SAT Preparation 2023: Strategies and Tips, Books, Practice Test Papers

SAT Preparation 2023: SAT preparation needs strategic planning, active learning, and an ample amount of practice. SAT aspirants are encouraged to pay attention in high school classes; decide a target score for themselves; set specific, measurable, realistic and time-bound goals; create a study schedule and practise from the official sample test papers. 

The SAT syllabus is based on the concepts learned in high school and hence, it is recommended that students engage in active learning at high school. The SAT exam is taken by students of high school (11th and 12th grade) who are aspiring to pursue higher education in the United States and other countries such as Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom. 

Some active learning strategies that will be useful for SAT exam preparation are thorough note-making, creating concept maps and flowcharts of the key learnings, practising SAT sample question papers, being an active participant in classroom discussions, and clarifying doubts from their teachers and academic tutors. 

SAT Preparation 2023

 Apart from practising from SAT sample test papers and having a study plan in place, students can also take the help of study guides and books. Practising from the SAT practice test papers will help students to measure their present preparation level and set study goals accordingly. Referring to study guides will help students to develop a thorough understanding of the foundational concepts and fundamental skills assessed in the SAT exam. 

SAT Preparation 2023: Tips and Strategies

Focus on High School Learning

• Students are advised to pay attention in their classes at high school and actively absorb the knowledge and concepts that are taught.
• Active learning practices in high school classes include thorough note-taking, participating in classroom discussions, asking and clarifying doubts, and preparing for class tests sincerely. 
• The SAT syllabus is based on the concepts learned in high school and the content areas of the reading, Math, writing, and language tests in SAT exam build on the high school curriculum. Read More : SAT Syllabus 2023

Set a Target Score

• Setting a target SAT score helps students to streamline their preparation strategy according to the score they want to achieve. 
• A target SAT score makes it easier for candidates to measure their progress toward their goal and have clarity on how to increase their probability of securing the target score.
• Creating a college list will help students narrow down their dream colleges and decide upon their target scores according to their preferred colleges' SAT cutoff score range. Read More : SAT Cutoff 2023
• Decide the target score by evaluating your recent SAT score if you have taken the test previously. Analysing the previous SAT score report will help students to identify areas that need more focus while studying and know their relative ranking in the candidate pool. Candidates will also get to know the type of questions they need to practise more.
• It is recommended that students set a target score that is achievable and realistic keeping in mind their own strengths and weaknesses. 

SWOT Analysis

• Do an evaluation of strengths and weaknesses as far as conceptual understanding, skill, knowledge, and application of concepts is concerned. SWOT stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
• A SWOT analysis will help students to recognize which areas need more study and practice on their part. 
• If the candidate has taken the SAT exam previously, they can analyse their most recent SAT score report to identify their strengths and weaknesses across reading, writing and language, and Math tests. They can evaluate their subscores to know the question types and skills which require more preparation. 
• In case the candidate has not taken the SAT test previously, they can do the SWOT analysis on the basis of their performance in the practice tests. The College Board provides several practice test papers on its official website along with answer keys, answer explanations, and a guide to scoring the answers.

SMART Goals

• Students are encouraged to set SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) goals. 
• While a target score motivates students to work harder towards accomplishing that score, there are other specific and concrete goals that students can set for themselves. 
• SMART goal in SAT preparation includes narrowing down specific content areas and time slots, such as aiming to solve a higher number of questions correctly in data analysis and problem-solving component of the Math test by practising for one hour. 
• Students can set specific time-bound study and practice goals, for example, solving two practice test papers every week, studying a specific component of the exam syllabus for a fixed time slot, and making measurable progress in SAT scores while taking the practice tests.

Study Schedule

• Creating a study schedule will be easy after doing a SWOT analysis and setting SMART goals. 
• Students can create a study schedule and allot time slots to content areas, topics, and skills on the basis of the evaluation of their strengths and weaknesses. 
• Setting SMART goals for both study and practice, that is absorbing knowledge and applying knowledge, will help students to create a study plan for themselves. It is important to give time to active learning where they can create mind maps, flowcharts, and summaries on the basis of what they have learned. 
• It is important that candidates give ample amount of time to practicing the questions and sample test papers as that will make them familiar with the real-time examination experience. Students are advised to design a study timetable that gives sufficient space to practice test papers. 

Practice Tests

• Practice test papers are an essential part of SAT preparation as they give the students an understanding of the question types, their current strengths and weaknesses, content areas, and skills that need improvement in terms of their performance in the practice test. Read More : SAT Practice Test Papers
• Students can download the practice test papers from the official website of the College Board and also from the table given below. 

SAT Preparation Books 2023

Students can refer to the following books for SAT exam preparation: 

• The College Board’s Official SAT Study Guide 2020 
• Barron’s SAT Study Guide Premium 2023
• The Princeton Review SAT Premium Prep 2023
• McGraw Hill SAT Elite 2023
• Kallis’ SAT Pattern Strategy 
• Kaplan’s SAT Total Prep 2023