Are you taking the SAT® soon and trying to figure out what to do with your final hours, minutes, or whatever time you have left to prep? This blog is for those who have done some form prep so far (even if it is just a few days or weeks). Here are four tips on what you should be doing the night before your SAT® exam.
But first – Should I study the night before the SAT®?
Contrary to what some believe about going into a big test relaxed and free-of-mind of possible, yes you should study the night before. We don’t mean you should study for 20+ hours or stay up all night, but you should review topics you now you need to brush up on. Make sure to get plenty of sleep and be well-fed so that you feel 100 percent going in.
Tip – 1 Come up with a pacing strategy
The best way to guard against the issues that can tank you after having a lot of prep is coming up with a pacing strategy. Decide what you’re going to do if certain things happen before taking the test. Confront things that freak you out and try not to get stuck in that vortex of wasting valuable test time. Our advice is to spend no more than 60-120 seconds on a question and then move on. Commit to your plan and be okay with that, students usually have time at the end of their exams and that is where you can go back and have another go at these questions. Remember that different sections have different time allotments:
Reading: 65 minutes for 52 questions
Writing & Language: 35 minutes for 44 questions
Math – No Calculator: 25 minutes for 20 questions
Math – With Calculator: 55 minutes for 38 questions
These sections start with the easier questions then get more difficult as you progress so be aware and manage your time wisely.
Tip 2 – Go over mistakes from previous tests
While revising your practice exams ask yourself:
“What was the mistake I made?”
“How can I avoid that mistake?”
“Why did I make that mistake?”
Recognize your mistakes and familiarize yourself with where you went wrong so you don’t fall in the same pattern of mistakes again.
Tip 3 – Try to rework old problems you got wrong
Make the most of your time and look over areas you don’t feel confident in so you can try and study up before the test. You will know the answer but will gain the comfort of working through and dissecting a problem that gave you trouble. Remind yourself of the pathways of problem solving that are similar to the ones you are going to be engaging on the exam.
Tip 4 -Review concepts you have trouble with
Go over formulas or any grammar rules you have trouble with so that you’re all covered the day of the exam. Because this test is full of topics you can actually study for, use your time before test day to choose these topics you’re still unsure about. Review, but don’t exhaust yourself. Get a good night’s sleep and be sure to eat. Good luck tomorrow or whenever you have your test.
