How Do I Self-Study for the SAT?

 By the College Essay Guy

As someone whose been tutoring the SAT for almost 20 years, I can say that 

A) each tutoring plan is unique to each student, and 

B) all tutoring plans have some common features. 

But what those common features should be, and how and why to individualize them, can feel a little nebulous.

So in this post, I’ll show you different self-study plans for different types of studiers, help you create a timeline for self-study, and connect you to resources you’ll need to find content instruction and study material. But first …

SELF-STUDY BEGINS WITH ... THE SELF 

It’s right there in the name, people! If you are reading this, you are interested in self-studying for the SAT. Which means you’re likely self-aware! Self-motivated! Or ... let’s face it ... tutoring can be expensive, and so there’s gotta be a more accessible way. 

To build your study plan, first ask yourself …

So … Who are You? 

I’m A Self-Starting Engine! Motivation City, population ME! 

You’ve got a five year ... nay! A ten year ... nay! A thirty year plan! Because you know that Supreme Court justices who also find the cure for cancer AND solve climate change, all while writing that best-selling novel (while playing pro ball?! My god! Who are you?!), don’t just happen! You’ve gotta have a plan! 

I’m A Go-With-The-Flow-Hakuna-Matata Type, Baby! 

Perhaps you are a “no worries ride the vibe” surfer of life’s thrillingly gnarly waves. Plans are for suckers, right? Cuz isn’t life just going to do what it’s going to do? 

Um … I’m neither? Or sometimes both? 

Or, perhaps, your worldview and natural orientation fall somewhere in-between. Perhaps you’re motivated but not sure where to start. Or you know where to start, but you just need a little motivation and some accountability to make it work. 

Any mindset and set of circumstances that brought you to this sentence are valid, and just as there is no one path that led each person here, there is no one “right” way to study for the SAT! 

The most important thing you need to do, right here right now, is to begin to figure out what is the best way forward for you. Some students will find repetition and rigidity helpful and clarifying, while other students thrive in a more improvisational, flexible environment. Neither is better or worse, and the sweet spot often contains elements of both structure AND flexibility. However, the probable success or failure of a study plan will likely be less about the structure of the plan itself than about how fully the plan aligns with the way you work best. 

For example, I’m generally someone who thrives better in sunshine and heat than in gray skies and cold weather. However, the best days for me are not necessarily the sunniest days but those when the weather, whatever it may be, aligns with how I’m feeling. Do I feel aligned with sunshine more often than not? Yep. But if I’m feeling slow and meditative, a cold, gray day beats the pants off a sunny day! So, your first assignment is to do a little dive into your past and think about who you are, why you’re here, and what kinds of work structures best help you stay motivated and accountable.

Here’s an example from my own experience to model how to investigate how you work best, and to get those self-investigative juices flowing: 

A few years ago, I decided to get serious about working out. I have always been athletic, but it had been awhile since I had been on a sports team, and I realized how much I missed being as active as I had then. 

Still, getting back into a groove was hard. I was out of practice. I was not as strong as I’d once been. And—I had to be real with myself—conditioning was always my least favorite part of playing sports. Now I was asking myself to get excited about essentially all conditioning and no play? It was a tough sell. 

My first plan (which I don’t think was ever intentionally a plan, just an instinct that I ran with), was drill-sergeant-level tough love. That’s right! If I needed to motivate myself, I’d just do what my most demanding, scream-in-your-face coach back in the day would do! Did it matter that he was my least favorite coach who actually just made me feel more scared than motivated? Nope! Cuz we needed to get in shape, and so demanding and screamy must be the way to go! 

I basically invented a mental trainer for myself, and the trainer I invented showed no mercy and pretty much hated me. Needless to say, for me, this plan was a disaster. All the impossible standards, the inner screaming and shame ... just made me feel like crap. That caused my  inner protector/guard dog to start barking its head off with its own message: we don’t need any of this! Rebel! Rebel! Now, my inner rebel needs no convincing to show up to a party; she’s pretty much always ready with a crazed look in her eye and a box of matches. 

