The SAT: a 3 letter acronym that really doesn't stand for anything, but is every high school student's worst nightmare. However, there are ways to beat this horrible menace and get a score worth bragging about. Here are some tips to help you beat the test.

Remember the best way to improve your score is to prepare beforehand. That means: PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE. Studies have shown that this is the most effective way to do better. By that I mean, not the night before, but weeks, even months before the test date. This will ensure that you mind has enough time to absorb the material you are feeding it. Cramming the night before will lead to a mental overload and will leave you even more stressed than before. Also, when you study, make sure you are doing it in a quiet place with no distractions as you want to get used to the testing conditions.

The SAT is focused on three topics: math, critical reading and writing. First of all, I would suggest you buy an SAT review book, more than one would be better as each book has its own strengths and weaknesses and seeing more questions will expose you to more types of questions. Do all the practice tests.

For the math, I recommend practicing questions from a book, such as Barrons. It should cover each topic thoroughly. Go through each of them and all the tests. Even if you think you know it, or you got them right before doesn't mean you will get them right on test day. Practicing the questions over and over again will ensure that you will get up to speed and know the question. If you don't know a question, make sure you ask for help.

For the reading, the only thing you can really do here is read. Read ANYTHING and EVERYTHING. That includes literature, newspapers and magazines, such as the New Yorker. In addition, you should also learn more vocabulary so you can ace the sentence completion questions. When you come across a word in your reading that you don't know: LOOK IT UP. I can not stress this enough; if it's in a book, it will most likely be on the test.

Finally, for the writing section, keep a journal and write in it every day. Writing will not only make you more familiar with your words, but also more comfortable being forced to write that 25-minute essay. Have someone go over your writing with you and correct you. Also, get a handy grammar book and go over the rules. Use it when you are practicing questions.

I know that this isn't easy, but trust me, it works. I'm proof of this.

Good Luck!

Learn more about this author, Marien Kind.
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