Essential SAT Strategies

12 tips, techniques and suggestions that appear in almost every SAT prep course.

For the test as a whole

1. When preparing for the SAT, practice tests should be taken in as close to real-life conditions as possible.
2. Memorize the instructions in advance so that you won't have to waste time reading them while taking the exam.
3. When you don't know the answer for certain, learn to eliminate one or two of the wrong choices and then make an educated guess.

On the critical reading sections

4. For reading comprehension questions, read the questions before the passage.
5. Learn to skim the passages rather than read them, and pay very close attention to the italicized summary that appears at the top of every passage.
6. On difficult sentence completion questions, if you come across a very common word in the answer choices, take note. Often that word will have an obscure secondary definition that could very well be the correct answer.

On the math section

7. When asked to solve an algebraic equation, substitute simple numbers (1, 2 or 3 will often do the trick) for the variables given in the question.
8. Remember that triangles are your friends. When geometrical figures appear on the test, you will almost always be able to break them up into special triangles, with right angles, that will help you to answer the question.
9. On difficult math questions—those near the end of each section—if an answer looks simple, it is almost always wrong, and can be safely eliminated.

On the writing section

10. When writing the essay, try to reference at least one book and one major historical event. It is generally worth reading one or two favorite books while preparing for the test so as to have them fresh in one's mind for the essay.
11. When identifying sentence errors, vocalize the sentences in your head. If something doesn't sound right to you, chances are it isn't.
12. In the correcting sentences questions, the shorter answer is apt to be best.