And thus ... the plan started to unravel. It turns out fear, shame, and rigidity tend to make me do the OPPOSITE of what I’m supposed to do, so for me this workout plan was never going to, well, work out. However, failure was also a great teacher! NOW I had some information about myself, which meant NOW I could make an intentional plan taking all I had learned into account. 

Okay! So structure good but rigidity bad! From this nugget of self-knowledge I created a new plan, which I called the 1-2-3 Plan. For the structural tentpoles, I gave myself a weekly goal of 10 points. An “easy” workout counted for 1 point, a “medium” workout was a 2, and a “hard” workout was a 3. However, I decided that how I achieved those 10 points each week was entirely up to me. I could go “slow and low” 6-7 days a week, or do a few high intensity workouts 3-4 days a week. I also knew that the greater variety I allowed myself (yoga, dance, tennis, lifting, cardio), the more likely I would be to stick to the plan. This combination of tentpole structure with built-in flexibility and variety was exactly what I needed to set myself up for success, and ... the plan worked! I shall now pat myself on the back with my strong, strong arms. 

MAKE A PLAN, STAN. 

Before we get into self-study models themselves, let’s talk about the 3 types of work you’ll need to do to be fully prepared for the SAT:

1. MEMORIZATION

   While the SAT provides some geometry formulas on the test itself, you still will need to have a short list of math formulas and grammar rules memorized. Memorization work is usually best achieved through rote repetition, which requires frequent interaction with the material over time. There are many ways to memorize, some quite creative like generating a mnemonic device or even putting something to music. Still, there’s often no better way to straight up memorize than good ole’ flashcards that you go through at least once a day until the information is really absorbed. 

2. LEARNING

   I mean, duh. While most if not all of the concepts on the SAT will be ones with which you have some familiarity, you’re gonna need to do a little content learning and a little strategy learning for all four sections. Real absorption and learning takes a deeper level of engagement than simple memorization, especially when it comes to implementing strategies for the test. This is all to say ... please don’t give yourself a week to prep for this thing and think you’re gonna master it! Give yourself the time to really let these concepts and strategies sink in. 

3. PRACTICE

   Obviously, the best way to do that is ... practice! Not only will you want to practice implementing content knowledge and strategy, you’ll want to practice performance skills like timing, stamina, and anxiety management. 

With that in mind, here are …

SELF-STUDY PLAN MODELS 

1. THE MARATHONER 

Who is this for? 

• Students who have more than 6 weeks of prep time

• Students who work better in less intensive, longer-term environments

• Students who do not have much time per week do devote to prep 

• Students who prefer to work more slowly 

The Marathoner is the approach I’d advocate for most students, most of the time. Why? 

Firstly, most students need at least 6 weeks (and ideally up to  3 months before the first test sitting) of prep and practice for SAT concepts and strategy to become second nature. The more time you have taken to really get “under the hood” of this test, figure out how it works, and practice until there’s very little the SAT can throw at you on test day you haven’t seen before ... the better! 

Secondly, most students I have worked with are simply too busy with schoolwork, extracurriculars, and the everyday business of life to devote the time per week it takes to really master this stuff quickly. This is not to say The Sprinter model (see below) can’t work. It can, given the right personality type, knowledge base, and set of circumstances! (For example, if you scored a 1490 with no prep ... see The Sprinter.) However, for most of us, it takes a bit longer to prep for the SAT because we just don’t have the time to make the SAT the #1 focus in our lives. 

The Marathoner is based largely on what a 3-ish-month tutoring program would look like. Here is a proposed scaffolding of that plan with self-study tips and adaptations included: 

The Plan: 

1. 1x weekly 90-minute tutoring session (for self-study, this could be time with a study buddy, or dedicated time to “teach” yourself new concepts, look up explanations to questions you don’t understand, etc.) 

