Digital SAT Do’s and Don’ts
A strong SAT score can really help your college applications stand out. While it’s not the only factor colleges consider, a high score demonstrates mastery of the important subject matter, as well as hard work and dedication. So, how can you achieve a high score? Practice!
Here are some Digital SAT do’s and don’ts.
First and foremost…
Do: Take the Test!
With many universities currently test-optional, students wonder whether the SAT is worth the effort.
It may be tempting to skip SAT or ACT. It is added work after all. However, the data show that admissions officers value test scores.
Look at the numbers from 2023. Notice the overwhelming majority of admitted students submitted scores. This trend bears out amongst most schools. While it is difficult to find details on the relative acceptance rates of students who submit scores versus students who do not, it appears that students who submit scores are admitted at significantly higher rates.
Additionally, several top schools—including Dartmouth, MIT, Harvard, and Yale—are now back to requiring test scores, with more universities following their lead. These schools noted that test scores are an important factor in admissions and that test-optional policies discouraged some less-advantaged students from submitting test scores that would have helped their applications. Dartmouth noted, “the use of SAT and ACT scores is an essential method by which Admissions can identify applicants who will succeed at Dartmouth…Under an SAT/ACT optional policy, many high-achieving less-advantaged applicants choose not to submit scores even when doing so would allow Admissions to identify them as students likely to succeed at Dartmouth and in turn benefit their application.”
For more information on navigating test optional policies, check out our blog post, Do I need to take the SAT and ACT? A Guide for Students and Families.
Bottom line: take the test. And take adequate time to prepare.
Don’t: Expect quick gains
Some students think they can raise their scores by hundreds of points in just a few weeks. Plenty of people on the internet promise a quick path to 1500 with just a few “tricks and tips.” But if it were easy to get a 1500, everyone would do it.
Raising your score significantly is absolutely possible, but it can take months of dedicated work.
So, how do you practice for the SAT?
Here is our recommended method for studying:
1. Take a full-length practice test. Taking a full-length practice test is the best way to familiarize yourself with the SAT and see what you need to work on. You’ll want to mimic testing conditions as closely as possible, so complete the practice test in one sitting, taking only the breaks allowed during the real test.
2. Review your results. After completing the practice test, evaluate your performance. What went well? What could have gone better? Review any questions you missed, skipped, or flagged, and then read the answer explanations and make note of any concepts you need to review.
3. Do targeted practice. Focus on the areas you identified in step 2. First, review any concepts that you struggled with. Then, learn some strategies to help you tackle the question types that give you the most trouble. Finally, do some targeted practice, focusing on the areas you want to improve.
4. Repeat! Take another full-length practice test to see how you’ve improved and what you still need to work on. Practice the areas that need more work. Keep repeating steps 1-3 until test day.
Dedicate some time every day to practice and set aside a few hours every 2-3 weeks for a full-length practice test (if your SAT date is coming up quickly, you might want to take a practice test every week).
For the Math section…
Do: Learn how to use Desmos
Students can use a calculator on the entire Math section. In fact, the Desmos Graphing Calculator is built right into the testing application. While you are allowed to bring your own approved calculator, it’s still a good idea to learn how to use Desmos, just in case something happens to your calculator during the test.
Besides, Demos is a great calculator and a powerful tool for the Math section. For many questions, inputting functions into Desmos can be an effective shortcut or a great way to check your work.
But don’t become overly dependent on the calculator! Based on feedback from students who have taken the official test, Desmos isn’t always be a reliable shortcut for the more difficult problems.
Also…
Don’t: Forget to read the instructions for the student-produced response questions
Student-produced response questions make up 25% of the Math section. These questions can be tricky. Not only do they require you to come up with your own answer, but there are also specific rules for formatting fractions and decimals.
For example, if the correct answer is one-third, you can enter 1/3 or 0.333 or .3333. But if you enter .333, you will get the question wrong.
Familiarize yourself with these instructions ahead of time, and reference them during the test to be extra sure you’ve entered your fractions and decimals correctly.
For the multiple-choice math questions…
Do: Use the answer choices
For Math multiple-choice questions, take a look at the answer choices before you start to solve. At the very least, they will give you a sense of the correct format for the answer and often provide clues on how to solve the problem.
Sometimes you can even plug the answer choices directly into the equation in the question to see which one is right. Not all SAT Math questions can be solved like this, but this method can save you some time on some of the more straightforward questions, so that you can spend longer working out the more complex questions.
Speaking of more complex questions…
Don’t: Forget that you can plug in values for variables
Some math questions on the digital SAT are are quite abstract with a lot of variables. For example, this question from our practice exercises has three variables and a lot of exponents:
While you can certainly solve this problem with more traditional methods, you can also pick values for a, b, and c.
Pick numbers that are easy to work with. For this problem, let’s start with a = 1, b = 1, and c = 1.
