Exams like GMAT and GRE have become a de-facto standards when one think about preparations for studying abroad. Consequently, one might have comparatively fewer centres for personalized coaching and study mates when it comes to SAT. International undergraduate students who are going abroad might get more perplexed looks as the majority of students heading abroad are graduates, indeed. Here, SAT preparation can be a breeze if a student is strategic from the starting itself

How to prepare for the SAT Test

Intelligent preparation for SAT necessitates a long-term planning regarding the target institutions and programs. The start date of one’s program will determine when he needs to sit for the exam, notwithstanding the buffer time if he re-attempt in the case of less-than-expected scores. Once he is familiar with the pattern and syllabus of the test, the next smart step is to take a diagnostic test to establish his strengths and weaknesses. Consequently, he’ll be in a better position to create a study plan that suits him. The plan should be tailored to one’s specific needs: giving equal time to all types of question is always going to be a sub-optimal strategy as every students differ in their skill-sets and areas of strength.
 

Methods of preparation

After the initial diagnostic test itself, a student will discover that the effort he needs varies widely for different topics. For some topics, he might be a pro- just making sure that no silly mistakes occur is enough to score perfect scores. For the others, little brushing-up will be needed and regular practice will be enough to propel the scores up. Last but not least, there might be topics which will make him scratch his forehead. Depending on his personal preferences, time left for the preparation and his spending capacity, there is a host of options for SAT preparation, provided by some best SAT prep classes. 

Preparation tips

• Long-term reading habit takes one, on a long way in tackling the verbal section of this test.
• For the vocabulary part, rather than reading the whole passage in full detail, it is better to gain the overall context, and then directly jump to questions.
• All deficiencies in Mathematics could be tackled by understanding the fundamentals and memorizing basic formulas can be a big win, which also saves time on the exam.
• Tackling MCQs is also a different ball-game when compared with subjective tests.
• However, it is important to be thorough about the question details while answering, as it is extremely easy to make any stupid mistakes. But spending too much time on a single question is a strict no, and one should mark a question and move forward with the exam.
• For the students who opt for an essay: The essay should demonstrate his structured thinking and command over the English language.

Summary 

As SAT is a gruelling test that stretches for around 4 hours, it requires both mental and physical stamina. In an age of continuous distractions, maintaining focus for such a long tenure can prove to be a challenge. Hence, it is best to keep giving mock exams at SAT prep classes which replicate the test conditions as close as possible.