Written by Shannon Hayes
The SAT is an admissions test used by many US colleges as a key part of their selection process. While some colleges are now ‘test-optional’, having a competitive SAT score in your application can be key in separating you from the rest of the pack.
Recent data from the 2023 SAT cycle has shown that, for the top schools (including Ivy Leagues such as Harvard and Princeton) a score between 1470-1580 out of a total of 1600 is what you should be aiming for.
As of 2024, there have been some key changes to the SAT. It is now just over 2-hours long (instead of the previous 3 hours) and is entirely digital. This guide will cover some of the key features of the new SAT, with key tips on the right SAT test strategies to maximise your score.
What does the SAT include?
The new SAT (from 2024 onwards) is taken online and includes two main sections:
- Reading and Writing
- Math
In the Reading and Writing Section, you have 64 minutes to complete 54 questions. This section is multiple-choice; you are required to read short passages (nonfiction and fiction) and answer questions about the content, structure and punctuation within each paragraph.
In the Math section you have 70 minutes to answer 44 questions, which are a mixture of multiple-choice and open response. Topics covered include Algebra, Problem Solving, Geometry/Trigonometry and Advanced Math.
Each of the sections are divided into 2 modules and your performance in the first module affects the difficulty of questions you face in the second module. This means that in the new SAT, the questions ‘adapt’ to your performance.
As a result, a higher score in module 1 is necessary for you to move on to the harder questions in module 2 and get the best score possible overall.
Tips for before the SAT exam
Effective SAT preparation begins months before the actual exam. This section will cover tips to help you maximise your time in the run-up to the exam and know what is required in each section of the paper.
Create a study plan
Having a personalised study plan is essential for SAT success. We recommend starting at least 3-6 months before your exam date to allow you to determine your weaknesses and master each section.
1. Establish where you are with an initial test
You should begin with a practice test that will allow you to see what your current weak areas are. There are practice tests available from the official College Board website. A-List also offers proctored diagnostic SAT test and complimentary testing report - get in touch with our Client Service team to book in.
From there you can devote more time to tackle weak areas while still maintaining your stronger areas.
2. Timetable revision sessions
Studying for the SAT is a big commitment. Have a plan for exactly when you are going to revise and for how many hours - we suggest aiming for 10 hours a week as an average (but a good performance is still possible with slightly less).
3. Have a revision strategy
A good revision strategy is to encourage the review of material in ‘staggered intervals’. Test newly learned content in increased intervals from the day after you’ve learnt it through to weeks and months after.
You can find more details of this practice here, in our SAT preparation guide.
Use SAT practice tests
Aside from an initial baseline test, continual assessment is key. You should aim to take another practice test every two weeks in the beginning, increasing frequency towards the final weeks of your exam.
It is important to keep assessing what you’ve learned to see how effective your current revision plan is and to evaluate how much time you are spending on each component. As you progress, you should continually adjust your focus to match your current weak areas.
Khan Academy’s Digital SAT gives a breakdown of performance across content areas which you could use to inform your revision plan as you go along.
Don’t sit these tests at your desk at home (or wherever you usually revise. Try taking the practice test in an unfamiliar environment, ideally in a quiet place like a library. This will mimic the ‘exam conditions’ you will be faced with on the day and help to simulate the feelings of ‘Test Day’.
Know your scores
It is helpful to know what you are aiming for when it comes to the SAT. Both the Reading and Writing section and the Math section are scored out of a total scaled score of 800. Therefore, the total score you can achieve on the SAT is 1600, which would be a perfect score.
At the very beginning of your preparation, we strongly advise you to set a target SAT score that you can use as a benchmark throughout your studies.
We recommend looking at the average SAT scores of admitted students for your top college as a guide when thinking about what you are aiming for.
Get SAT tutoring
Knowing where to begin with planning your SAT prep and making sure you stay on track can prove tricky when working on your own. With a SAT tutor, you will be able to focus on the revision while they take care of the ‘plan’ and can objectively help you to reach your full potential.
They will also be able to provide all of the materials necessary for you to stay on track, including countless practice papers and worksheets. Having access to a specialised tutor and their extensive knowledge of the SAT test techniques can prove to be invaluable.
Section-by-section SAT tips
SAT Math tips
- The A-List ‘Plug-In’ technique
In questions that use algebra and ‘missing numbers’, try inserting or ‘plugging in’ easy numbers to make the question easier to solve.
Let's use the 3-step Plug-In technique to solve this problem:
Bob has 4 dollars more than Lisa does. If Lisa has x dollars, how much would Bob have if he doubled his money?
A) x + 4
B) 2x
C) 2x + 4
D) 2x + 8
What should we choose? Something small, something manageable, preferably something that isn’t already in the problem (to avoid confusion). Try to avoid weird numbers that have special properties like negatives or fractions. Just a nice easy counting number. Let’s say x is 3.