2. 1-4 hours homework in between tutoring sessions (ramping up over time from small assignments to full practice tests) 

   (#1 + #2 = 2.5-5.5 hours weekly) 

3. At least 2-4 full, timed practice tests before sitting for the real exam

4. Use both untimed practice to master concepts/strategy and timed practice to master performance skills/stamina

This type of plan is generally comprised of 4 “phases”: 

Phase 1: Develop a fundamental understanding of each section of the test—how each one is set up, timed, and scored; what concepts are and are not on the test; overall and concept-specific strategies for each section.

Phase 2: Do a deep dive into concepts unfamiliar to you or those you need greater mastery of. This is the “content learning phase”—always with an eye toward strategy when applicable.

Phase 3: Maintain a focus on content/strategy (as opposed to performance), but now add in bite-sized timing/performance elements. Timed passages as opposed to sections.

Phase 4: Put it all together! Bring together concept, strategy, and performance elements by timing full sections. Finally, complete full timed practice tests and review these tests afterward.   

A NOTE ABOUT PRACTICE TESTS

This plan includes at least 2-4 full, timed practice tests, but if there’s a single recommendation I have for any student prepping for the SAT, it would be: DO MORE PRACTICE TESTS. Conveniently, the College Board offers a bunch of free SAT tests right here. There is a mountain of evidence that shows that even just taking practice tests leads to better scores. So … DO THIS! Take practice tests! Is there still a benefit to Phase 1 of this process, the “taking apart the watch” phase where you really get inside the minds of the test-takers before you begin taking full practice tests? Yes! But there’s really no better way to get better at taking the whole test than to TAKE THE WHOLE TEST. So … TAKE. PRACTICE. TESTS. 

2. THE SPRINTER  

Who is this for? 

• Students who have 6 weeks or less to prep

• Students who work better in short-burst, intensive environments

• Students who have a lot of time (within a short time span) to devote to prep

• Students who prefer to work quickly  

This plan is for the adrenaline junkies out there, the students with a pretty open schedule within a small (6 weeks or less) time frame, those who are close to their goal score without prep, and those who just work better in small, concentrated bursts. 

Caution: this is rarely the right path for students who find there are significant content areas they are learning for the first time. 

As mentioned above, the “learning” portion of this work takes the most time, so the more content you need to learn from scratch, the longer it will take (and the less likely this model of self-study will bear fruit). However, if you find yourself looking at this model because it’s 3 weeks before the test and you didn’t actually think you would even take it but now you realize you need to take it and ... oh geez ... you are cramming and stressing and “the sprinter” model is the only one still available because ... oh god! Is it too late for me?! 

To you we also say: welcome. Doesn’t matter how you got here. Come rest your weary bones by the fire. 

The Plan: 

Phase 1 (Weeks 1 & 2): Know what you know, and what you don’t know. Look at a comprehensive list of test concepts and content, mark unfamiliar or “brush up” concepts. Label these concepts as either A (don’t know but somewhat familiar/looks doable) or B (don’t know and not at all familiar/looks NOT doable). Cross-reference this list with “most important” content areas. 

Refine your list in order of priority:

1. A’s deemed important content 

2. B’s deemed important content

3. A’s deemed less important content 

4. B’s deemed less important content 

Based on the time you have, work on as many content areas as you can based on this order of priority. 

Note: if you have a long list and a short timeframe, it’s okay to ignore #4 entirely in order to focus on more accessible/more important content. 

Phase 2 (Weeks 2 & 3): Start timing yourself pretty quickly. If you have 4-6 weeks to prep, start by timing individual passages, next time full sections, and then full practice tests. If you have fewer than 4 weeks until your SAT, do full sections timed, understanding that the more comprehensive your mastery of content and strategy, the better you’ll be at pacing. 

Phase 3 (Weeks 4-6, but possibly woven in earlier): Full practice tests and practice test review. For The Sprinter model, you can and perhaps should start taking full practice tests after the first week of prep, even if you don’t feel fully ready. You’ll still get good information from the attempt because the best way to know how you’ll do on an SAT is to, ya know, take a full SAT. This will give you great information about where you need to focus moving forward: 

• Do you need a deeper foundation of content knowledge? 

• Are you good on the concepts, but having issues with timing and fatigue? 

