As many of you make final preparations for taking this Saturday’s SAT test, I’d like to share a few simple but important tips on what to do the night before and the morning of the test. You’ve worked hard on your test prep up to this point - now take some time to review some basic, but often overlooked, pre-game strategies.
- 1:55m - SAT Test Day — The Night Before and the Morning of the Exam (transcript)
My students often ask me for last minute advice on what to do the night before the exam and the morning of the exam. Here’s what I tell them:
After dinner, collect the things you’ll need on test day:
1) Your SAT Admission Ticket
2) Your Student ID or Driver’s License
3) Several #2 Pencils (with good erasers!)
4) Calculator
5) Watch or other timepiece
6) A good snack! (the test is very long; you will need a snack)
You may also want to decide what clothes you’re going to wear on test day. Remember to dress in layers, because you can’t control the temperature. The SAT test room will most likely be either warmer or colder than you would prefer.
After you have collected your things, be sure to relax! Watch a movie, talk to a friend on the phone, or go out for a walk. Do something to take your mind off the test.
Here’s my advice on bedtime: if you’re in the habit of going to bed around 11 o’clock, don’t go to bed at 8 o’clock the night before the SAT test. If you’re anything like me, you’re going to wind up starring at the ceiling for hours feeling frustrated. Rather, you should aim to go to bed about 1 hour before you normally would on a school night. Also, remember to set you alarm early enough so that you comfortably have time to get ready for the exam. You don’t want to create a time pressure situation for yourself. There’s going to be enough pressure during the actual SAT exam.
The Final Step:
In the morning, you should remember to Check Your Brain!
After breakfast, take out a test prep book and do the first two questions of each of the three sections. After a few easy math, writing, and sentence completion problems, you’ll realize your brain is still working and everything is going to be OK. Don’t check the answers….just do the problems. I don’t think the first problems you do on test day should be the real ones on the SAT exam.
Hopefully this advice will help you maximize your SAT test score. Good luck, and remember to stay positive!
Karl Schellscheidt
ePrep
www.eprep.com
Copyright 2006 — All Rights Reserved, ePrep, Inc.
November 1st, 2006 at 10:22 pm
I actually took your advice and did a couple of problems the morning of the PSAT. I have to say, I think it did calm my nerves a bit.
March 27th, 2007 at 5:05 pm
This is great advice. Relaxation and preparation are key.
For my final SAT, I also weaned myself off of caffeine (on which I had developed a dependency) the week before the test, then drank some caffeine before the test. My reasoning was that people who are addicted to caffeine have often developed a tolerance, meaning that they require more caffeine to give them that “edge” than they did before. I figured that by breaking my tolerance for it, then having it the morning of the test, I would be extra-alert that morning. A bit extreme, maybe, but it worked for me.
March 27th, 2007 at 11:24 pm
Thanks for the added advice, Sarah. FYI: I didn’t start drinking coffee until after college, and now I have a hard time getting started in the morning without a steaming cup. By the way, if I were taking a long test like the SAT, I would be careful not to drink too much of anything to avoid the need for frequent trips to the bathroom — but that’s just me.
April 28th, 2007 at 2:42 pm
i failed the sat because i did not try
May 3rd, 2007 at 5:00 pm
Thanks so much for the tips! I think they’ll be a great help.
I have to take my first SAT this saturday - I’ve only got one shot at it. I’ll be going to college in sept (assuming I pass the SAT). I’ve been doing a lot of practice exams under exam conditions (a full 3-4 hours at a time), and reading these tips on the site.
Something I was just wondering about, different books and website say that there will be a break between each section (only like 5 min) and others say there will be just one 5 or 10 min break midway through… other materials don’t mention breaks at all… Are there breaks? if so, how long, and how many?
Thanks so much!
Derrick
(Canada)
May 3rd, 2007 at 8:44 pm
Derrick,
You are entitled to a break after each our of testing. The breaks are usually between 5 and 10 minutes long, depending on the proctor. You are permitted to have snacks during your breaks.
Good luck on Saturday.
Karl
May 4th, 2007 at 11:14 pm
Thanks so much for the info! as well as all the other tips…
I think I’m much more prepared than I would have been if I hadn’t seen your website. Keep up the good work!
Derrick
May 6th, 2007 at 12:13 am
Thanks, Derrick. I really appreciate your kind words. Send me an update when you get a chance. –Karl
May 8th, 2007 at 8:03 pm
Okay, so I did the SAT and it was easier than I’d thought it would be…
I was able to finish each Math section with about 2 minutes to spare, the Critical Reading sections with about 7-8 minutes to spare, and the Writing sections with about 3-4 minutes to spare, which is better than most of my practice tests.
