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Understand the Format
The SAT is taken on a laptop or tablet in the College Board's Bluebook app. It has two sections: Reading and Writing (Verbal) first, then Math, with a 10-minute break between them.
The Reading and Writing (Verbal) section:
- Two modules of 27 questions, 32 minutes each (64 minutes total)
- Each question is paired with its own short paragraph
- A strong focus on vocabulary
The Math section:
- Two modules of 22 questions, 35 minutes each (70 minutes total)
- A calculator can be used for the entire section, and Desmos is built into the test
- Most questions are multiple choice; the rest ask you to type in your own answer
The SAT is a computer-adaptive test.
- Verbal and Math are each separated into two modules.
- If you do well on the first Verbal module, you'll get a harder second Verbal module. Otherwise, you'll get an easy second Verbal module. The same is true for the Math.
- To get a high score, you must do well enough on the first modules to get the harder 2nd modules.
- Questions are weighted differently (the College Board hasn't released its scoring system), so you could get the same number of questions wrong as your friend but get wildly different scores.
Assess Your Current Level
Well, the first step is to take an official practice test from the official Bluebook software, which you can download from the College Board site (or the app store, depending on your device). You always want a baseline value so you know where you are starting and how far you have to go.
Now, here's the weird part: Don't review the questions you got wrong. There are only a handful of official Bluebook tests, so you may want to retake this test at a later point.
While you should not review the questions themselves, you should review the topics you were weak on. On the Resolve Prep site (sign-in required), you can input the questions you got wrong on your Bluebook test, and we will tell you which topics you need to review.
How to Study
The basic process
The basic process is simple. Take a test, learn the topics you got wrong, practice those particular topics, and then repeat. The key is to set a regular schedule and tackle your weaknesses.
Since there are only a handful of official Bluebook tests (plus a PSAT or two), you should save those for the end of the process. So, at the beginning of your prep, you should use tests from other sources, like the eight full-length tests (one of them free) and the math-only test offered here at Resolve Prep. Wherever you end up taking practice tests, remember that any scores you get on non-Bluebook tests are only approximations, since the College Board has not released its scoring algorithms.
Other Considerations
Consider whether you are going to work on vocabulary as part of your preparation. If you're confused about whether you should, we have written a blog post about it here.
Also, consider what calculator you are going to use on test day. Again, we have a detailed blog post here.
If you have testing accommodations (such as extra time), don't forget to apply to the College Board so you can get them approved.
Other Resources
If you need free resources, Khan Academy does have a free SAT course, although they do not offer practice tests. The College Board also has 6 linear, non-adaptive paper SAT tests (for students with a no-computer accommodation). These tests heavily overlap with the Bluebook tests (only about 30% of the questions are unique), so this resource should NOT be used until after you take the Bluebook tests because it will wildly distort your scores. Also, there is a very extensive official College Board Question Bank, but again, many of the questions overlap with the Bluebook tests, so you should only use this resource after you have taken the Bluebook exams.
Save these for a retake
Most students will save the linear tests and the Question Bank for after their first official SAT when they start to prepare for a retake.
How Long Will It Take To Prepare?
This answer varies dramatically from 2 weeks to 2 years. It all depends on when you are starting and what your goals are. Know that the first 50 points per section of improvement typically happen fairly quickly, and that progress starts to slow from there. Students often spend 80% of their time trying to get the last 20% of improvement.
When Should I Start?
Historically, most students started prep at the beginning of their junior year in high school (11th grade). However, increasingly students have been starting earlier, trying to finish before the very stressful spring of 11th grade, when students must balance APs, finals, and extracurriculars. When you begin will depend on your schedule, your goals, and your starting score.
