Everybody wants to know how to get the highest SAT score possible. There’s no shortcut, but we can offer some strategies to improve your odds through preparation and practice. The following five suggestions provide structure, reassurance, and comfort to busy students—and may lead to better SAT scores.
1. Take AP Courses
When it comes to the SAT test, the first question many students and parents ask is: How soon is too soon? When should we begin preparing for this test?
Because the revamped SAT focuses on skills and knowledge you gain every day in the classroom, one of the key ways to prepare and perform your best is simply to take the most challenging coursework you can. This can include honors and advanced classes at your school or any Advanced Placement (AP) courses available to you in EduAims.
Recently, Indiana University researchers found that high school students who achieve a B or better in at least two Advance Placement classes score higher on the SAT by more than 100 points.
Of course, another important benefit associated with Advance Placement courses is the ability to earn college credit, for which there are separate exams. For now, it’s enough to know that simply focusing on your Advance Placement coursework will likely benefit you on the SAT as well.
2. Know Where You Stand After Taking the PSAT-Related Tests
What makes the PSAT-related tests meaningful to high school students? One reason they are important is because of the opportunity to earn a National Merit Scholarship by doing well on the PSAT/NMSQT. In addition, taking the PSAT 10 (in the 10th grade) and the PSAT 8/9 (in eighth or ninth grade) gives students the opportunity to experience a live testing environment, establish a baseline for college readiness, and discover their strengths and areas that need more attention before taking the SAT. Students taking the PSAT-related tests also receive score reports that can be linked to www.eduaims.in for personalized SAT test prep, which we’ll get into more later.
The benefit of experience in a live testing environment for a student hoping to score high on the SAT is obvious, and evidence suggests that students who do well on the PSAT/NMSQT also do well on the SAT. For a more concrete indicator of improvement, look at the strong correlation that exists between most students’ PSAT/NMSQT scores and their SAT score.
3. Try Official SAT Practice on Edu Aims
Speaking of Edu Aims, make sure you take advantage of all the free SAT practice materials you can find there, including videos, quizzes, and full-length practice tests. Edu Aims also provides hundreds of additional authorized questions, compiled into quizzes that help focus on specific skills. You’ll be hard-pressed to run out of practice items.
Furthermore, Edu Aims can leverage your actual performance on PSAT-related assessments to create free, personalized SAT study plans. This allows students to prepare smarter, to focus on the areas they need to, and to track their progress over time. And in contrast to expensive test prep courses or tutors, Official SAT Practice is absolutely free.
4. Use Your Time on Official SAT Practice Wisely
Our recent research shows that it’s not just how much you practice for the SAT, but how you spend your time that matters. A 2020 study indicated that students who spent at least six hours on Official SAT Practice using one of the following “best practices” improved their score by 39 points more on average than students who did not use Official SAT Practice.
The three best practices are:
- Following personalized skill practice recommendations: Official SAT Practice provides personalized practice recommendations based on you previous scores on any PSAT or SAT assessment. Linking your Edu Aims accounts unlocks these recommendations automatically. If you don’t wish to link your accounts, you can also access personalized practice through diagnostic quizzes.
- Taking a full-length practice test: Taking a full-length practice exam simulates the real test experience and helps you to see where you are prepared and where you still have opportunities to improve. There are 8 full-length online practice exams available on Official SAT Practice which can be taken in one sitting or paused and returned to at any time.
- Leveling up skills: As you progress through the Official SAT Practice material, you can achieve new levels in the skills you’re practicing. Leveling up your skills shows you that you are consistently advancing in content tested on the SAT and is a great way to monitor your progress.
Incorporate these best practices into your SAT preparation to see the biggest impact on your SAT score.
5. Don’t Study Like It’s 1999
In case you missed it, the SAT was redesigned to more closely align with what students are learning in school. With the new SAT there is no penalty for guessing; you no longer lose points for wrong answers. Gone are “SAT words”—words no one has seen before or will likely see again. Only relevant math concepts are tested. The SAT makes it easier for you to show your best work.
So if you’re still walking around with vocabulary flash cards or trying to memorize Latin word roots, you are probably getting better at crossword puzzles, but not really preparing for the SAT effectively. You’ll benefit more from simply striving to do your best on your everyday reading and writing coursework.
Since the SAT now has no penalty for guessing, you no longer have to devise complicated strategies or formulas for when it makes sense to answer a question. Instead, simply approach each question thoughtfully and carefully and show your best work.
Five Perfectly Good Strategies for Better SAT Scores
You can improve your prospects of getting a higher SAT score by following the steps we’ve outlined. Take challenging courses at school. Leverage the PSAT-related assessments as tools to see where you stand and what you can work on. Take advantage of the extensive and free Official SAT Practice on Edu Aims. Set a goal of carving out time for practice—it can even be in small chunks, but it has a potentially huge payoff. And finally, make sure you prepare for today’s SAT, and not your parents’ or older sibling’s test.