Suddenly the exponents don’t matter, and the expression in the question becomes 1 (1 +1) = 2.
Plug a = 1, b = 1, and c = 1 into the answer choices and you get:
- A = 1,
- B = 1,
- C = 2
- D = 2
So, you can very quickly eliminate answer choices A and B.
Now, what happens if a = 2, b = 1, and c = 1? With these values, both the expression in the question and answer choice D equal 516. Whereas, answer choice C is equal to 262,144.125. Choice D is correct.
A word of caution with this method: as you can see, sometimes the values you pick will work for multiple answer choices (especially if you choose 0 or 1). So, make sure you test all of the answer choices. If you’re left with more than one possible answer, pick another value to test.
For the Reading and Writing section…
Do: Learn punctuation and grammar
Punctuation and grammar rules are straightforward. About 26% of the Reading and Writing section tests your knowledge of “the conventions of standard English.”
Learn them, and you’ll breeze through the Standard English Conventions questions and leave yourself time for the tricker reading questions.
Know the proper usage of:
- commas
- semicolons
- colons
- dashes
Make sure you understand:
- verb forms
- subject-verb agreement
- pronoun-antecedent agreement
- subject-modifier placement
- plurals, possessives, and contractions
To help you master the Standard English Conventions questions, check out our Guide to Digital SAT Grammar and Punctuation.
Next…
Do: Come up with your own answer before looking at the answer choices.
On the Reading and Writing section, the wrong answers are designed to trick you. In fact, they are called distractors. It’s easy to talk yourself into choosing an incorrect answer choice that seems plausible.
Coming up with your own answer to the question first is a great way to defend against distractors. If you have a solid idea of what the right answer should be before reading answer choices, you are less likely to be swayed by an incorrect choice that seems plausible.
On a related note…
Don’t: Pick a correct answer without eliminating incorrect answers.
Evaluate the answer choices against the answer you came up with and eliminate anything that isn’t 100% correct. This mentality will help you avoid the traps set on the Reading and Writing section. Besides, it’s easier to look for wrong answers than correct ones because every question has three wrong answers and one correct!
Bottom line, don’t assume an answer choice is correct because it’s partially correct. Partially correct is wrong.
Speaking of false assumptions…
Don’t: Assume short = easy
The passages on the Reading and Writing section are short, but that doesn’t mean they’re easy. These passages test high-level reading comprehension and grammar, which means that they can be quite challenging.
In these short passages, every detail matters. The difference between a correct and an incorrect answer could be one word.
Take this Words in Context question, for example.
Viewers of digital special effects would not find cardboard cutouts “brilliant” or “astonishing.” Cross those off.
Between “minimalistic” and “rudimentary”, which is correct?
We can’t use “minimalistic” (simplistic, ordinary) to describe the earlier special effects because the text calls them “inventive” (creative, imaginative.) The answer is “rudimentary” (basic, fundamental.)
One word, inventive, makes the difference.
While short, SAT passages are known for their complexity and specificity.
Speaking of complex questions…
Do: Answer hard questions last
When you encounter a question that you don’t know the answer to, come back to it later. It’s not helpful to dwell on the hard questions because it takes away time for other questions.
When you skip a question, your brain will subconsciously think about it as you work through the other questions in the module. When you come back to the question again, you may have a new perspective.
But even if you don’t, you can still make an educated guess without sacrificing the time needed to complete the rest of the module for the sake of one question.
As you think about the answer choices…
Don’t: Use outside knowledge.
Outside knowledge refers to what you learned at school, at home, on social media, or any other knowledge not in the text in front of you.
Test makers trick students by providing answers that seem logical or similar to what they’ve learned but aren’t confirmed by text.
Take this question from our platform, for example.
You might assume that experts are “skilled” forecasters. However, the text states the opposite: experts suffer from a bias that leads them to ignore evidence and make flawed predictions.
Everything you need is in the text in front of you. Don’t go outside of it.
And finally…
Do: Practice!
Practice is key to SAT success. But it doesn’t have to be limited to SAT materials. Read books, articles, and short stories. In non-fiction texts, outline the key ideas. In fiction texts, summarize each chapter. Do your math homework. Read articles with quantitative analysis. Articles about the economy, scientific studies, or even sports statistics can be a great way to build your data literacy.
Of course, take advantage of practice SAT materials, too! Test Innovators has 10 full-length, adaptive practice tests and over 1,400 additional practice questions.
A high score will take a lot of work, but it is possible!
Start preparing for the digital SAT today!
Nikita Kostyuk
Nikita is a tutor and a member of the content team at Test Innovators who specializes in creating reading and writing content for our practice tests. He has been tutoring for over 8 years. As a first-generation American born to Eastern European parents, Nikita especially loves working with ESL students and students from immigrant backgrounds.
Originally published on May 28, 2024. Updated on October 4, 2024.
