<p>I'm going to be a junior next year. I plan on taking the SAT's in January but I really want to get a great score on my PSAT's (so I'm treating that like my first SAT)... should I be timing the practice tests that I'm taking right now.... or should I wait until late August/early September to begin doing that?</p>
<p>Help!</p>
<p>Now – who knows how busy you will get this fall. Son’s hs gives PSAT to all underclass students every year and he went up 32 points (made nat merit commended) just by taking LOTS of timed practice tests before jr year. Never hurts.</p>
<p>The most efficient way to study is to learn all the SAT specific strategies and to practice individual problems for a little time each day. You only need to do a few timed practice tests before the actual exam. The purpose of practice tests is to make sure you are implementing all the strategies you’ve learned under timed conditions. Make sure you periodically do any problems you get wrong until you can get them right on your own.</p>
<p>I, similar to you, am entering junior year this fall. When preparing for the SAT, you should begin by completing diagnostic/practice exams without timing yourself; however, I still recorded the time that it took me to complete each section so I can pace myself accordingly during the timed test.</p>
<p>When you feel acquainted with the material on the SAT, time yourself according to the allotted time for each section.</p>