What is the most effective way to prepare for the SAT and ACT? When should you start preparing? And how long does it take? Since standardized tests play a crucial role in the college applications process and is one of the most important factors in college admissions, figuring out how to study for the SAT and ACT can feel overwhelming. In this blog post, I’ll answer all these questions and share tips to help you succeed.
Laying a Strong Foundation to Study for the SAT and ACT
If you are more than 3 or 4 months away from your planned testing date, you don’t need to worry about drilling SAT/ACT questions or learning the best test taking strategies–not yet, at least. However, you can still take steps to maximize your test results down the road. The best thing you can do now is to focus on building a strong academic foundation through your school work. Here’s a few specific tips that will maximize your potential when you begin to study for the SAT and ACT.
Math
Make sure you thoroughly understand the material you are learning in your math classes. The SAT and ACT cover topics up to Algebra II, and in some cases, even a bit of pre-calculus. Developing a strong math foundation now will save you from spending countless hours relearning concepts later. It will also make it much easier to address any remaining gaps as your test date approaches.
Writing and Grammar
While working on writing assignments, pay close attention to grammar. Don’t rely entirely on tools like spell check or Grammarly. When they suggest adding a comma or fixing a semicolon, take a moment to research why the correction is necessary. Learning the rules of English grammar now will make studying for the SAT or ACT much easier.
Reading
Read as much as possible. Reading comprehension is one of the hardest skills to develop, often requiring months or years of consistent effort. Get in the habit of reading now. Complete all assigned reading for your classes, read your history or science textbooks, or dive into works by novelists or poets you enjoy. Reading dense, challenging material, such as articles in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, or Nature, will yield excellent results. However, any reading will help. Spend time reading things you enjoy!
Before You Start Studying for the SAT and ACT
Once you are roughly four months away from your planned test date, it is time to start outlining a dedicated SAT or ACT study program.
How Long Should You Study for the SAT and ACT?
To determine exactly when you should start, you should think about how much time you have to study per week. For instance, if you can dedicate four or five hours weekly, two or three months should be all you need. If you can only dedicate two or three hours per week, you might want to give yourself four months or more.
Self-Reflection
Before creating a study plan, it’s also a good idea to self-reflect on your motivation, study habits, organizational skills, and goals. These factors will help shape your preparation.
If you’re highly motivated and organized, you can likely handle a self-study program. If you struggle with consistency or need external guidance, consider hiring an SAT/ACT tutor or enrolling in a class.
Finally, think about your motivation for taking the SAT or ACT. Are your test scores critical for your top colleges, or are you aiming for scholarships? Having a clear goal will help you stay motivated and consistent. Research admissions statistics and scholarship opportunities to understand the impact of a strong score. Students who know exactly why they are working to achieve a great score are usually the ones who are most likely to stick with a study plan until the test.
Take a Diagnostic Test
Once you’ve reflected on your goals, take a diagnostic test to establish a baseline score and identify your strengths and weaknesses. Free practice tests are available on the SAT’s Bluebook app and the ACT website.
When taking your diagnostic test—or any practice test—try to mimic actual test conditions. Choose a quiet, distraction-free environment. Turn off your phone and avoid browsing the web if testing digitally. Stick to the time limits, and don’t continue working after time runs out, even if you’re close to solving a problem.
After completing the test, carefully analyze your results to identify areas for improvement. For each question you missed, write down the reason why. Common reasons include running out of time, misunderstanding the question, lacking knowledge of the underlying content, or making a careless mistake. Also, take note of any questions you answered correctly but felt uncertain about—these are also opportunities for review.
Additionally, you should note the kind of question that you missed. The ACT lists all their question categories here, and the SAT’s Bluebook app offers categorized results for each question. Using these insights, you can focus your study efforts on specific areas that need improvement.
Develop a Study Plan
Now that you’ve completed your self-reflection and diagnostic test, outline your study plan. Decide which days of the week you’ll dedicate to studying, and stick to the schedule as consistently as possible.
Working with a tutor or teacher can help because they can provide a customized study plan. If you’re self-studying, break your plan into three key categories: foundational content and strategies, timed practice sections, and review/fine-tuning.
