In March, the College Board will officially administer the updated 2016 SAT. Whether you’re taking the SAT as a beginner or a veteran, these seven tips can get you on the path to a perfect 1600! Here are seven things you can do (starting now!) to prepare for this new and improved standardized test.
1. Master mental math: The SAT now include two types of math sections: calculator and non-calculator. Conquer the new, non-calculator section by making sure you have multiplication tables and basic arithmetic memorized. Technology has made this almost painless; apps like XtraMath can be used to practice your math facts anywhere, anytime on your cellphone. If you’ve got your basic facts down and want to learn some mental math tricks to speed up your test taking time, check out these Mathemagical Apps.
2. Take time to review U.S. founding documents and other important works: While the specific passages are unknown until test day, you will encounter one passage from U.S. founding documents or the global conversation they inspired. While it is not necessary to be familiar with the document ahead of time, it couldn’t hurt to brush up on the themes of major works, such as the examples given by College Board:
Along with these works, it is a good idea to familiarize yourself with historically influential figures, such as:
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Edmund Burke
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Mary Wollstonecraft
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Nelson Mandela
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Mohandas Gandhi
3. Study for the ACT: Seriously. If you’ve been busting your butt studying for the ACT, you should be in great shape for this version of the SAT, which is now more similar than ever. Check out the specificdifferences to see how the two tests now compare.
4. Take advantage of the free, online personalized prep offered in partnership with the creators of the test: College Board and Khan Academy have worked together to create the Official SAT Practice site. This is free, easy to use, and includes diagnostics, personalized practice recommendations and can link to your College Board account. Looking for a quicker, more convenient way to practice? Check out the SAT Daily Practice App.
5. Learn how to make an educated guess: The new SAT features some significant scoring changes including one reason to celebrate: no more penalty for guessing. This means you should strive to answer every question on the test–even if you are guessing. Also, there will only be four answer choices instead of five for each question. You should guess on every question (no matter what!), but if time allows, you should try to eliminate at least one answer choice and guess the same letter pair each time.
6. Practice using context clues to figure out the meaning of a word: This year, according to College Board, there will be no need to cram vocabulary words by studying flashcards of arcane words. Instead, the SAT will test your ability to figure out a word based on a given passage. Be sure to practice using context clues to determine the meaning of a word.
7. Study from your PSAT/NMSQT results: If you are a ninth or tenth grader currently who is trying to prepare early, you can use the results of the new PSAT/NMSQT test (given in 2015 or later) to pinpoint exactly what you need to work on. Not only does your score report provide guidance for what skills you need extra help with, it also can personalize the free, official online SAT prep from Khan Academy. Watch this video to learn how to interpret your score report and link your report to your online practice account.
Using these tips and finding a skilled test prep tutor can help you reach your dream SAT score!