6 Surefire Ways To Help Prepare Students For The SAT Exam

The score a student makes on the SAT will go a long way at determining which colleges will allow them admissions. Simply put, a great SAT score will likely provide your child with access to better colleges than he or she will have with a mediocre score. Fortunately, there are a number of measures that will prepare your students to perform at their very best when they take the SAT.

Make Use of Practice Tests

You should administer a full-length practice test to your student before he or she begins preparations for the SAT. This will give you both an idea of where the student is currently and what areas need the most work. The student should then be given practice tests periodically to measure progress. Make sure you use a timer when you give the practice test to your students so that they are accustomed to whatever time pressure they will experience when taking the SAT.

Know the Exam Structure and Format

You will need to understand how the SAT is structured to prepare your students for the exam. The two main sections of the SAT are both worth 800 points for a total of 1600. Math is the first of these main sections. Reading and writing is the second major SAT section. There is also a writing section that is used to assess students by some schools that is also worth 800 points. This brings the complete total points possible to 2400.

Set a Goal

Once you and your students are familiar with his or her baseline score, you should set a goal for a score on the real exam. A good guide to figuring out what is realistic is to assume a possible improvement of 100 points for each month you will spend in preparation. Also, the target score should place you at least in the medium range for scores by students who have already earned admissions to the schools in which your students are interested.

Make a Schedule

You will want to set a schedule for your students that takes into account their baseline score on the first practice exam you gave them and the score goal for the real exam. Students should be consistent in the amount of time they spend each week preparing for the SAT exam. For example, if you decide it will take 60 hours for a student to make the improvement necessary for the score goal and six weeks remaining before the exam, you should allow 10 hours per week for study time.

Take a Class

A SAT prep class is the perfect solution for students who may find it a little difficult to study on their own. Check first with the high school the student attends to see if there is an after school program or study group for the SAT. If you find these programs do not exist, you are likely to find private instruction in your local area. The student will find it beneficial to have someone experienced with the SAT to consult when they do not understand a question or concept.

Expand Your Vocabulary

In the months leading up to taking the SAT, your students will benefit from reading articles and books that challenge them. A suggested list of reading material is provided by the College Board to help students prepare for the SAT. When the student comes across a word he or she does not understand, the word should be highlighted and investigated. Learning the definitions and practicing the usage of new words on a regular basis will pay huge dividends on the SAT and benefit the student for the rest of their lives.

Final Thoughts

The SAT is extremely important in determining what colleges will be available to students after completing high school. Many students do not perform as well as they could on the SAT because they are not properly prepared. Fortunately, this does not have to be the case for your students if they take advantage of the six study tips above.