An effective SAT review will help you do your best on test day. Of course, any SAT review should cover the strategies, concepts, and question types for each section. In addition, a quality review process will include real testing conditions, a balance between work/rest, and healthy diet/sleep patterns. These other factors are important because they can affect your score.
Real Testing Conditions
Because it's 4 hours long, the SAT tests your endurance more thant it tests your intelligence. Of course, you need to know certain concepts to answer the questions. But, if you can't concentrate for long enough, you won't be able to use what you know. Taking practice tests under simulated testing conditions stregthens your ability to use what you know . Real testing conditions means:
- Time limits - Make sure to follow the SAT's time limits. This includes taking the required breaks.
- Background noise - Choose a practice test environment that is relatively quiet, but not completely silent. Remember, you'll be taking the test with a bunch of other students, so your real testing environment will inevitably have some background noise.
- Time of day - Take your last few practice tests at the same time of day that you'll be taking the real test. You can't concentrate if you're not fully awake.
- Materials - Whenever possible, use the same materials that you'll bring on test day. Even simple tasks (like sharpening pencils, bubbling in answers, erasing stray marks on your answer sheet) are worth practicing so that you stay focused when it counts.
Your SAT skills are like a series of muscles. The more you work them out in simulated testing conditions, the stronger they'll be on the real test day. Plus, this type of practice builds confidence; the more you practice your test day routine, the less scary it becomes.
Balancing Work and Rest
Take it easy on the night before the test; at that point, relaxation is the best thing you can do for your brain. Taking the time to relax allows you to approach your test day with a clear mind, and a renewed energy. Discipline is not always about ceaselessly pushing forward. The highest form of discipline is knowing when to push forward and when to step back.
Over-preparing will stress you out. Stress will burn you out. It won't help in the long run. Give yourself plenty of time away from anything that even remotely resembles the SAT.
Healthy Diet and Sleep Patterns
The SAT is a mental marathon. To run it, your brain needs energy. Certain habits suck energy away from your brain. Substances like coffee, energy drinks, drugs, sugar, or alcohol make it more difficult to concentrate for an extended amount of time. Many of these habits have negative consequences that continue even after the habit itself has passed. Taking care of your body before, during and after studying will help you maintain this feeling of relaxed efficiency, and regain it whenever it is lost.
Make sure to get at least 8-10 hours of sleep during each of the last few nights before the test. This is especially important for the last two nights. Your brain cannot fully concentrate if your body is tired.