Do you know someone who will be taking the SAT soon? Here are the most common challenges students face with the SAT – and how to overcome them!
Let’s get this out of the way: contrary to popular belief, the SAT does not measure overall intelligence. Many extremely gifted students receive average (or even poor) scores on the SAT due to non-academic factors. It’s for this reason that test preparation curriculum generally includes a heavy focus on test-taking strategies like time management.
You may be surprised to hear that “SAT” originally stood for “Scholastic Aptitude Test” and was designed to identify innate qualities in students (i.e. “natural skills”). The College Board – the private, for-profit organization that currently owns and develops the SAT – has gone on record stating that the SAT measures “developed reasoning.” For decades, the test itself was even officially known as the “SAT I: Reasoning Test” – a name that was only recently updated in 2016.
For students, the takeaway from all this is to remember that the SAT, while important for university admissions, is not a defining measure of your intelligence, skills, or future career options. As silly as that sounds, we’ve found that many students really need to hear this!
Our best recommendation? Focus your test prep on the things you can most easily control. Approach the test for what it really is – a snapshot of your test-taking abilities and reasoning skills at a singular point in time.
That last part is very important, and it’s the reason why many students receive wildly different scores throughout various attempts. In fact, it’s not even uncommon for a student’s best score to not be their final attempt – which is precisely why The College Board gives students the option of sending only their best scores to prospective universities (not necessarily the most recent ones).
Put simply, variables like the test version and even your physical well-being (on that particular day) can all affect your test scores. With that in mind:
1. Know the test
Know the test procedure and format inside and out. This includes the number of sections, time allotment, format variations, test-taking strategies, and more. From our experience, SAT practice tests are the best way for students to familiarize themselves with the exam without the financial burden of repeat attempts (remember, the official SAT isn’t free).
2. Know the dates and costs
One of the most common ways students stress themselves out for the SAT is by not effectively keeping track of upcoming deadlines and due dates. With the SAT, there are a number of things you want to keep an eye on – especially the registration date (which comes well in advance of the exam itself). In fact, it’s so common for students to miss the SAT registration date that The College Board offers a late registration option for – you guessed it – an additional penalty fee.
We really cannot stress this enough – we’ve seen families unfortunately spend a lot of extra cash to fix errors that could’ve been easily avoided. At the time of writing in 2024, accidentally choosing the wrong test center (not the exam date, but the physical location) is a $29 mistake. If you did happen to pick the wrong date, that’s another $29 to cancel before you are allowed to re-register for another test (and another $10 if you’re late to request the actual cancellation itself). Oh, and the late registration option we mentioned above is an additional $34 – and keep in mind, you haven’t even paid the $68 for the test yet.
We think you get the point! Check your dates and information carefully, because mistakes can be costly.
3. Know the materials
This one is simple. Students should know everything they’re allowed to bring to the testing center, from the type of pencils used to the water bottle they’re going to pack. Most importantly, don’t forget to bring an approved calculator and valid identification!