Read the number again, but instead of x, use 3.
Lisa has x dollars, so now we’ll say Lisa has 3 dollars. Bob has 4 more, so Bob has 7 dollars. So if Bob doubled his money, he’d have 14 dollars. That’s our answer: 14.
But 14 isn’t an answer choice, so let's do one more step.
Our answer from step 2 isn’t a choice, but all the choices have x’s. Aha! We have an x now. Let’s put 3 in for x in the choices and see which one comes out to 14.
D) 2x + 8 ➡️ 2(3) + 8 = 14 ✅
Only D) works. That’s our answer.
If we try any different number for x, we'll always get D).
- Make full use of the graphing calculator you are given online in the exam for the questions that can be answered simply by inputting the numbers. You can also bring in your own graphing calculator to use (make sure it is on the list of acceptable calculators). This will save you time and mental brain power for the harder questions.
- Sketch out the more abstract Math questions as much as possible to help you understand the problem fully.
- Don’t just resort to traditional maths as this can slow you down. There are lots of tried and tested Maths ‘hacks’ that when used correctly can save you a huge amount of precious time. Our YouTube channel explains many of these handy shortcuts for you to start using yourself.
- Utilise the built-in graphing calculator for all quadratics and graphing questions. An astonishing number of questions can be done by simply typing the equation into the provided graphing calculator and analysing the picture.
- Approach easier questions first and ensure you get them correct as they give you fractionally more points, only after then move onto difficult questions.
- There is no negative marking, so guess on any questions you don't know.
SAT Reading and Writing tips
- Check the question before reading the passage so you know what to pay attention to. In addition, scanning the passages instead of reading every single word will stop you from getting bogged down. Look out for the beginning and ends of paragraphs as they often include important information.
- It is often quickest to complete the Writing questions first, so try starting from the end of the Reading and Writing section and working backwards.
- Get used to reading a wide variety of high-quality texts including fiction and non-fiction, news articles, books and essays. This will help increase your exposure to the wide range of texts seen in the SAT.
- Know the common grammar rules tested in the SAT - this includes all 6 uses of the comma, when to use a semicolon vs a colon and the subject-verb agreement. You can practise these using Khan Academy’s Digital SAT.
- For questions on sentence structure, make sure you know the difference between an independent clause and a dependent clause. An independent clause is the part of the sentence that can stand on its own and still make sense! Spend time learning which punctuation you can use for connecting which type of clauses together.
Tips for the day before and day of the exam
Don’t be caught scrambling on the day of your exam. Below are also some important steps you can take on the morning of your exam to ensure that all of your preparation pays off.
Follow the techniques below to encourage mental clarity and manage any test-day nerves that may come.
Prepare well for the day
- Pack your bag the night before and make sure you have everything you need for the test centre - don’t forget your calculator (if you are bringing one) and your laptop charger.
- Make sure you have a good night’s sleep and have a clear plan for how to get to the test centre. Leave plenty of time to sign yourself in and steady any last minute nerves. It would also be a good idea to have a nutritious breakfast such as eggs, oatmeal or other protein rich foods. This will help fuel you for the big day ahead.
Stress management techniques
- Taking the SAT exam can be overwhelming, don’t be afraid to take a moment to breathe and refresh your mind and energy. Sitting back for 10 to 30 seconds can actually save time in the long run.
- Don’t get too stuck on one question. If you find yourself stumped, flag it and move on - you can return to it later if you have time.
- Make sure to “shut the door” mentally on a question when you move on from it. Don’t get distracted by your past answers. You can help this by making sure you check your answer thoroughly before moving on.
Last-minute SAT test day tips
- Update the Bluebook app the day before on the device you’ll be doing your test on. This is essential so that your test downloads.
- For both the Maths and the Reading & Writing Section, because of the ‘adaptive scoring’ it is really important to get the easier questions in module 1 right as they will impact your overall score by affecting the difficulty of the questions presented to you in the second module.
- Remember that your best is good enough - congratulate yourself for all of the work you’ve put in to get to this day!
SAT test preparation with A-List
A-List has been a leader in US university pathways for almost 20 years.
All of our tutors are first-class graduates from leading US universities - including Harvard, Yale, Cornell, Dartmouth and University of California - they combine in depth subject knowledge with insight into what it takes to succeed in some of the world’s most demanding academic environments.
For each subject area, we train our students in a thorough grounding of foundational to advanced content, stretching them with material beyond past papers and drills to produce articulate, well-rounded thinkers.
To enquire about A-List SAT support services, contact our Client Services team at +44 (0)20 3004 8101 or info@alisteducation.co.uk, anytime during our office hours Monday - Friday, 9am - 6pm.
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