How to Do Well on the SAT
                     
 Doing well on the SAT is an important step toward getting into a 
good college. But if your test scores aren’t what you’d like them to 
be, that doesn’t mean you have to give up on your dreams. You 
can improve by focusing on the subject areas you struggle with 
during test preparations.
Some Tips for Do well on the SAT
 Prepping for the Test
 Using Test-Taking Strategies
 Preparing Physically
Analyze your previous scores
Focus on the subjects you struggle with
Set small goals
Sign up for a test-prep class if you can afford 
it
Organize a study group if you're on a budget
Memorize the general test instructions
Take practice test
Analyze your previous scores
If you’ve taken the test before, or you’ve taken practice tests, review the 
questions you got wrong. Figure out what types of questions these were.
Focus on the subjects you struggle with
Once you know what types of questions bring your scores down, focus your 
time and energy on these specific subjects. Buy a test-prep book or 
check one out from the library, and do 20 questions a night that are just 
like the ones you got wrong
 Set small goals
If you’re doing 20 questions a night, aim to get 15 of them right. Once 
you’ve managed that, aim to get 17 of them right.
Sign up for a test-prep class if you can afford it
If you have trouble studying on your own, sign up for a test-prep class. Ask 
your guidance counselor about any classes offered through your school 
or  any online platform.
Organize a study group if you're on a budget
Test-prep classes can be too expensive for many families. If you're on a 
budget, gather some friends or classmates to create a study group that 
meets after school once or twice a week. Ask one of your teachers if 
they'd be willing to lead some sessions, or use a test-prep book as a 
guide.
 Memorize the general test instructions
It’s important to follow the instructions printed at the beginning of the SAT, 
but they can take a long time to read. And they don’t change from test to 
test, so memorize them as part of your test prep. Know what’s expected 
of you for filling out your answer sheet.
 Take practice test
The SAT follows the same format every year, so you can do better by simply 
practicing taking the entire test. Mimic the test environment by closing 
yourself in a quiet room and asking your family not to bother you. Set a 
timer, silence your phone, and take the practice test at the back of your 
test-prep book.
Answer the questions that are easiest for 
you first
Make educated guesses for answers you 
don’t know
Ration your time wisely
Write neatly on your answer sheet
Track your progress on the test booklet
Read the questions before reading long 
passages
Write a four-paragraph essay if you write 
slowly
 Answer the questions that are easiest for you first
The SAT tends to have easier questions at the beginning and harder questions 
toward the end. But that doesn’t mean that what’s easy for everyone else is 
easy for you. Skip through the test and answer the questions you know you’re 
good at, then return to the beginning and work your way through everything 
else.
 Make educated guesses for answers you don’t know
The SAT grading system used to deduct more points for a wrong answer than for 
an answer left blank, but that’s no longer the case. Blank answers and wrong 
answers are deducted equally now. So if you don’t know an answer on a 
multiple choice question, eliminate answers you know are wrong. Then guess 
between the choices you have left.
 Ration your time wisely
Typically, you shouldn’t spend more than one to two minutes on a question. If 
you’re working through a difficult question and notice that you’ve spent more 
than two minutes on it, circle it and move on. Then come back to it later if 
there’s time.
 Write neatly on your answer sheet
Take the time to mark your answers neatly on the answer sheet and fill in 
bubbles fully. When the machine is grading the test later, it won’t be able to 
interpret what a stray pencil mark means, so it may mark the question wrong.
 Track your progress on the test booklet
You can write on your test booklet, so make clear marks or notes for yourself 
to track your progress. Circle questions you skipped entirely, and make 
marks next to any you guessed on but want to come back to if there’s 
time.
Read the questions before reading long passages
If you're not a fast reader, you won’t have time to read a passage, look at 
the questions, then read the passage again. For long passages that are 
more than just a few lines, skim the questions first. Then underline any 
information that may help you answer them as you read the passage.
Write a four-paragraph essay if you write slowly
The typical SAT essay follows a five-paragraph format: the introduction, 
three body paragraphs, and the conclusion. While the intro and conclusion 
are crucial, there is no rule that you have to have three body paragraphs. 
What matters is having well-developed paragraphs, so if you’re a slow 
writer, consider dropping the third body paragraph and writing a four-
paragraph essay.
Get plenty of sleep the night before the 
test
Eat a protein-packed breakfast on the 
morning of test day
Exercise on the day before or morning of 
test day
Get plenty of sleep the night before the test
While you may be tempted to stay up late and cram in extra studying the 
night before the test, this could negatively impact your score. Aim to 
get at least eight hours of sleep the night before the test so that you’re 
well-rested and better able to focus in the morning.
Eat a protein-packed breakfast on the morning of 
test day
Even if you don’t normally eat breakfast, it’s important to do so on test 
day. This will minimize your chances of being distracted by hunger. Eat 
foods with lots of protein, such as eggs, sausage or bacon, and Greek 
yogurt. Add some whole-grain toast to keep you full longer.
Exercise on the day before or morning of test day
Exercise can help de-stress you, so find some time to fit it in on the day 
before the test. Go for a run or a swim, or do yoga. You could also start 
test day with a brisk walk just to get your blood flowing.
136-56 39th Ave Lower Level 
Flushing, NY 11354
718-358-3432
[email protected]
www.eliteacademy.com