• Perhaps you’re continuing to overthink easy problems, second guessing yourself, or racing through sections only to make a bunch of careless errors, in which case it’s likely SAT strategy that you need to spend more time on. 

Whatever it is, starting to take full practice tests once a week can be really useful, as The Sprinter model has no time to waste. 

GATHER YE RESOURCES WHILE YE MAY 

There are tons of free resources available, but here are a few to get you started:

1. In case you missed it above, here are a bunch of free SAT practice tests 

2. Khan Academy has partnered with the College Board to offer free async test prep

3. Strategies and hacks for raising your SAT score

STICK TO THE PLAN

Regardless of what plan you create for yourself, the success or failure of any plan really rests on two things: clarity & accountability. 

Clarity: you’ll want a clear idea of what you plan to accomplish each study period. Accountability: you need some kind of accountability system to keep you honest. 

Here are a few ways to help with both: 

1. Sampler vs. Smorgasbord

Are you an all-day snacker or a full meal kind of person? In other words, are you better with frequent, small “bites” of information/study, or do you prefer to rock a marathon work session once or twice a week? Both methods have their place, and often a great study plan has elements of both. In order to stick to your plan, however, give yourself CLARITY about ... 

• How frequently you’re going into SAT mode & how long you’re going to study during each session

• What you are going to accomplish each time 

Remember! You are trying to stick to this plan, right? So create goals for yourself that are ambitious but reasonable. There are natural limits to how much our brains can absorb in a given time period. Know your limits. Take breaks. And schedule study time at times of the day and in environments where you can actually ... ya know ... focus. 

2. Study Buddy 

We’ve probably all learned by now that having an accountability partner can be helpful when we’re trying to accomplish just about anything. This is one of the reasons that tutors are valuable. Not only are these professionals experts in their fields, simply having someone you’re accountable to can make following through on a study plan that much easier. If you’re not going the tutoring route, a study buddy can be a great accountability partner, especially if you are someone who absorbs information more easily in a collaborative environment. 

Would I enlist the help of my flakiest friend? Probably not. But would I find a study buddy who largely aligns with my goals and pace of study, and who also brings something to the table I don’t have (and vice versa)? Yeeeeeeeeeah. 

3. Carrots & Sticks

Here’s a buzzword: gamification. What does it mean? It’s simply a fancy term for another pretty intuitive concept. Mary Poppins put it best when she said, “in every job that must be done, there is an element of fun. You find the fun and snap! The job’s a game!” We see this everywhere nowadays, from memberships with rewards points to “badges” and “leveling up” in all manner of things. 

So how do you “gamify” your self-study plan? 

Again, who are you? Are you someone who responds better to negative consequences if you don’t do something, or rewards if you do? Are there milestones you can set for yourself that, when you hit them, something awesome happens? 

The more you can find ways to turn this whole process into a game rather than a chore, the less miserable prep will be and, more importantly, the more likely you are to stick to any plan you’ve created. 

4. The Only Constant is Change

Ya gotta give it to Greek philosopher Heraclitus (wow, that’s a thought I’ve never had before this very moment) ... the only constant is change! 

Maybe you’ve just put the final, flourishing touch on a perfect self-study plan only to learn five minutes later you’ve been assigned a time-consuming class project (or been cast in the play, or discovered gold in them thar hills ... ). 

Point is: life happens! In the age of COVID, I’m pretty sure every human reading this gets it. This is just a reminder that changing a plan because it’s not working is not failure, it’s adaptation! And ya know what happens to species who don’t adapt. Sometimes we wrestle too long with a plan that is not working because we think it should be working, but the wiser path is simply to acknowledge what actually is and adjust accordingly. 

(Note: sometimes this means it’s actually a pretty good idea to work with a tutor after all, if that option is available to you.)  

So go forth, intrepid traveler! It’s been lovely having you at The Inn, but now it’s time to set out on the road of SAT self-study. Good luck, and above all, trust yourself. You can do this. 

