How to study for the SAT

Short answer: The best way to study for the SAT is to take as many timed, full-length practice tests as you can, then drill the types of problems you got wrong, from easy to hard, until you recognize each type on sight. Free official tools make this easy: full practice tests in College Board’s Bluebook app and skill practice on Khan Academy.

We make it no secret here at Alexander Tutoring that we are not fans of the SAT. But you still need to know how to study for it.

Key points

• Timed practice tests: Simulate test day as closely as possible, as often as possible.
• Drill your misses: Do many problems of each type you got wrong, from easy to hard.
• Recognize the type: The goal is to think, “I’ve seen this kind of problem before.”
• Use free official tools: Bluebook for full tests; Khan Academy and the question bank for drills.
• Back-solve smartly: Plug answer choices into the question, and check every equation.
• Review with an expert: A tutor shows the fastest strategy for each missed problem.

Why do we call the SAT “math with a gun to your head”?

My name for the SAT is “math with a gun to your head.” I call it this because you are asked to solve complicated problems as quickly as humanly possible. For most of the problems there is a gimmick or trick to solving the problem quickly.

This basically goes against everything I believe in when it comes to learning mathematics. We believe in really digging into problems to understand the nuances. This requires taking your time, being careful, deriving your equations, and so on.

I believe in a mantra often attributed to the physicist Richard Feynman: you don’t understand a problem unless you can solve it 4 different ways. The SAT is none of these things.

That being said, we do help prepare our students for the mathematics portion of the SAT. Why? Because it’s a necessary evil to get into your dream college, and we are all about our students pursuing their dreams. We are also very well equipped to help our students jump through the SAT hoops and get an outstanding score.

Therefore I want to help you get the highest score possible on the SAT, and I’m going to share some tricks for achieving that goal. With practice you should be able to raise your score at least 100 points when you know how to study for the SAT.

Why are drills the key to improving your SAT score?

The key to improving on the SAT is drills. That means doing many problems of the same type over and over again.

The goal is to get to the point where you recognize each “type” of problem on the SAT. The student should be in the mindset of “oh, I’ve seen that type of problem before; the numbers are different but I know what to do.”

How should you use practice tests to study for the SAT?

It’s very important to take as many timed practice SAT exams as possible before the actual test. You want to simulate the environment of the SAT as much as possible in your bedroom. Over time you will develop a feel for how much time you are using and where you should be on the test in order to finish on time.

1. Take a timed, full-length practice test. College Board’s free full-length practice tests are in the Bluebook app, the same app used on test day.
2. Sort your answers. Separate the questions you got right from the ones you got wrong.
3. Drill every missed type. For each problem you got wrong, do drills of the same type, going from easy to hard. Official SAT Prep on Khan Academy and College Board’s question bank, which you can filter by skill and difficulty, are both free.
4. Repeat. Take as many timed practice exams as possible and do all of the drills on the problems you got wrong.

“If you’re taking the test next month, I’ll have you take a practice test every week. If it’s three months away, one every other week is usually enough.”

Caleb Nastasi, Alexander Tutoring SAT tutor

How does an SAT tutor fit into this process?

Here’s where we step in. We think of our SAT Master Class as playing chess with a grandmaster and a computer, which is how you get the most powerful chess player.

The free practice tools serve as the computer, giving your student a huge advantage with the drills they provide. Then our math expert (the grandmaster) goes over the problems you missed and shows you the absolute best strategies for solving them quickly. Rinse, repeat. This is how you study for the SAT!

Our SAT Master Class consists of 12 one-on-one lessons with an SAT math expert:

1. Take a practice exam. Your student’s job is to complete a full timed SAT practice exam between each of the 12 meetings.
2. Review the results together. We can see the results, so at the next meeting we show you the best strategies for solving the problems you missed.
3. Drill and repeat. Your student goes home, completes the drills, and then does another practice exam.

After repeating this process 12 times, your student should see a real improvement in their math SAT score.

What SAT math tricks help you solve problems quickly?

I’d like to share with you a few of the “tricks” used to solve SAT problems quickly. Back solving is one of the most important skills for solving problems quickly. Some of the problems can be solved by plugging the answers into the question and seeing which one comes out correct.

You are sure to have a systems of equations problem on the SAT in which there are two equations and two unknowns. These are prime candidates for back solving. Simply plug the answers into the system and see which ones produce the same number on both sides of the equation.

Tutor tip: Be sure to plug the answers into both equations! The SAT is notorious for trick answers: answers that seem right if you made a small mistake. One solution set may work with one of the equations but not the other, which traps students who only back-solve the first equation. See how lame this test is?

“A lot of it is: here’s something you’ve seen before. What’s the fastest, most efficient way to solve it? Or which approach lets you eliminate two answers right away?”

Caleb Nastasi, Alexander Tutoring SAT tutor

For more, see our list of SAT math formulas and our guide on how to improve an SAT math score.

So what is the best way to study for the SAT?

The bottom line is the best way to study for the SAT is to do as many timed practice exams as possible, using free official tools like Bluebook and Khan Academy. Then do as many drills as possible on the types of problems you got wrong.

Repeat as many times as you can tolerate and your score will go up. Not sure when to begin? Read when you should start preparing for the SAT. Good luck!

Frequently asked questions