<p>I'll be starting my junior year later in the month and I'd like to improve my SAT score. I took the SAT last June and scored a 2180 with a 700 in CR, a 720 in M, and a 760 in W. I'd really like for my CR + M score to be 1500, so I'd like to improve by 40 points each in CR and M. What I'm wondering is how much studying I'm going to have to do to make this slight improvement. In June, I took the SAT cold and I was sorta tired during the test due to the fact that I didn't get much sleep the night before. Now I have a book called SAT victory. Assuming that I get a good night's sleep the next time I take the test, can I get the score that I want by glossing over the material and taking a couple of practice tests or am I going to need to do some additional studying? Also, when should I take the test? I'm taking the PSAT in October and that's really important to me so I don't want to take it before then. I was thinking January. Would that be a good time or would another time be better? Thanks for the help, everyone.</p>
<p>I had very similar scores to you the first time I took the SAT (700 M, 710 CR, 760 W for a 2170 total), and I raised it up to a 2290 the second time (710 M, 790 CR, 790 W), so it's definitely possible. All I did the second time was cram vocab like crazy the week before for CR, and my score went way up. I didn't study for math and I guess that showed because my score stayed pretty much the same. For writing I got the same score on the essay (10) and just got an 80 on MC rather than a 78, so that was just pure luck. I'd say you don't have to do any major studying, just cram vocab if that's a weakness and try to not make careless errors in math (that's what kills me every time). </p>
<p>Also, I'd suggest studying for the SAT retake and taking it in October around the same time as the PSAT. That way the PSAT will probably be easier for you. I didn't study much for the PSAT and my score was way lower than my SAT. If I had actually studied for the SAT before I took the PSAT I think it would've been higher.</p>
<p>I wholeheartedly agree with buminapark about the vocab. Get a list of the 250 most common SAT words and learn them all...I did that and saw at least 10-12 of the harder words tested directly. That might not seem like much but in reality it could mean a fairly large point gain (5 or 6 questions...maybe 50 points).</p>
<p>As for math, do as many practice tests as you can stomach. There are a finite number of types of SAT math problems---within geometry, they only ask a certain number of kinds of questions. The same goes for algebra, statistics, etc. Once you do enough of them, especially in whatever area you're weakest, you start to immediately understand how to answer each type of problem and tend to make fewer dumb mistakes. Don't overdo them though...stop doing practice tests once you feel totally comfortable with all the problems (or if there are still a few types that throw you off, for me it was the harder geometry problems, just pick those out from other practice tests). I did about three tests worth of math sections and am very happy with my score.</p>
<p>I'd suggest doing at least one full practice test sometime in the month before the real exam, just to have in your mind the timing and necessary endurance.</p>
<p>I'd say to take the test in January if you only want to take it once more. Taking it before the PSAT would be good practice, but it might burn you out on standardized tests before the all important NMSQT.</p>
<p>damn you are almost there!
for me I'd say a month of hardcore, daily studying. But once again, since you got a 2100+ on the 1st time you took the SAT's I'd say you probably learn faster than that. Good luck</p>