Special thanks to Martha Marion for writing this post

Martha (she/her) is a teacher and performer from Los Angeles, California. She received her undergraduate degree from Northwestern University and is currently working towards an MA in Psychology from the University of the West. Martha has been tutoring since 2005, focusing on the SAT, ACT, U.S. History, and all things Language Arts. She is also an actor, director, and teaching artist with The Story Pirates, facilitating creative writing workshops all over Los Angeles and helping to adapt kids’ work for stage, screen, and podcast. When not working with students, you can hear Martha’s voice in video games such as God of War and Saints Row as well as animated programs such as the upcoming Transformers: Earthspark on Nickelodeon. 

Should You Guess on the SAT or ACT?

From: Princeton Review

Have you ever heard of the infinite monkey theorem? It says that a monkey, given an infinite amount of time to type randomly on a typewriter, will eventually type out the complete works of Shakespeare. Given an infinite amount of time to fill in answers on a standardized test, a high school student could also randomly bubble in all the correct answers—eventually. Unfortunately, you will not have an infinite amount of time to guess all the answers on the SAT or the ACT. You will probably end up guessing on some of the questions. And that’s OK! You should guess when you don’t know the answer, when you’re running out of time, or when the question is going to take way more time than it’s worth. We’re going to help you guess strategically so that you can maximize your points—even when you don’t have all the answers.

The Guessing Penalty

First things first: There is no guessing penalty, so you’ve got nothing to lose by guessing. That wasn’t always the case. Prior to March 2016, the SAT did have a guessing penalty; a quarter of a point was subtracted from your raw score for every wrong answer. Since right answers were worth one point each, random guessing was likeliest to result in a score of zero. (With five answer choices, you’d pick the right answer about 20 percent of the time. You’d get 1 full point for the correct answer and lose 0.25 points for each of the 4 wrong answers—all of which would sum to zero.)

When the College Board revised the SAT in 2016, they made it more like the ACT, which has never had a guessing penalty. At present, a wrong answer on either test does nothing to your score—it won’t hurt it, but it can’t help it either. Many students (and their parents) remember the old guessing penalty, and they are afraid to take a chance on a question. That fear of guessing incorrectly can prevent students from picking up a few extra points. Don’t be held back! All you need is a solid guessing strategy.

When to Guess on the SAT and ACT

As you work through each question of an SAT or ACT test, ask yourself, “Can I answer this quickly and accurately?” If the answer is “Yes,” then do the work carefully and answer that question. If the answer is “Maybe,” then save that question until you’ve answered all the others that are better matched with your skill set. If the answer is, “Heck, no!” fill in an answer right then and there. You may think you’ll have time to come back to it, but if you don’t, and time runs out before you fill in that bubble, you will have no chance of picking up that point.

What to Guess

Let’s start with the questions on which you’re totally guessing: What should you fill in? We recommend that you pick your favorite letter and use that for all “blind” guesses. Over the course of the test, some of those are bound to be the right answer. We call this your Letter of the Day, and having one saves time. Since the ACT alternates answer letters, with odd questions having answers (A) through (D) or (E) and even ones having answers (F) through (J) or (K), you’ll need two LOTDs for that test. When you need to guess, just pick your favorite letter(s) and go for it.

You may have heard that the correct answer is most often (C). We don’t know how this rumor got started, but it is definitely not the case. In our analysis of the correct answer for the multiple-choice sections of the eight SAT tests released between 2016 and 2018, the answers are split pretty evenly, as you’ll see below.

Correct Answer	Percent
A	22.3
B	26.7
C	25.3
D	25.7

Although (B) has shown up as the right answer slightly more often, you can see that each answer is correct about 25 percent of the time on the SAT. This pattern of roughly equal frequency among the answer choices holds true for the ACT as well, and it is by design. If the correct answer really were most likely to be (C), some students would pick up on the pattern, and it would give them an unfair advantage. Feel free to pick (C) if you’d like, but know that any LOTD you choose is likely to get you some points in the long run if you use it consistently. If you guess on 20 questions over the course of the test, about 5 of those should match your LOTD. Yay, free points!

