<p>I took the SATs for the first time in June, and with no preparation scored in the 1800s. Obviously not very good, and I know I can do MUCH better. </p>
<p>Except for a few questions, I found most of the test to be very easy. My biggest problem was definitely time management and not answering nearly enough questions. (I've always been a slow test taker, during my state's standardized testing last year, I was the last one done in the entire school, and the second to last person finished about 1.5 hours before me)</p>
<p>So, my question is, will taking a different full length practice exam once until October be a sufficient way of studying? It would 14 practice tests total. </p>
<p>I'm thinking that this should help with my time management, but there were some questions that I genuinely did not know how to solve.. how do I study for those?</p>
<p>It wouldn’t hurt, but, for me, I know that once a week would not be that helpful. I would study daily(do practice tests and workshop questions) until you reach a stage when you can almost guarantee yourself your target score under simulated test conditions (time limits etc.). When you reach this stage, then you can make your review less frequent (i.e weekly)</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Stick with actual College Board tests. (I know I say that all the time, but OP sounds like someone who is ready to invest serious time. Hate to see that time wasted with fake tests.)</p></li>
<li><p>COMPLETELY review and understand any wrong answers before taking the next practice test.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>You got 1800 cold – doing even one test every two weeks from now to October should see your score leap up.</p>
<p>^ Agree. You have to thoroughly understand why you missed each question when you practice. You might be better off alternating weeks – take the math portions of a test one week, the work through all the missed problems. The next week do CR/writing multiple choice, and do the same. If you want to practice essays, you probably need a “reader” who can review them and tell you how to improve (you can’t really judge your own essays, it just doesn’t work).</p>
<p>My kid also did flash cards of pretty much all items she missed, and studied them before each test attempt. There was one that said “Don’t be stupid rat!” that she just put hash marks on for dumb mistakes. It was covered by the time she actually tested. But she had a lot of flash cards for how to do certain math problems, and some on grammar rules. She also made a list of possible sources for essay question examples (books, historical things, etc.) so she had some at top of mind when given a new essay question.</p>
<p>Every Saturday I am taking an SAT practice exam from the Collegeboard SAT book 2nd edition. With this practice exam, I devote my following week to review EVERY question on the practice exam I took on Saturday.</p>
<p>Monday: I devote that day to just the Math portion of the SAT exam I took on Saturday. I go over every incorrect and correct answer, understanding why I got certain questions wrong and right. I go a step further and write explanations in my own words. You should catalog this so that when you review, you can observe your patterns. In patterns, I mean certain mistakes you make and certain skills you have already mastered. Once you go over EVERY question, look at past SAT practice exams that you took and look at how you take the test. Observe carefully where you spend more time and where you can cut more time. Once you briefly review your past exams, do extra problems on areas you need help with until you master it. </p>
<p>Tuesday: Take a break, do summer reading (what I’m doing), or hang out with friends. </p>
<p>Wednesday: Do the exact same thing you did for Monday except devote that day to the Critical Reading section of the SAT exam you took on Saturday.</p>
<p>Thursday: Take a break. Do whatever.</p>
<p>Friday: Do the exact same thing you did for Monday and Wednesday except focus on just the Writing portion of the SAT exam you took on Saturday.</p>
<p>Sunday: Take a break.</p>
<p>As you can see, you take a practice exam on Saturday and you devote the next Monday, Wednesday, and Friday to review every question. This way you understand your mistakes and you can overall improve your score. It’s very IMPORTANT to devote just one day to one section. Good luck!</p>
It was covered by the time she actually tested. But she had a lot of flash cards for how to do certain math problems, and some on grammar rules. She also made a list of possible sources for essay question examples (books, historical things, etc.) so she had some at top of mind when given a new essay question.</p>