Heading off to college is one of the most thrilling yet stressful experiences. The adrenaline heightens if you plan your higher studies abroad. The curriculum is very different from what you have been accustomed to in your school days. But, nothing is impossible. Understand the guidelines of the SAT exam, the syllabus involved, the question paper model, time allotment, the score required to get into your dream university, and then venture into preparation.

Subject Wise Preparation Guide For SAT Exam

To make things easier for you, we have added the question paper model below:

Reading section – The time limit is 65 minutes within which you have to attempt 52 multiple-choice questions. The questions include 5 passages, each with at least 10-11 questions.

Writing or Language section – The time limit is 35 minutes within which you have to attempt 44 multiple-choice questions. This section also consists of passages, in which you have to find mistakes or improve the weakness in writing.

Math section – This section has two parts – the one in which a calculator is allowed and the other in which you cannot use a calculator. Total time limit is 80 minutes and it is split up as:

Math (With calculator) - 25 minutes for 20 questions

Math (Without calculator) - 55 minutes for 35 questions.

In addition to these sections, you might opt for an additional section called ‘Essay Writing.’ It will be evaluated separately. In this section, you are supposed to write an essay on the given topic.

Now that you are clear with the basics of the SAT exam, decide how you want to prepare for it. A number of coaching classes are available. However, it consumes a lot of time as you have to travel to and fro and not everyone can afford it. To save money, many self-study options are available. It is one of the most effective methods because it is self-paced and you have so much time in your hand.

Self-guided tips to prepare for SAT

The following resources serve as a subject-wise preparation guide for the SAT exam. Do trust them without any doubt for they are formulated by the best minds of SAT exam coaching classes in Mumbai.

Books

You can never go wrong with books. They are the best primary sources of preparation you’ll ever come across. Even if you enrol yourself in one of the coaching classes, the first thing you’ll be provided with are a set of textbooks. You might download ebooks, but make sure you are comfortable reading in your kindle or mobile phones. You’ll have a lot to learn and it might not be the best option in the long run. Always rely on hard copies. Unlike gadget, they don’t require a power bank to keep them running.

The following two books are an all-rounder, covering all the sections and guidelines:

The Official SAT Study Guide – College Board

SAT Prep Black Book: The Most Effective SAT Strategies Ever Published – Mike Barrett and Patrick Barrett.

For SAT reading and Writing section:

The Complete Guide to Sat Reading – Erica Meltzer

SAT Vocabulary: A New Approach – Erica Meltzer and Larry Krieger

The College Panda’s SAT Writing – Advanced Guide and Workbook for the new SAT – Nielson Phu

For SAT Math section:

The College Panda’s SAT Math: Advanced Guide and Workbook for the new SAT – Nielson Phu

If you’ve opted for the essay section, do check out this amazing book

The College Panda’s SAT Essay – Nielson Phu

For tips and tricks on how to bag a good score:

The Perfect Score Project: One Mother’s Journey to Uncover the Secrets of the SAT – Debbie Stier

Mobile Apps

Mobile applications come in handy when you have to practice problems and take mock tests. They have a handful of good features like test series, practice problems, daily doses of vocabulary, and more.

Khan Academy

This is the best app available to prepare for the SAT exam. The app's partnership with the college board makes it undoubtedly a reliable source. It is totally free of cost, you don't even have to open an account. Just download the app and you're presented with many courses for reading, math and writing sections. The practise worksheets are also available to print. You can download materials for offline viewing and also bookmark modules to start from where you had left previously. It is a must-have on your phone if you are a serious SAT aspirant.

Daily practice for the new SAT

This app is developed and maintained by the college board. It also has a link that connects you with Khan Academy. The app provides you with daily questions, along with hints and explanation so that you can understand where you went wrong. The icing on the cake is that this app is totally free of cost.

Other trusted apps

SAT Practice: College Board

Study Timer: Test Prep Focus by Magoosh

SAT Prep by Ready4, Inc.

Online Resources

There are so many resources that are so readily available online these days. Just one search and you can find hundreds of great resources. Here’s subject-wise preparation guide for SAT to help you out.

Now that you have a list of resources you can depend on, jump start your SAT practice right away!