How to Guess Better

You’ve seen how you can improve your score by guessing from four or five answer choices; now imagine how much further you could improve if you only have to guess between two or three Your odds of guessing the correct answer would increase considerably! Often, trying to eliminate an answer or two is the best approach when you are not sure of how to solve a question, or when you do not have time to work it through completely, but you feel comfortable enough to do more than guess blindly. And the great news is that there are a lot of ways to eliminate answer choices.

Math

On Math questions, ask yourself if there are any answers that just don’t fit. If, for instance, the question said the value must be odd, then get rid of any answers that are even. If there is a figure, check if it is drawn to scale. (On the ACT, all figures are, and the SAT will note when they are not.) If it is drawn to scale, you can use the figure itself to estimate line lengths, angle measures, or even areas, and then eliminate the answers that aren’t likely.

Science

On ACT Science questions, a pair of direct opposites in the answer choices will usually indicate that one of those two choices is right. (We suspect that the ACT test writers think you can get that the concept is important, but not correctly ascertain the relationship.) If you see direct opposites, eliminate the other answers and pick one of the opposites.

Reading

On Reading questions, the test writers often include options that are extreme—using words like all , none , or every —or alluding to intense emotions like disgust or rapture. These outliers are rarely the correct answer, so eliminate them before guessing.

English/Writing and Language

On the verbal section that tests grammar (English or Writing and Language), it is not as easy to eliminate answers without working the question, but there are still some opportunities. For example, did you know that a period and a semicolon are interchangeable on these tests? If you see two answers with the same words, and the only difference is a period versus a semicolon, eliminate them both—they are essentially the same answer! The same is true for “therefore” and “consequently.” One could not be right if the other were a choice, so you can eliminate both if you see them presented for the same question. Also, if you spot any slang words or phrases, such as “spot-on” or “weirdnesses” (an actual answer choice on College Board Practice Test 6), eliminate those, and choose a more formal word such as “ideal” or “anomalies.” Finally, look for an answer that’s significantly shorter than the others—it’s often correct. (“DELETE” is correct more often than chance would indicate!)

How to Transform Guesses into a Guessing Strategy

Once you’ve eliminated an answer or two and made your guess—especially if you’re working on a practice test—be sure to learn from the experience. Check your answers, and keep track of how often your guess was right. It may sometimes feel like you always get down to two answers and then pick the wrong one—because those incorrect answers stick in your head. But that’s probably not the case. Once you start keeping track, you can celebrate the times a guess went your way and earned you an extra point. Do this every time you practice for the test, and you will start to get a great sense of when and how to eliminate answers. You’ll also see, as your score improves, that informed guessing—and even blind guessing—are crucial parts of a solid test-taking strategy.

 

Merit Scholarships for SAT and ACT Scores

As more and more colleges go test optional, you might be wondering if you need to sit for the SAT or ACT at all. From guaranteed scholarships to merit scholarships, learn how better SAT and ACT scores can earn you big financial aid awards.

Test Optional? You Should Still Take the SAT/ACT.

Schools that are test optional do not require standardized test scores as part of a complete application. Instead, you have the chance to decide for yourself if your scores accurately reflect your abilities and potential to excel in college. Even if every school on your college list is test optional, it's still a smart idea to take—and prep for!—at least one standardized test.

For one, “optional” doesn’t mean that that colleges won't consider your test scores if you submit them. Without them, greater weight is given to other aspects of your application such as your transcript, essay, extracurricular and letters of recommendation. If you’re happy with your scores, go ahead and include with them your application.

Beyond getting in, your SAT & ACT test scores could qualify you for merit-based financial aid (often a separate application process). Higher test scores can lead to more scholarship dollars, which mean more options for you!

Nothing can change a student’s fortune faster than a big increase on the SAT or ACT.

Better SAT & ACT Scores Can Earn You Scholarships

Higher scores can increase a student’s desirability in the eyes of financial aid officers and consequently increase the size of the aid package that student is offered. In fact, standardized test scores (along with GPA and rigor of coursework) may determine who will receive merit scholarships. Some schools even give out guaranteed scholarships to students whose scores meet a minimum threshold.

