With the long-awaited SAT getting closer, feeling nervous is more than normal. Even if you’ve put in the work and practiced plenty, it’s easy to freeze up on one tricky question and start doubting everything.
“Have I studied enough?”
“Can I still do more with the little time I have left?”
Now, just stop for a moment and take a deep breath. You’ve already done enough! Still, there are a couple of things you can go through before the test day. These last-minute tips won’t cram new knowledge into your brain, but they will help you be more confident. Keep reading!
1 Give Your Brain a Break and Get a Good Night’s Sleep
When the SAT test date is just a sleep away, it can feel like you should squeeze in every last second of prep. Maybe one more full-length practice test, or a few more SAT Math questions under timed conditions, right?
Well, that’s not a good idea. The night before the exam is not the moment to learn a brand-new Math formula or do tons of full-length practice tests. You had enough time for that, and you did well already.
In fact, doing that might backfire. Trying to force more information into your brain at the last minute can cause even more stress. This, in turn, can affect the most important thing — a good night’s sleep.
So, don’t give yourself a dose of extra pressure! There is no reason to study hard on the pre-exam day. On the contrary, your main goal is to stay calm and at ease. That’s why don’t go beyond a quick, light review. This will give you better chances of doing well on the SAT test day.
You can review some of your weakest areas, but don’t cram and don’t overdo it. You have to go to bed early. You need to be in your best shape on the test day, and nothing delivers it better than proper rest.
Once you get a good night’s sleep, the SAT exam will seem a lot easier.
Source: Texas Institute for Neurological Disorders
2 Prepare Everything You Need
Avoid the stress of rushing around in the morning and looking for everything you need. Any small extra stress (like forgetting where your ID is) may affect your focus.
So, what exactly do you need?
- Get your admission ticket and a valid photo ID first. These are non-negotiables. Without them, you won’t even be allowed into the testing room.
- Bring your testing device with the Bluebook™ app on it. Make sure it works and is fully charged.
- Prepare pencils, a calculator, and your own watch.
- Consider bringing a sweatshirt — test centers can be unpredictable in terms of temperature. Layers will help you stay comfortable so you can focus.
- Add some snacks, bottled water, or juice.
Note: If you aren’t sure whether you can or can’t bring something, consult the official College Board website.
Besides, don’t forget to stretch or walk when you get a chance to gather your thoughts and get some blood flowing.
And eat a nutritious breakfast — you have to maintain steady energy. This one’s simple: fuel your brain. A solid breakfast helps you concentrate and improves stamina. It will keep you from getting hangry halfway through the Reading section.
If you are well-prepared for all these small things, congratulations! Now, you are ready to answer questions without any extra stress. Even from a neuroscientific point of view, to properly focus, your brain needs as few distractions as possible.
3 Know Where You’re Going and Leave Early
Double-check your test center address and figure out how long it’ll take to get there. Even better, drive the route a day or two before.
Again, you don’t need to add more tension to an already stressful event.
Set your alarm, and add a backup alarm too. Then, plan to leave early. It is important to arrive at least 30 minutes before the test begins. Rushing into the building with seconds to spare is not the mental state you want on your test day.
4 Review Strategy, Not Content
You don’t have to learn or relearn linear equations or obsess over incorrect answers from your last practice test. It is better to focus on your test-taking strategies. For example, you can ask yourself the following questions:
- How will you manage your remaining time?
- What will you do when you’re stuck between two answer choices?
- How can you avoid getting tripped up by obviously wrong answers?
Surely, you know well what has worked for you during SAT prep. Maybe it was the idea of skipping questions you’re unsure about, just to return to them later. Or reading the question stem first in the SAT Reading section to save time.
In any case, you can review these test-taking strategies and actually prepare to use them.
You can “scan” some of the most important notes on each section. Focus on what you know, not what you wish you had more time to study. You are already well-prepared, so trust yourself and stay calm.
In theory, you can take one practice test, but you don’t have to. It won’t change much at this point. Instead, you can remind yourself of the test format and go through some fundamental concepts if needed.
If you’ve been using Acely or any similar tool to prep for standardized testing, you can answer a couple of practice questions there. It won’t hurt, as they tend to use 15-minute study sessions. But don’t overdo it, really.
One of the best last-minute SAT tips is to go after the bigger picture. Don’t look into details anymore — you are already prepared. You’ve already done a lot to improve your SAT score. So, take it easy and believe in yourself.
There is no need to improve anything the day before.
5 Stick to a Familiar Routine
Before the new big event, many people tend to switch their routine. Is it a good idea, though? Well, not really. That’s why we had to mention that it isn’t one of those effective last-minute SAT tips.
Psychologically speaking, changing your routine means more stress for your body. And you don’t want any unnecessary anxiety before the test day.
So, for example, if you like having tea or coffee in the morning, don’t change that. At the same time, if you have never done it before, there is no reason to start now. You don’t know how caffeine might affect you before the exam, so stick to your routine.
Conclusion
Don’t worry too much about the wrong answers on the SAT test date. One mistake won’t ruin the entire test for you. Every great SAT strategy includes the possibility of wrong answer choices because it’s okay to make mistakes. But stressing over that makes no sense, as it may affect your time management or make you score lower.
Ultimately, you should aim for some stress-free time before the SAT test day. That will help you remember information better and get more correct answers.
If anxiety starts creeping in during the test, pause. Breathe in for four seconds, hold for four, breathe out for four. This simple strategy can help you reset and focus.
Good luck — you’re more ready than you think you are!
