Improve your SAT score by this fall with these 5 tips from an Irvine SAT tutor
Most students are thinking about summer break and enjoying some relaxation time before going back to school. Although some well-deserved R&R is definitely in order, summer is also an excellent time to work on improving SAT scores. During the year students have to focus on classroom assignments and other college application materials, and so there’s little time left for test prep. Students who work on SAT over the summer can enjoy a better work-life balance during the school year as well as an increased chance of achieving a high composite score that will lead to college acceptance – our private Irvine SAT tutors are here to help you score high.
1. Identify areas that need improvement
One of the best things students can do is take a practice exam so they can identify which areas they need to work on. Practice booklets have helpful scoring guidelines that will tell students how they scored on each section as well as which types of problems they got wrong most frequently. Students can work with their tutor to determine how much of a score improvement they need to achieve the overall composite score they want before they apply to college this fall.
2. Build confidence
It’s essential for students to have adequate confidence before they take their SAT next term. Feeling good about the test, in general, will give students more energy to maintain a positive attitude throughout their test prep and increase their chances of making an accurate educated guess on problems they’re not 100% on. Focused and efficient summer prep will help students build this amount of confidence and make them feel better about the SAT (READ: 5 Awesome SAT Apps).
3. Practice writing skills
Students taking the SAT in the fall will need to know how to quickly and effectively respond to an essay prompt and demonstrate they understand the author’s point of view or position on an argument. The current SAT requires sophisticated writing skills that students will need to prepare for in advance. There are many different types of writing students will develop and refine throughout their high school career, but the SAT is looking for something very specific. It’s a good idea for students to work on this over the summer when they don’t have additional English assignments.
4. Improve focus and speed
It’s important to remember that the SAT is a timed exam. How quickly a student can answer questions correctly is a big part of how they’re graded. Consistently, students will answer questions correctly but do not have enough time to answer all of the questions. Unfortunately, unanswered questions will decrease a student’s score on that section. Through summer practice students can work on focus so they’re not distracted by their environment and build confidence so they can answer questions more quickly and move on – (READ: 8 SAT Essay Tips).
5. Test prep strategy
The SAT exam presents information in a unique format. In real life, students will not have multiple choices, and they will not be able to eliminate answers in the same way they can on a test. Classroom assignments allow students to present more than one right answer or opinion and teachers can gear their assignments to meet their classroom’s individual learning needs. The SAT, on the other hand, is a standardized exam where students need to align themselves with a particular set of standards. There are some proven, and refined strategies students can learn to be successful on this important exam, but they will need more time and focus to successfully develop these strategies. Summer is a fantastic time to work on these issues and will help a student improve their composite score in the fall.
Our in-home Irvine SAT tutoring will have you prepared and confident to score high when you take the test this Fall. Call us today to learn about our summer discounts on test prep packages!
All blog entries, with the exception of guest bloggers, are