and unfruitful. Instead, aspirants can divide their problematic questions into sections: easy, medium and difficult, according to their complexity. While appearing for the exam, the student should solve the easy questions first and secure some marks. Then, they should focus on medium-difficulty questions as these will take up a little more time than the easy ones. In the end, the candidate should focus on the difficult ones, which can take up a lot of time.

Assess your skills before attempting the official paper

To diagnose your skills and SAT prep, you can sit for a Preliminary SAT (PSAT). This test can help you in analysing your preparation. According to the score you obtain, you can select the SAT exam date that matches your level of readiness for the exam.

Cultivate a habit to read

SAT English is problematic for most students as it has a lengthy comprehension. To better prepare for this section, you should read novels, newspapers, magazines, or non-fiction books from a young age. This will help you increase your reading speed, improve your grammar, and benefit your SAT prep.

Understand the format of the exam

Familiarize yourself with the format of the paper beforehand. Most students find it difficult to understand the format of the SAT exam and cannot score well on the exam. Thus, it is better to familiarize yourself with the paper and understand the structure well.

Mock tests are key

There are various online and physical resources available for SAT mock tests. Mock tests can help you properly get the hang of the SAT English and SAT Maths sections and score well.

Aim for a score

Aiming for a certain score to secure admission into your favoured college is always better. So, prepare accordingly and aim to achieve that score.

Conclusion

The SAT exam is tough for students appearing for it for the first time or the nth time. It is a tough and long-duration exam that requires determination and focus. Thus, it is better to have a well-planned schedule and strategy spanning over a few months to help you to crack SAT.

Read our resources and contact our experts for further guidance to attempt and crack the SAT.

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