How to Simulate SAT Test Day

When students ask me what the single most important thing they can do before taking their SAT on test day is, I immediately know what to say: take a practice test. UNDER TEST-LIKE CONDITIONS! Sure, its all well and good to study for the SAT for a few minutes on the bus, or in the doctors waiting room. But if you really want to reap the benefits of taking a practice test—namely, getting a realistic sense of what your score might be at this moment, and preparing yourself for the experience of sitting through a 3+ hour exam—you really need to do at least one test in test-like conditions. So what are those conditions, you might ask? Im so glad you did. Silence Silence, my friends. Silence. If you cant get it at home (and a sign on your door will do this in most cases, though you may have to put in a special request to particularly loquacious family members), then see if you can get an empty classroom, a corner of the library, or some other quiet space for 3-4 hours (4 if youre doing the essay) on a weekend morning. Because†¦ Weekend Mornings Theyre key. If its spring or summer break, thatll work too. You want to see what your responses are like at the same time of day youll be taking the test—7:45 AM (the test will start closer to 8:30, but youll have to be there by 7:45). Youll also want to make sure you have†¦ Test-Like Materials Make sure that the materials youre using—e.g. that practice test youre about to take—are up to snuff. There are some great freebies here, but you know you can always turn to Magoosh when you run out! Rita will tell you the other materials that youll need here. Which brings me to my next point: what good is a test without†¦ Pencils Lets face it—were not really used to using pencils except on multiple-choice tests. When we do, most of us prefer mechanical pencils. But you cant use a mechanical pencil on the exam! Your answer sheet wont go through the scanner right and youll end up with a 400 for submitting a blank test—not good. Even if Number 2 pencils are your nemeses (they are mine), make friends for this four-hour period. Except, of course, during†¦ Breaks SO many students will want to skip this all-important part of the practice test. Why is that? Well, wouldnt YOU want to finish up early? The problem is, you wont be able to skip them on test day. Youll get two breaks overall (more on this here) and they contribute to the overall time of the test—you wont be able to go on to the next section until break is over, so get used to the length of the exam, breaks and all, now. And finally†¦ A TIMER You wont be able to bring your phone into the exam, so get used to wearing a wristwatch, looking at a big clock on the wall (if youre lucky), and getting the feel of how long each section is, even without a timepiece. You dont want to waste that precious time trying to figure out how many minutes you have left!