SAT Study Guide
the best way to prepare for the sat
Start early
We know that ideally you’d like all the time in the world to prepare for a test, but that’s not a luxury high school students have. Your junior and senior year are packed with important events, so it’s important to plan where your SAT fits in. Choose an SAT date far enough in advance that you have time to prepare—we recommend 2–3 months. Starting early gets you to gauge how much you need to study each week and helps you prevent cramming. Students who start studying earlier do better on the SAT and have more confidence going into the test.
Study with Official SAT Practice on Khan Academy
It’s no surprise that one of the best ways to prepare for the SAT is to study, and we recommend you use the official resources created by the makers of the SAT. College Board partnered with Khan Academy for a new and improved approach to SAT test preparation that’s tailored to you and absolutely free. It’s called Official SAT Practice, and it’s the most comprehensive and official SAT study resource available. Khan Academy creates a study plan and guide just for you based on your PSAT/NMSQT® or past SAT scores along with your upcoming test date.
Take a full-length practice test
Taking a full-length SAT practice test is one of the best ways to prepare for your SAT, and College Board makes several full-length practice tests available for free on Official SAT Practice. Taking a practice test that follows the same timing parameters you’ll experience on test day gives you a strong indication of how you’ll score on the real SAT. Our research shows that your score on an official, full-length practice test taken after studying and within a couple of weeks of your test date is highly predictive of the score you’ll receive on the actual SAT. Practice test results will also provide you with insight on what you need to work on as you approach the real test.
. Click here to access practice tests on Official SAT Practice.
Know what to expect on test day
Knowing what to expect on test day is key. We know it can be intimidating to take such an important test, which is why we highly recommend getting to know what test day will be like. In addition to taking a full-length practice test, so you understand the test format and timing, it’s critical to prepare yourself to be on time and well-rested for the test.
Though studying is essential, we strongly suggest you don’t cram the day or night before your SAT. Instead, take the night before your test to —decompress. Lay out your clothes, assemble what you need to bring, set an alarm for the next morning, and then just relax and go to sleep early. Taking the night before the test to prepare yourself physically and emotionally gives you more self-assurance and energy walking into the testing center the next morning.
