SAT Test Day Tips and Strategies for August 27, 2022

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The SAT is a standardized test used by colleges to help them evaluate potential students. It is intended to measure a student’s ability and readiness for college courses in three subject areas: Reading; Writing; and Math. Most students take the test in Junior year. The online test platform is easy to use and only requires access to a computer, tablet, or laptop with a test booklet and internet.  Assign tests via email with your students on a set schedule. Enjoy the flexibility of a one-on-one online test anywhere you have an internet connection.

The SAT is an entrance exam used by most colleges and universities to make admissions decisions. The SAT is a multiple-choice, pencil-and-paper test created and administered by the College Board. SATs are not tests of academic excellence, intelligence, or aptitude.

Strategy to answer the questions on the Test Day:

  • Review all the questions first in each section. 
  • Mark the easy, difficult and unknown questions. 
  • In the SAT usually, easy questions are preceded by hard questions, answer all the easy questions first. 
  • Read the hard questions at least a couple of times to make sure you understand the question correctly.     
  • Manage your time while test-taking, spend a few moments on easy questions, and spend the rest on complex questions.     
  • Eliminate the incorrect answers so you can narrow down the correct answer selection. 
  • All the questions will have only one correct answer.   
  • There is no penalty for incorrect answers, so Do NOT SKIP the questions and guess the correct answers.

How to fill the Bubble sheet on the Test Day:

  1. Mark the circles in the ID section. One circle per row.
  2. Mark the circles in the Name section (First, Middle, and last name)
  3. No points will be earned if the circle is marked half or some line.
  4. No point will be earned if multiple circles are marked in a row.
  5. Mark the circles with a #2HB pencil.

Grid-in Section

  1. Mark no more than one circle per column.
  2. There are no negative answers (since there is no way to bubble in a negative sign).
  3. You’ll never include pi in your answer; you’ll use a decimal. For example, 3? would be written as 9.425.
  4. You can write answers as fractions or decimals, but you cannot use mixed numbers. For example, 3 ½ would need to grid in as either 3.5 or 7/2, since the grading machine will read 31/2.
  5. Write your answers in the boxes above the grid to avoid errors in the gridding.
  6. Some questions may have more than one correct answer.
  7. Know the gridding rules before taking the test.

You should know the helpful tips for the exam:

  • Study the direction of each SAT section and get familiar with section directions before the test. On the test day-use your time for the test, not for section directions.
  • Get familiar with the time and number of questions in each section.
  • Bring your watch or timer and set the time 5 minutes early before the end time to review all the answers.
  • Read all the questions of each section first and mark the easy questions.
  • Use the answer booklet if you are not sure of the correct answer. Mark the final answers in the bubble sheet.
  • Avoid leaving marks on the bubble sheets as the machine scores them. Usually, machines cannot distinguish between stray marks and correct answers.
  • Fill the grid-in answers correctly and neatly in the Math Grid-in section.
  • Use #2HB pencil to fill the bubble sheet.

Smart Strategy for SAT preparation downloads a free SAT e-Book. Grade your SAT practice test bubble sheet online to get a detailed Socrato diagnostic report.

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