So, the second semester of junior year has arrived, and with it, the beginning of the college application process! This likely means you’ll be gearing up to take the SAT for the first time. (And if you’re not, you should definitely consider it, as senior year will be much busier than you might imagine.) Junior year is the perfect time to begin your standardized test-taking adventures. By doing so, you will not only make yourself familiar with the test-taking environment, but early testing will also provide a diagnostic as to which sections of the test should take your focus in your preparation for the next time around.
Speaking of which, you should absolutely plan to take the test more than once. You have nothing to lose by doing so, as colleges will accept your top score and, in many cases, even the accumulation of your top scores. With proper study and preparation between your first and second tests, you will almost certainly improve your score. With this in mind, it’s not a bad idea to think of your first stab at the SAT as a part of the preparation. If nothing else, this mentality can help calm any exam-related anxiety you may be feeling.
However, this mindset by no means implies that you shouldn’t prepare for the test prior to your first attempt at it. You’ll want to be as prepped as possible in order for this first exam to serve as an accurate guide for future study. This means familiarizing yourself with the test format. Know the sections, know they types of questions in each section, and know the instructions for all these questions prior to delving in. In the Math sections, certain formulas are given on the first page, and it’s vital to know what information will and will not be provided (although ideally, you’ll know these formulas without needing to flip back to the first page of the test to reference them—huge time suck). Knowing the layout and instructions of each of these sections will allow you to focus solely on the content of the questions rather than getting slowed down with formatting or instruction confusion.
Take a look at all sections of the SAT and practice each type of question. There are a plethora of online resources that provide practice exams, and the College Board’s website provides an SAT “Question of the Day,” which you should make a habit of checking and attempting. Furthermore, it is NEVER too early to begin building that vocabulary! It’s easier than ever to look up words with smartphone dictionary apps, like the Dictionary.com app. When I was in school, I carried a pocket dictionary with me everywhere so that I could look up each and every word I encountered that I didn’t know. Now you have the dictionary at your fingertips—so put it to use! (This is great advice for life in general, no just SAT prep!) There are also tons of other smartphone apps that can help you prepare, like Kaplan’s SAT Flashcubes or SAT Up. When you find yourself waiting around for a few minutes, take the opportunity to get a little practicing in!
Once you’ve familiarized yourself with the all sections, block out time to do a full practice exam—including the essay! This will allow you to understand fully the endurance your attention span must have. When you take your practice test, try to emulate the test environment as closely as possible. Have spare pencils and snacks at the ready. Don’t have your phone in the room, but do have a stopwatch so you can monitor time for yourself. When all is said and done, score your test and see what areas might be weaker for you, and focus on those areas prior to the real exam.
This kind of study prior to your first SAT will set you up for a successful test-taking experience (don’t forget to keep an eye on those registration dates, though – you definitely don’t want to miss registering for your test day!). If you have done the proper preparation, all you must do on the day of the exam is breathe, trust in your preparation, and be proud of yourself for embarking on this all-important step of the college application process! And, of course, if you’d like a little extra help, Mosaic College Prep can work with you one-on-one to help strengthen the areas that you specifically need work on!