I figured out during the test that the testing section was a math section, but I wasn’t sure until I looked at the test organization on the SAT website which section it was…
I was using the “Video Aided Instruction” SAT prep videos to prepare, and then in the last week I found this site. The videos gave me the foundation, but this site answered a lot of “on-the-side” questions I had, and gave me some great tips that I think really helped. Like doing those practice questions after breakfast, and I also had a quick review of my math notes from the Video Aided Instruction video… I think that really helped. Thanks so much!
Derrick
P.S. I think you’re doing a great job with this website. I went into the test feeling prepared and perhaps more importantly, (I think) feeling confident that a) I knew what was going to happen and how it would happen, and b) I knew how to tackle the test, and to relax, focus, and concentrate. I wouldn’t have been nearly as confident or prepared as I was if I hadn’t come to this site. Thanks so much!
Keep it up!
May 24th, 2007 at 12:40 pm
Well, here’s the final update: I was finally able to log on and view my scores. I got the following marks:
Section Score National Percentile
Critical Reading 690 94%
Math 590 71%
Writing 650 90%
Multiple Choice 66
Essay 8
this adds up for a total overall score of: 1930, if I understand it correctly.
Thanks again for all your help! You’re doing a great job!
Derrick
May 24th, 2007 at 1:29 pm
Hey Derrick..
You got a very high score on the CR section. I’ve been working very hard to improve my score in that area. I’ve come a long way in the writing and math sections, but the reading is where I need desperate improvement.
Can you pass on some quick pointers since 690 is an amazing score.
You got a 590 in math, the one section that can be boosted in a matter of weeks. So do that..
Your pointers would be much appreciated.
Thanks.
May 24th, 2007 at 9:22 pm
Great job, Derrick. Your scores look good. If you decide to take it again, I am sure you can bump your math up without too much difficulty. If you decide not to take it again, I think you will do well with what you have now. Good luck.
May 26th, 2007 at 1:12 am
Hi Arad,
Perhaps one of the reasons that I did well in the CR section is the fact that I’ve always had a knack for English… but I used a few strategies that may help…
For the fill in the blank questions, I use process of elimination: just cross out the ones I _know_ are not right, and pick from the rest. (If you know your prefixes and suffixes it helps!)
For the short passage questions, I quickly scan the questions, (not the answers) then read the whole passage, answering the line-reference questions first and then the global questions (the ones asking about themes and author’s opinions, etc)
For the longer passage questions, I would again quickly scan the questions (not the answers - I found that if I read some of the answers it would put me off track - especially with the global questions) then for all the line reference questions, go the the passage and mark the line (you get pretty fast at it with practice).
Then I’d go and read the passage through entirely. I find that for myself, alternatively reading in segments and answering questions would distract me from the main point in the passage, and I would have trouble with the global questions.
(One variation would be to read until you get to one of your marks indicating a line-reference question, quickly answer it and continue reading. I didn’t find this as helpful as just reading the passage as a whole.)
After reading the passage, I would then go and quickly knock off the line-reference questions. Afterwards I would tackle the global questions dealing with the author’s intentions, or “most-likely agree with” questions, etc. One thing to note is the time you spend on these global questions - I’m a debater type, and on the practice exams I would frequently catch myself debating one answer over another in my head. I found that usually after a quick, focused consideration, my first impulse was the correct one. (again, reading the passage as a whole thing really helps here - especially with the long passages)
Hope this helps!
Derrick
May 26th, 2007 at 10:25 am
Derrick,
I think your advice is pretty solid. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I just wanted to add that sometimes I try skipping the longer passages entirely. I go right to the questions that have line references. Once I have done them all, I try to answer the global questions. Anyway, it seems to work for me.
October 17th, 2007 at 8:18 am
Hey Guys,
I’m taking the PSAT today and I feel like I’m going to fail. My cranium just isn’t good at scholastic stuff. Wish me luck!
Jimmy in Manhattan
October 17th, 2007 at 11:27 am
Good luck, Jimmy.
January 25th, 2008 at 11:18 pm
this website is amazing! taking first SAT in the morning! A bit nervous…since I didnt know I was ddoing it this early untill about 2 weeks ago..So I’m pretty much just going in to take a chance at it and see how I do. I’ve been preparing for it for a while, so I should be okay. But I’ll come back and tell you guys some techniques I thought were helpful! What a great site!!
January 27th, 2008 at 3:55 pm
Junior,
I trust all went well on Saturday. Thanks for the kind words about the site. Hope to hear from you soon.
February 27th, 2008 at 7:10 am
im taking it saturday… i need a 1900
February 27th, 2008 at 8:13 am
Good luck, Todd. If you haven’t already tried “ePrepping” for the SAT, you may want to sign up for and do ePrep Express. It’s free and can be completed before Saturday. Again, good luck.