Sample List of Merit-based Scholarships 

School Name	SAT Scores*  ( concordant )	ACT Scores**	GPA	Admit Rate	Merit Award***
Albion College	1140	23	3.37	72%	$18,800
College of Saint Benedict/Saint John's University	930	20	3.56	88%	$16,240
Dickinson College	1350	31	NR	43%	$17,042
Illinois Wesleyan University	1100	24	3.75	58%	$15,636
Juniata College	1080	22	3.71	75%	$18,672
Le Moyne College	1150	25	3.45	65%	$18,839
Quinnipiac University	1100	25	3.40	76%	$17,000
Rollins College	1200	27	3.32	61%	$19,085
Santa Clara University	1380	31	3.67	48%	$18,680
Saint Louis University	1070	23	3.89	65%	$18,041
Texas Christian University	1230	28	NR	38%	$17,824
University of North Carolina at Charlotte	1230	28	3.97	62%	$17,107

*Critical Reading + Math ( Learn how to calculate new SAT scores .)
**ACT scores are self-reported Fall 2016 score data from schools featured
***Merit award data for qualifying individuals self-reported from schools and represents data during the 2016-17 school year

 

SAT & ACT Scores for Outside Scholarships

Even if you don’t need test scores for your college application, you will likely need them for most of the scholarship applications you fill out, including those for outside scholarships that are not affiliated with your college but sponsored by community organizations or foundations.

Kal Chany, author of our book Paying For College Without Going Broke ,  explains, “Nothing can change a student’s fortune faster than a big increase on the SAT.” Why? While it takes four years to accumulate all those great grades on your high school transcripts, the typical test prep course takes just six weeks.

Tips and Resources for SAT Prep, ACT Prep and PSAT Prep

From College Data

Spread the Knowledge. Share:

Whether you plan to enroll in a test prep course or study by yourself, you’ll want to make the most of your SAT, ACT and PSAT study time. These 4 tips can help keep you motivated and on track to do your best on test day.

1. Determine Your Target Score

SAT and ACT test prep experts often say the first step in studying for the ACT or SAT is to find your “target” or “goal” score. To find your target score, look at the average test scores of recently enrolled freshmen at the colleges you plan to apply to. You can find these average scores in the College Profiles on CollegeData. The College Profile will report the “middle 50%” score range for the SAT’s English-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW) and Math tests, as well as the middle 50% composite ACT score, if the college reported it.

In the example below, University of Texas at Austin’s middle 50% ACT score range is between 26 and 33. This means 25% of enrolled freshmen at UT Austin scored below 26 on the ACT and 25% scored above 33. The remaining 50% of enrolled freshmen scored between 26 and 33. If you hope to be admitted to UT Austin, your target ACT score would fall at the higher end of this range and preferably above it.  

UT Austin's Average Test Scores

Source: UT Austin's College Profile, 2020-2021. CollegeData.com

You’ll want to look at the middle 50% score ranges for each college on your list, select the highest range among your colleges, and shoot for a score near the top or above this range. In other words, if the highest ACT score range for all colleges on your list is 26 – 33, your target ACT score might be 33 or 34.

How to find ACT and SAT Score Averages on CollegeData

To find the average SAT and ACT scores of enrolled freshmen at the colleges you are interested in, look up the college’s College Profile on CollegeData, using College Search. On the College Profile, the middle 50% SAT and ACT scores are displayed under “Qualifications of Enrolled Freshmen” on the Overview tab.

Your target score might also be influenced by scholarships from private organizations or colleges, which sometimes have a minimum SAT or ACT score to qualify.

If you’re studying for the PSAT, keep in mind the average scores for National Merit Scholarship consideration. The qualifying scores change each year and differ by state. Check with your guidance counselor to find out the qualifying scores for your state.

