My daughter will be taking the new digital SAT but she has procrastinated on studying. Her test date is coming up. What can she do to get the most out of the little time she has before the test?
Anonymous
Procrastination is a killer! With limited time before the digital SAT, your daughter can focus on targeted studying strategies to make the most of her preparation. Here are some last-minute test prep tips so she can maximize her potential in minimal time:
- Familiarize yourself with the new SAT: There are a lot of changes to the new SAT! It’s digital for the first time ever, for one thing, and all the sections are shorter. (All in all, it’s about an hour shorter.) Other changes include that a calculator is permitted on the Math sections, there is now only one question per reading section, and the reading passages are more varied in terms of content. Go to Collegeboard.com and go over the changes together so she knows what to expect on test day.
- Diagnostic Test: Have her take a diagnostic test to identify her strengths and weaknesses. This will help her focus her study efforts on areas where she needs the most improvement. There are several online versions, on College Board and more, that can give her an idea of her starting point and areas of improvement she can target.
- Focused Study Plan: Create a study plan that focuses on high-yield topics and question types. Prioritize topics based on the diagnostic test results.
- Practice Questions: Use official SAT practice materials and online resources (psst! We have a lot!) to practice specific question types. This will help her become familiar with the format and types of questions she'll encounter on the test.
- Review Mistakes: Review any mistakes she makes on practice questions to understand why she got them wrong and how to avoid similar mistakes in the future.
- Do it again! And again, and again. Practice makes perfect (or as close to perfect as you can get in this window of time.)
It's important for her to focus on quality studying rather than quantity, given the limited time. With focused effort, she can still make significant progress before her test date. Encourage her to stay positive and confident. Stress and anxiety can negatively impact performance, so it's important for her to approach the test with a positive mindset. Ensure she gets plenty of rest the night before the test. A well-rested mind will perform better on test day.
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