How to Train For the SAT

“Under duress, we do not rise to our expectations—we fall to the level of our training.”

- Bruce Lee

Following inquiries regarding the structure of the test itself, the most frequent question I receive pertains to the appropriate method for "studying" for the SAT. Individuals are curious about the sequence in which they should approach the various sections of the test, the type of schedule they ought to adhere to, whether they should undertake a practice test on the final day before the actual exam—all sorts of inquiries.

The concise response to all these questions is that there is no definitive best approach to engaging with the material tested in the SAT, as no two students possess identical requirements when it comes to preparation. Different individuals will exhibit varying strengths and weaknesses, distinct schedules, diverse target scores, different starting points, varying attention spans, and so forth.

Therefore, I will not prescribe a specific method for managing your preparation schedule. Instead, I will provide you with guidelines to follow and considerations to keep in mind, leaving it to you to determine how to integrate these elements in a manner that is most effective for you.

We will address this in the following order:

- General principles to guide your preparation

- Recommendations for the sequence in which to approach different sections of the test

- Suggestions for drills and exercises

- General advice on scheduling

By tailoring these concepts to your preferences, you can optimize your preparation in a way that best suits you.

How to Set Goals (The Right Way)

The most common approach to establishing an SAT goal is typically to aim for a specific score. While this method can be effective, it is not my preferred strategy.

Instead, I suggest that you focus on achieving certain levels of accuracy in specific skill areas, allowing your scores to naturally improve as a result of your enhanced capabilities.

In other words, instead of stating, "I aim to achieve a 600 in Critical Reading on my next practice test," consider expressing it as, "I want to complete an entire section without missing any questions for which I understand all the vocabulary." Then, strive to meet that execution standard (which, incidentally, would likely result in a score significantly above 600 for the majority of test-takers). Alternatively, in the Math section, you might set a goal such as, "I want to finish an entire practice test without making any 'careless' mistakes," or "I want to ensure that I comprehend at least one incorrect answer choice for each question I respond to," and so forth.

By establishing these types of task-oriented goals instead of score-oriented ones, your progress will typically be more substantial and enduring, and it will occur more swiftly and effortlessly.

Improving your SAT Game

 

We ought to view the SAT as a test that essentially requires us to perform the same tasks repeatedly.

Therefore, once you grasp the concepts outlined in this book, enhancing your SAT performance is not about acquiring new knowledge—it’s about refining your precision in applying the principles you already understand.

It’s akin to honing your free-throw shooting in basketball, preparing for a piano performance, or even leveling up in a video game. It’s primarily an exercise in perfecting your technical skills, rather than expanding your intellectual capacity.

(Admittedly, this analogy isn’t entirely perfect. Certain aspects of the SAT—especially the Math section and the Sentence Completion questions—will require some creative thinking. However, our approach to tackling the test should consistently be based on fundamental concepts and strategies. The undeniable truth is that the gap between a score of 740 and 800 in any section ultimately hinges on strategy, execution, and accuracy, rather than mere knowledge or intelligence.)

Setting the right goals

At some point, a majority of my students pose the question of what I consider to be the highest score they can realistically achieve on the SAT. Sometimes they phrase it in relation to their past scores—"If I already have a 1460, is it possible to raise that to a 1590?"

The answer to this question appears straightforward at first, but there are actually many additional considerations surrounding this question that you should ensure you take into account.

Let’s start with the straightforward aspects first.

If you can read English fairly well, and if you understand the basic principles of arithmetic, geometry, and algebra, then there’s no reason you can’t eventually reach a 1600, or any score you aspire to, because every question on the SAT is based on your ability to read and comprehend English and/or to utilize basic math principles.

Please take a moment to read that carefully, especially the term "eventually." I’m not implying that someone whose highest score thus far is a 1400 can just snap their fingers and achieve a 1600 in an instant. What I’m conveying is that the SAT is a test of fundamental skills, and if we possess those basic skills, then theoretically, there’s no reason we shouldn’t be able to answer every question correctly.

Of course, significantly increasing an SAT score will require some effort in almost every case. Approaching the SAT in the right manner isn’t necessarily hard, but it is certainly different from how you would tackle tests in high school or college. If you want to significantly improve your score, you’ll really need to strive to think like the test—which, again, is not a difficult endeavor, but will require some conscious effort on your part.