2. Take Practice Tests to See Where You Stand—and How You’re Improving.

Taking practice SAT, ACT, or PSAT tests will help you determine your “baseline” score, and how far you need to go to reach your target score. Practice tests may also help you identify the areas of the test in which you are the strongest and weakest. It’s important to take an official practice test offered by the ACT or College Board (which administers the SAT and PSAT), because they are more likely to simulate questions you’ll see on the actual tests.

However, taking a practice test and noting your score isn’t enough. Kaplan test prep (the official ACT test prep organization) recommends that you go through every incorrect answer carefully to understand where you went wrong, familiarize yourself with the questions on the test, and analyze your results. You might find that you need to work on a certain type of question as opposed to an entire subject area.

3. Create a Test Prep Schedule

Test prep companies and private tutors have different advice and strategies for the number of study hours required to achieve different target scores. Regardless of your goals, a study schedule is critical. Your schedule might consist of a few hours of study a couple of days a week, or an hour every morning on weekdays with longer periods of study on the weekends. It depends on your goals, the number of areas you need to practice, and the time you have available to study.

It’s a good idea to set up a calendar mapping out your study plan up until your scheduled test day. It’s also important to take practice tests regularly to measure your progress and adjust your study time as needed.

Visit Kaplan’s website for a 3-month ACT test prep schedule or Khan Academy for a customized SAT practice plan.

4. Mix it Up

Use a variety of test prep resources. You might purchase a test prep book, subscribe to an SAT or ACT question of the day, watch YouTube videos, or download an SAT or ACT test prep app on your phone.

A virtual or in-person tutor, paid classes or an online study group are other ACT and SAT test prep options you might consider to add variety to your study routine. The ACT Academy and Khan Academy websites provide a variety of free SAT and ACT test prep options including videos, games and more.

Studying for the ACT or SAT can feel overwhelming, especially when your school year is already full with classes and activities. These tips should help set you off on the right study path and give you the best chance of achieving your test score goals. Good luck!

 

Applerouth Free July Webinars for Parents and Students

July offers another month of summer and some great opportunities to learn about:  Mental Health & Coping  Enhancing Your Writing Skills  Transitioning to College  And more!  Get insights from Applerouth experts on a variety of subjects related to the well-being of your student. Please share these free webinars: All are welcome to attend!

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How to Tame Anxiety and Build Motivation

Thursday, July 7 at 8:00pm ET / 5:00pm PT Even the most intellectually gifted students can't achieve their potential without these 21st century skills. Learn how to equip your students for success in school and life.

How to Become a Stronger Writer

Monday, July 11 at 8:00pm ET / 5:00pm PT To be a successful student, you have to be a strong writer. Unfortunately, writing is a tough skill to master and a lot of students don't get the instruction they need. It's not rocket science - you just need to know some basic principles to start improving.

SAT v ACT: The differences, timelines, and the expectations of colleges

Tuesday, July 12 at 8:00pm ET / 5:00pm PT Join Applerouth Tutoring to learn about the SAT and ACT, as well as up-to-the-minute updates on both tests. You'll learn about the main differences between the two tests, how to decide which one is better for your child, when to take them, how much to prepare for them, and more.

Navigating the College Admissions Process

Thursday, July 14 at 8:00pm ET / 5:00pm PT The college admissions process should be a time of opportunity and new beginnings, but increases in competition and costs cause more anxiety than excitement. We will arm you with information to help you navigate the college admissions process with confidence.

Teens and Tech: Practical Tips for Parents

Tuesday, July 26 at 8:00pm ET / 5:00pm PT  From setting boundaries to how tech use impacts your teen's school and family relationships, learn the facts and get practical tips to foster a healthy and manageable balance in your home.

Your Changing Role: How to Be a Great College Parent and Help Your Student Make a Successful Transition

Wednesday, July 27 at 8:00pm ET / 5:00pm PT Join special guest speaker, Dr. Andrea Malkin Brenner, college transition educator, creator of the Talking College(TM) Cards, and co-author of "How to College: What to Know Before You Go (and When You're There)," for this practical session on things you can do to support your student's success in college while lessening your involvement in their daily lives as they become more self-reliant.