Congratulations on completing the PSAT! Now you are on your way to mastering the SAT.
Make a study group! Forming a study group with 3-7 people will definitely take your learning experience to the next level. You can ask questions about things you don’t know, and you can help others with things that you do know. Teaching others about topics you already have an understanding of will only reinforce and deepen your understanding. Your study partners will make the learning process easier and more fun by holding you accountable and aiding you every step of the way.
Khan Academy practice tests, videos, questions! When your scores come out, you can connect your score data to Khan Academy. When you do this, it will tell you your proficiency for each subject. Do the practice problems for the sections where you don’t have the highest proficiency. If you don’t know how to do the problems or questions, watch the videos or ask other people in your study group. Additionally, Khan Academy gives you access to 10 free online practice tests.
Practice Tests! The biggest factor that helped me score above a 1500 on the SAT was doing the most practice tests that I possibly could. Doing multiple practice tests will familiarize you with the test and reduce stress when the day comes. Be sure to get one of the free SAT books the school gives out, or use Khan Academy’s free online ones. This book contains full-length practice tests and their answers. If you run out of tests to take, this link has 54 more tests that you can do. This is where your study group really comes into play! Over the summer, I studied for about 90 minutes a day for 4 days a week with two of my friends. We either did a long section or both of the short sections. After each section, we checked our answers and went over the ones we got wrong. I recommend completing each section with the amount of time they give you on the real test. I found it extremely helpful to have my own stopwatch with me so I could easily check my pace.
Free SAT Tutoring with Yleana! https://yleana.org/summer-sat-prep-baltimore
Yleana Leadership Foundation is a program that offers free SAT tutoring during the summer to BCPSS students, grades 9-11 at Dunbar and Western. Apply using the link above. If you apply with YouthWorks, you can also get a stipend!
Memorize Important Formulas! For the math sections, make sure you know the formula for the equation of a circle (and how to complete the square),
(x – h)2+ (y – k)2= r2
the quadratic formula,
and the formula for the sum of the solutions for a quadratic equation. Remember, if b^2-4ac is less than 0, there is no solution to the equation; if it is equal to 0, there is 1 solution; and if it is greater than 0, there are 2 solutions.
Many times, the test will ask you to give the sum of the solutions for a quadratic equation. This is where this formula comes in:
x1+x2= -b/a .
In the quadratic formula, you have to find two solutions: one subtracting the square root and one adding it. When you add the two solutions, the square root will just cancel out. This leaves you with -b/a, and a very helpful shortcut.
Questions pertaining to these formulas come up a lot on the test, and knowing them quickly will save you a lot of time.
In short, make sure you build a strong understanding of both the reading and math sections using the resources on Khan Academy. Then, get familiar with the types of questions that are on the SAT by doing full practice sections of the test. Also, get used to completing the sections in the time allotted on the test.
Follow these steps, and it’s a guarantee that your score will greatly improve.
