How much time do I need to prepare for the SAT?

The SAT Exam requires sufficient preparations for students to achieve their desired scores. Many high school students taking the SAT for the first time need to take multiple practice tests to make sure they understand where they stand at the beginning of their preparations and what they would need to do to reach their dream SAT score.

The SAT is available to Indian students every year, but there are specific months in which the SAT can be taken. For instance, the General SAT can be taken in March, May, October and December. This is done to give students sufficient time to prepare for the SAT alongside their school curriculum, alongside which the students prepare for the SAT. Similarly, the SAT Subject Tests are conducted in June and October only for students who are specifically looking to apply for subject-specific courses at colleges/universities in the US and Canada.

Generally, SAT preparation is most effective if a student prepares for it around 2 to 3 months before taking the exam. Having a well-structured and realistic study plan and dedication to the allocated study time are very important factors toward achieving a good score on the SAT. This involves self-preparation and taking mock tests to assess oneself at various stages in the preparation. Ideally, students in Class XI have as many priorities, in addition to preparing for the SAT as the students in Class XII. These include taking the Board exams, appearing for English Proficiency tests such as IELTS or TOEFL (which is a requirement for a number of universities for the US and Canadian visa applications) and providing drafts of Statement of Purpose (SoP) for college applications, etcetera.

Therefore, TC Global recommends students to begin with their SAT preparations from Class X onwards so that they can lay a strong foundation for it. However, it is a good starting point to take mock tests from time to time to see where you stand in terms of your score. Perhaps, you may consider SAT coaching to improve your scores on the SAT. Some students are able to score well even after commencing preparations in class XI and XII.

There are some things students must keep in mind while preparing for the SAT:

SAT Study Time

You need to assess how much time it would take you to be ready for the test day by assessing your study time. SAT prep is essential to scoring well on the SAT and therefore, must be an integral part of your preparations during high school (Class XI and XII). Ideally, you should not study for the SAT for more than 2 hours per day, given that you start preparing for the exam at least 3 months prior to taking the SAT. It helps to follow a structured approach to time management and revising critical components of the SAT that you feel require more of your time and attention. For students looking  to score above 1450, it is essential to take multiple mock and practice tests until they are confident of achieving their target score

Desired Score v/s Current Score

Another way to assess the time you may require for the SAT is to compare your current score (from mock tests and practice tests) with the desired score that you wish to achieve. This would help you prioritize sections that you feel require more attention and focus on improving section-wise score instead of focusing on the overall SAT scores. For instance, if your current score is 1300 and you wish to score 1400+ on the test day, it is advised to prepare for the SAT at least 3 months (2-2.5 hours per day) before the test date to ensure that you reach your dream SAT score.

Colleges and Scholarship

It also helps to boost your preparations before taking the SAT to assess the required or recommended SAT scores at the colleges that you wish to study at. This exercise is particularly important for first time test-takers and students who wish to study at highly reputed colleges that demand SAT scores over 1450. Identifying the colleges that accept your level of SAT Score will also help you target scholarships at such colleges, which are primarily based on your overall SAT score. You need to take multiple SAT mock tests to identify your weaknesses and the then work towards converting them into your strengths. This exercise, when done with discipline and hard work would yield higher SAT scores. Perhaps, you may also consider joining SAT coaching to improve your scores.

At TC Global, you will benefit from highly personalised and student-focused SAT coaching where you identify your weaknesses and with the help of the coaches, work towards improving your SAT scores with regular dialogues, unlimited doubt clearing sessions, mock tests of different levels and tips and tricks for better SAT scores.

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