How to Clear SAT Exam
The Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) is a benchmark examination conducted by colleges for admission of students to their undergraduate courses in the USA and few other countries. The SAT exam scores are vital and necessary in various colleges in India. The SAT is intended to test student’s knowledge and thinking capability in different subjects. The better a student scores, the higher the chances of getting accepted into their dream college. This article will unearth the 10 best strategies to clear an SAT exam. Let’s get started.
What are the topics included in SAT?
The SAT exam includes topics like reading, writing, and math. The reading section in the SAT exam consists of reading, answering paragraphs, and sentence completion. The writing section consists of multiple-choice questions on grammatical errors and its usage in multiple scenarios. At last, the math section consists of questions of algebra, probability, geometry, and reasoning to answer. Few colleges intend to add an essay section for their students, which is optional. Although, it’s better to do your research about the universities that have an essay section to clear SAT exams and then practice for the same.
What is the time duration for the SAT?
The SAT test is 3 hours and 45 minutes long divided into 10 sections. A time limit is mentioned for every section to complete the SAT exam in the scheduled time frame.
What is the format of the SAT exam?
The SAT exam is of 1600 marks divided into two sections. The first section is dedicated to math questions which comprise 800 marks and the next section is dedicated to reading and writing comprising 800 marks. The SAT exam includes:
- 52 reading questions
- 44 writing and grammar questions
- 58 math questions
- An optional essay section
Suggested courses to crack SAT exam
Before jumping straight onto the tips and tricks to crack the SAT exam, let us walk through the best courses you can enroll yourself into to guarantee your success. Here is some good prep expert reviews. The courses are offered by PrepExpert, a leading business in the industry that will help you clear the SAT exam. The courses are instructed by professionals that have themselves scored in the top 1% of the SAT scores, having years of experience, and taught lakhs of students worldwide to date. PrepExpert offers a variety of SAT courses, keeping in mind the flexibility of the students. You can enroll yourself in an 8-week Capstone SAT preparation course to Weekend crash course to clear SAT exam.
The best courses offered by PrepExpert to name a few are:
- 8-Week Capstone SAT Preparation Course by Top 1% SAT Instructor Clay Cooper.
- 6-Week Flagship SAT Preparation Course by Top 1% SAT Instructor Kevin Parrish And if you don’t have time to prepare for the whole course, you can even enroll yourself in a weekend crash course.
- Weekend Review SAT Preparation Course by Top 1% SAT Instructor Anusha Keshireddy
10 Strategies to clear SAT exam
- Understand section directions Read and understand each SAT exam section’s directions before answering the questions. Use the exam time for filling the answer sheet and not reading the rules.
- Begin answering the questions you are familiar with the best way to start the SAT exam is to complete the questions you know the answers to at the start and mark the questions you are doubtful about, to complete them at the end. This will not only help you finish the exam in time but also sets the confidence right at the beginning.
- Cut off incorrect answers If you don’t know the exact answer to any question or you are doubtful, start by eliminating the incorrect ones for that particular question. Sometimes it’s easier to find the correct answer by eliminating the incorrect ones.
- One right answer Even after eliminating the incorrect answers, if you are not able to find the correct one, remember that there is only one right answer to that question. Think again, and choose your answer wisely.
- Be clear and neat Be confident and mark your answers neatly. Don’t make your answer sheet look dirty and sloppy. Since a machine scans your SAT answer sheet, sometimes it can’t differentiate between your correct answer and an accidental stray mark. After completing the exam, have a look at your answer sheet and remove all the shady and accidental marks.
- The first choice is correct Often your first choice of answer is correct. Don’t try to change it or overmark the answer unless you are confident that it’s incorrect. The first choice is guided by your gut feeling and it’s barely wrong.
- Make use of the test booklet You are allowed to do rough work such as calculations, writing steps, filling in the blanks, and assuming the right answers in your test booklet. Take its help and mark your answers with confidence and proof.
- Pay attention to time SAT is a time constraint exam. Check out the timings allotted to each section of the test and try to complete the section within the designated time frame. Quickly finish off the easy questions and don’t spend more than 3-4 minutes on a hard question. To ace the timing aspect of the SAT exam, it’s recommended you practice a lot before the actual SAT by giving several mock tests. You can’t achieve a great pace if you don’t practice beforehand.
- Carry a watch or a timer Bring your own watch or a timer with you to track time in the SAT test. Often the SAT exam center does not have an accurate timer.
- Understand the question Always make sure that you thoroughly understand the question before answering it. If you have practiced a lot with mock tests, you will be tempted to answer the exact looking questions in the SAT exam. However, refrain from answering it immediately. Sometimes, a question looks the same at first glance but when you read it word by word, it’s an altogether different question.
Conclusion
The SAT exam is your breakthrough to get into your dream college. As much as practice and hard work is necessary, you should relax and take a rest. Don’t open the books and study a night before the SAT exam. Enjoy a good sleep and eat healthily. Wake up early and revise the notes. It’s important to calm yourself before the exam.
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