Foundational Content
For questions you missed due to misunderstanding or gaps in foundational knowledge, dedicate time in your study schedule to address each topic individually.
Building a strong foundation involves two equally important steps: first, learning the concepts behind the questions, and second, practicing SAT or ACT problems to reinforce your understanding.
Fortunately, there are many resources available to help you. Study books for the SAT and ACT often break down each question type and include practice problems. There are several SAT/ACT YouTube channels that offer detailed explanations of concepts and step-by-step walkthroughs of sample questions. For SAT preparation, Khan Academy is an excellent resource, providing video explanations, practice problems, and quizzes. Additionally, don’t hesitate to ask a teacher at school to explain an SAT or ACT concept to you.
Develop Test Taking Strategies
Next, set aside time in your study schedule to develop and practice test-taking strategies. If you missed several questions due to time constraints, research strategies for improving your pacing and tracking your time. Effective approaches include creating a system for skipping difficult questions and checking the time at specific intervals. Incorporating timed practice drills into your study routine can also significantly improve your time management.
ACT students may want to develop dedicated approaches to the Reading and Science sections. For example, in the Reading section, you can mark line-reference questions and answer them as you read the passage. For the Science section, consider skipping the initial data review and going straight to the questions. Once you’ve decided on a strategy, make sure you allocate plenty of practice time to refine and apply it.
If careless mistakes caused you to lose points, identify the exact reasons behind those errors and take steps to prevent them. For instance, write a “+” and “–” on your scratch paper to stay mindful of positive and negative signs, or emphasize the word “NOT” if a question asks for an answer that does not work. Small adjustments like these can help you stay focused and avoid unnecessary mistakes.
Practice, Practice, Practice
Practice Tests
After spending a few weeks studying content and practicing test-taking strategies, it’s time to take another practice test. Ideally, you should take additional practice tests every couple of weeks—or even weekly—to apply what you’ve learned in a simulated testing environment. If you’re short on time, you can focus on one section at a time. However, it’s essential to take a few full-length tests to build stamina.
While you might excel at tackling challenging SAT math problems when your mind is fresh, can you maintain that performance after two hours of testing? Developing your stamina will help you perform consistently under the actual conditions of test day.
Review Your Answers
After each test, thoroughly review your answers. For every incorrect response, start by attempting to solve the question correctly on your own without checking the correct answer. Then, analyze each question as you did with your diagnostic test. Determine why you missed the question: Was it due to time constraints, misunderstanding the content, or something else?
Once you’ve identified the issue, revisit the relevant steps for reviewing foundational content or refining test-taking strategies. After addressing these areas, take another practice test and repeat the process to track your progress.
Other Skills
Finally, ensure that you can confidently use your calculator on the SAT or ACT. For the SAT, practice using both a traditional calculator and the DESMOS app. Familiarize yourself with the functions of both tools to maximize efficiency on test day.
FAQs
How many times can you take the SAT and ACT?
There is no limit to how many times you can take the SAT and ACT, and both tests are offered 7 times a year. Most students take either test 2-3 times on average.
Should I take the SAT and ACT in the same month?
We generally advise against taking the SAT and ACT in the same month. The tests are different and require different preparation strategies and timing. Spacing out your test dates will help you focus on the nuances of each exam and limit the stressed of juggling multiple exams.
And to determine which test is the best
Can tutoring improve ACT scores?
Yes! The right test prep tutor can significantly improve ACT scores with personalized instruction, expert guidance, and test-taking practice, helping students build the confidence and knowledge they need to achieve their highest score.
To learn more about the benefits of hiring a tutor for SAT/ACT prep, check out 6 Reasons to Hire a Test Prep Tutor.
Conclusion
Learning how to study for the SAT and ACT is a key part of performing well on the tests. Start by laying a strong academic foundation, setting your intentions, building a realistic study plan, and getting plenty of practice. By taking the time to get organized, you’ll feel confident and ready to tackle the SAT or ACT on test day
Are you looking for more SAT and ACT guidance? Do you need test prep accountability? Are you looking to reach a certain score? Contact us today for a free consultation with an SAT/ACT expert to learn more about how HelloCollege can help you toward your standardized testing success.
