Have you found yourself with only one week to study for the SAT? In this blog, we’ll give you advice on how to prepare the week before the SAT so you’re ready for test day.
Take a Practice Test
The first tip on what to study is to take a practice test! Set aside time one morning to sit down and take a full SAT practice test in near-test conditions. Check out our mock proctor video to help give you the complete test-taking experience. Print out the test, use a bubble sheet, wear a mask, charge your calculator, try to mimic real-life test conditions as close as possible.
After you’ve completed your test, it’s time to go over it. Don’t do this in the middle of taking the test! Wait until after you’ve completed the entire SAT. If you have our online course you can do this by going over our videos which go over every questions answer for each SAT practice test. Then you can make a list of everything you got wrong.
Now it’s time to review anything that was triggered by your test. In other words, target the kinds of questions that you missed. Figure out how you can work on any last-minute topics to polish your score up. For math questions, you can use resources like Khan Academy. However, we recommend books by independent tutors (like Erica Meltzer’s The Ultimate Guide to SAT Grammar and The Critical Reader, or College Panda’s SAT Writing), or our online course for other sections.
Review Past Materials
Next, you’re going to want to soak in strategies. You may already be in a prep class or using our online course. This week you need to meditate on all those strategies you’ve learned and found most helpful. In addition to this, you should review and memorize all the math formulas for the test. Check out our SAT math cheat sheet to double-check all the formulas you need to know (plus other free resources) by subscribing to our mailing list below!
The Big Review
That leads us to the Big Review. One of Brooke’s favorite things to do the week before the SAT is to have students take out all their old practice tests. Put them in a pile and go over all the mistakes you made. Pinpoint what rules could’ve helped you get those questions correct the first time. Think about how to overcome your past mistakes.
Finally, it’s time to have a pacing game plan. Even if you’ve never needed a pacing plan before, make sure you have one for this test. You have 13 minutes at most for each section on the test. Ideally, you finish each section in about 10 minutes. This way, you know if you’ve completed 3 sections in 30 minutes you’re making good time. Often, the easiest questions are at the end of the test, so make sure you don’t run out of time and miss those!
Suggested Calendar
- Sunday before the test: Take a practice test and review! Set aside 4 hours in the morning, and then plan to score and review for the rest of the day. List out what to work on. Then, come up with some last-minute topics you can work on during the week.
- Monday: Spend an hour going over any English concepts you identified the day before. Also, make sure to pack everything you need for test day: pencils, erasers, a watch, and an admission ticket. If anything is broken or missing, then you should buy it now!
- Tuesday: Spend an hour going over math concepts you identified on Sunday. You should also take the time to review all your math formulas.
- Wednesday: Spend 1 to 2 hours working on reading drills. Practice skimming and other reading passage strategies.
- Thursday: Go over all your notes and strategies from past tutors and test prep classes.
- Friday: You should definitely study!! Today is Big Review day. Take all those old practice tests, start with the most recent test, and go over why you made those mistakes. Then you can pack your lunch, and double-check you’ve packed everything you need. If there’s a section you hate the most, do a timed test tonight to gain some confidence. Review anything that you miss. Finally, make sure to get plenty of sleep!
- Saturday morning: It’s test day! Remember to eat a huge breakfast and pack tons of snacks. Don’t drink caffeine if you’re not used to it. Dress in layers, bring a mask, and go crush it!
Links
Disclaimer: Please note this list includes Amazon affiliate links, which help support our free blog content and free YouTube videos. No one has paid us to sponsor or include any books on this list.
Erica Meltzer’s The Ultimate Guide to SAT Grammar
College Panda’s SAT Writing: Advanced Guide and Workbook
Erica Meltzer’s The Critical Reader: The Complete Guide to SAT Reading
