Have you taken the SAT multiple times and still not reached your target score? Have you dedicated extensive time and money prepping for the SAT, yet find yourself stuck in a specific score range? Are you desperately asking yourself: “How can I improve my SAT score?” If your answer to these questions is yes, then you have come to the right place.
Here are 5 things you can do to raise your SAT score:
- Change Your Mindset
Stop worrying about your score, and think of the SAT as a game. Negative thoughts waste valuable mental energy and distract you from focusing on what matters. Too often, students complete a practice test, score poorly, and then spend more time ruminating on the problems they face than working on solutions to the problem. This is a self-defeating attitude. Instead, you should see every problem you miss as an opportunity to perfect your understanding of the SAT game.
Your goal each day is simple: figure out what you did wrong and learn how to avoid at least one mistake the next time around. Rome was not built in a day, and nobody can master all material in one session. When you start playing a new game, do you give up if you can’t defeat the final boss right out of the tutorial? No; instead you grind at the problem until you’ve mastered the skills necessary to succeed. Each failure in the SAT is another step closer to leveling up your test taking abilities.
- Get Organized
Rigorous self-study with careful note-taking and review is one of the best ways to maximize improvement in a short time. Take time to craft a study schedule from now through your test date(s). Make sure your schedule is realistic, and not just a record of every moment of free time that you have. Setting an unrealistic schedule is discouraging and cumbersome, and almost inevitably leads to burnout. Of course the more time you can spend studying, the better, but it’s more important to make a schedule that you can commit to. Ideally, you should set aside at least 1.5 hours each time you sit down to study.
When we work with students to raise their SAT scores, we try to commit to doing a bit every day. By finding a schedule they can commit to long term, we see much more sustainable results, and far more score improvement.
- Record and Review Your Mistakes
Whether it be chess, soccer, Smash Bros, or any other game, the more you practice, the better you’ll be. It is not enough, however, to simply open your SAT practice book and answer questions for an hour or so each day. Keep a record of every problem you miss and how to fix your errors so that you can come back to these past mistakes and quiz yourself regularly.
Many SAT concepts only show up once every three or four tests! You may have learned how to tackle a concept today, but if you don’t see it show up again in your practice, how will you remember it on test day? The answer is rigorous record-keeping and self-quizzing. Like chess masters studying past losses or football players reviewing game film, you must constantly revisit your weak spots. See our SAT Mistakes Journal Guide for more information.
- Find A Study Buddy
Countless studies have shown that the best way to learn material is by teaching someone else. Working with friends is both a fun way to practice and a helpful tool for improving your score. Explaining your answer choices and reasoning to a friend or even your parents will help you solidify your approach and the steps you took to get to an answer. If possible, pair up with a friend who has different subject strengths from you so that you can alternate between who is wearing the teacher hat. Also, you are more likely to remember things that you talk about and write down. When you keep a journal of mistakes and work with a friend, you give yourself the best chance to avoid those same mistakes on test day.
- Take Advantage of Outside Resources
There are many outside resources available to help you boost your SAT score. For example, if you tend to struggle in reading, you should subscribe to and read articles from reputable online journals and magazines such as The Atlantic, The New Yorker, The Wall Street Journal, or the Economist.
While reading, attack the passage in the same way you would a normal SAT Reading passage. Circle or underline the most important claims, write difficult parts in your own words, and when you finish an article, write its main point. Every time you see a word you don’t know, write it down in a vocabulary journal; include the word, the definition, the sentence you found the word in, and make up your own sentence using the word.
Additional websites and resources to check out:
- Chomp Chomp Grammar Practice
- Vocabulary Phone Apps: New SAT Vocabulary, SAT Flashcards: Prep & Vocab
- Official SAT Prep App
- Khan Academy SAT Practice
The SAT is designed to challenge you, and what works for one student may not work for you. While some may gradually improve their score by 10 points per practice test, others might be stuck in the same range for months before their score suddenly makes a big jump. Instead of judging your progress or expecting your score to improve overnight, you should take your test prep one step at a time and make sure to celebrate the little victories. If you learned how to avoid just one single mistake on your next test, that’s a victory!
If you’re feeling stuck or overwhelmed, take a day or two off and be sure to schedule breaks at least twice a month. Sometimes taking a step back is exactly what you need to approach the test with fresh energy and insight. Don’t be afraid to ask for help from friends, parents, and siblings. If you feel like you need more guidance, working with a tutor might be the best way to improve your score.
Finally, remember that the SAT is just one part of your college application, and success on the SAT does not predict success in college. Your grades, your extracurricular and volunteer activities, and your personality are often more important than test scores in the college admissions process, and your personal motivation and study habits are the best predictors of your college grades. Replace negativity with good study habits and dedication – that’s all it takes to grab your future by the horns and ride it into the college of your dreams!
If you’re looking for additional help, we have a long history of helping students improve their SAT scores, and students who work with us increase their scores by an average of 190 points. Learn more about how we can help you succeed.
