Juniors (and perhaps sophomores), it is time to think about taking the SAT. If you want a high score, plan to take the test more than once. Few schools require sharing all your scores–just your highest ones–so taking it early, even if you don’t end up liking your score, can’t hurt. Set aside time to study for the SAT every week before your test date. 

Why am I in any way qualified to write on this subject? Well, after taking the SAT more times than I’d like to admit, I’ve reached the point where my score is higher than I’d ever dreamed, and I know a lot about the test now. I did not study very much for English, but I did study a lot for math, so I have thoughts about that. 

Some basic information: SAT math covers pre-algebra, algebra I, algebra II, and geometry. It does not cover pre-calculus or calculus. This means that if you are a sophomore or junior, you probably already know all of the content required for SAT math. Some of the easiest concepts are even from late elementary school, such as simple linear graphing and “mean, median, and mode.” You should review all of these concepts. 

Tips to prepare:

• SAT math looks different than most math taught in school. The concepts are not actually harder, they’re just presented in a way that is intended to confuse you. 
• SAT questions can look pretty weird. I used to freak out when I was confronted by these problems. But SAT math is more elegant than your average math. Solving problems is often about simplifying, and the numbers are usually easy to work with, so the answers are often clean.
• To prepare, use Khan Academy’s free SAT prep program, especially if you are scoring below 700 in either subject. There are explanations of every single concept and question in written and video form. 

• Take practice tests in Bluebook, which should already be downloaded on your school Chromebook. It’s important to take tests made by the College Board because they are the most similar to real questions.
• After you take a test, don’t look only at your score, but also at the problems you got wrong, and the ones that confused you. Wrong answers provide important data. Your ability to improve on the SAT (and maybe also in life) hinges on your willingness to confront your own mistakes. Read the answer’s explanation and keep practicing similar types of questions until you consistently get them right.
• If you keep making mistakes on easy questions, you can also practice taking the PSAT (Pre-SAT) practice tests in Bluebook, since the PSAT is slightly easier but the content and format are still the same.

Tips for testing:

• Within each module, you don’t have to answer the questions in order. (In English, the comprehension questions were hardest for me, so I did vocabulary first, skipped all of the comprehension questions, did grammar and punctuation, did the notes questions, and then went back and worked on the comprehension questions.)
• On the test, you are allowed to use Desmos Graphing Calculator! Desmos is intuitive and user-friendly, so make sure you feel familiar with it, because it will be your best friend. If the test gives you an equation in any form, you can plug it in to find x. Desmos Test Mode is smaller and more annoying than the regular application, but it’s essentially still the same. You’re also allowed to bring a hand-held graphing calculator if you prefer. 
• Math has two modules. The test is adaptive, so if you do well on the first module, you get the harder second module. If you don’t do as well on the first module, you get the easier second module. Getting about six problems wrong on the first module will give you the easy second module. The highest score possible with the easy second module is approximately 600. The SAT’s digitalization was supposed to make the test shorter, but it has caused a lot of anxiety among students who aren’t sure which second module they got. Try not to worry about whether you got the easier or harder second module. 
• If you have a 504 or an IEP for extra time, definitely make use of the extra time. If you finish early, don’t second-guess yourself. Beware of changing too many of your answers. It is the pitfall of having extra time.
• Scratch paper is provided. Sometimes you’ll be in a room where your desk is too small to fit both a computer and a piece of paper. One strategy is to fold the piece of paper in half and put the computer on the other half of the table; another is to hold the computer in the air with one arm while you do calculations with your other hand. It’s all up to you.
• If there is a question that is super weird or unusual, it’s possible that it is a trial question. Two questions per module are only for test writers’ calibration. These don’t affect your final score.
• There are proportionally more hard questions than there were before on the math section. Don’t get discouraged! Take comfort in the idea that in math, there is always a right answer. (In English, who knows!)
• Figure out how long it takes for you to need to go to the bathroom after drinking water. You are allowed to leave the testing room during the test, but this takes away from your testing time, and you can also get lost trying to find the bathroom. Locate restrooms before and plan accordingly.

Tips for thinking about your score:

• Sometimes you score high in one subject but not in the other. This is okay. You are allowed to submit your highest scores in both categories, from two tests, as a “superscore.” (Keep in mind that not all colleges accept superscores.)
• This score is one snapshot of a moment in time. On another day, you probably would have scored differently. 
• Although test center closures and general disruption led to test-optional policies in many colleges during the pandemic, scores are now being required again by a lot of them. This is because a number of colleges realized that without standardized tests, they were less able to tell which students were academically prepared. It also hurt students from disadvantaged backgrounds who scored relatively well on the tests but did not think they were high enough to submit. 
• Remember that “score averages” on college websites are inflated because of recent test-optional policies. 
• Ultimately, you are the one who decides what a “good” score is. Colleges usually consider you within your context, so the higher your classmates and the people in your state are scoring, the higher you have to score to differentiate yourself; likewise, the lower your classmates and the people in your state are scoring, the more likely you’ll stand out with a high score. It all depends on where you want to go to college. 

After all of that, if you still don’t like the SAT, it’s not the end of the world! Many colleges are still test-optional and would rather that you send no score than one that is below their averages. Good luck!