General SAT Tips ALL Students Must Know
Do NOT answer every question.
- There is a PENALTY for guessing – if a question is too difficult, the best strategy is to move on and use your time to solve questions that are more within your reach.
NOTE: The #1 biggest pitfall of ALL students on the SAT is that they attempt to answer too many questions. Skipping super difficult problems is a very critical strategy for success.
Use the process of elimination.
- Get rid of wrong answers. 80% of the answers are wrong on the test – wrong answers are much easier to identify because they are much more abundant.
Read the questions carefully.
- Do not make assumptions. Answer what is being asked of you.
Identify “key” words.
- Key words clue you in to correct answers. Context is critical to unlocking answers on the SAT.
Underline “key” information in the reading passages.
- Studies show that one common theme of students who score well on the SAT is that they mark up their test with notes.
Refer back to the reading passages as needed.
- Flipping back and forth on the critical reading section is a strategy.
Read each answer choice completely.
- Don’t be afraid to re-read information (and test questions) to aid comprehension.
Do not be afraid of unfamiliar words.
- Strive to get a feeling for unknown words and see if they have a sense of being positive, negative or neutral in tone. Use this knowledge to help “crack” the answer.