Parents and students often want to know how to study for the SAT test. The smartest, most effective way to study for the SAT test is to do as many practice questions as possible in the 8 weeks before the SAT exam.
Repetition
The SAT is a very repetitive test; the questions are very similar from one test to the next. There are many SAT questions that are difficult the first time someone sees them but if a student sees the question once, they won't be fooled a second time.
Consistent Schedule
Students should spend 2.5 - 3 hours per week studying for the SAT; this is a reasonable amount of time. Most students choose to break the study time down in to 1 hour a day, 3 days a week. Students should always time themselves when they are studying for the SAT test; this way students know if they can finish the section in enough time.
Learn From Mistakes
Once a student practices a bunch of questions and checks his or her answers, that student should then go over the questions he or she got wrong with a friend, teacher, or tutor. Each question that a student gets correct often means an
additional 10 points on that student's score, so studying for the SAT test can really pay off!
Focus on Vocabulary
Learning vocabulary is an important part of how to study for the SAT test. One effective way to learn a bunch of vocabulary words before the SAT is to use a web-based course that allows students to quiz themselves on common SAT words and keeps track of the words they have missed and mastered.
To summarize, when students want to know how to study for the SAT test, we tell them "Spend 3 hours per week doing as many practice questions as possible and studying vocabulary. Notice how repetitive the questions and vocabulary words are."
