How to Score 99th Percentile on the SAT

Whether it’s your first time taking the SAT or you’re a seasoned veteran with multiple tests under your belt, the SAT is not an easy barrier to hurdle. As someone who has improved his score a lot, I am offering advice to students just starting to prepare as well as these working towards getting those last couple points.

1.      Use the SAT Question Bank or another good resource to build your understanding.

Helpful resources are a lot harder to find than ineffective resources, which are scattered all over Google. Personally, I did the questions on the SAT Question Bank, a resource developed by College Board to help to find old SAT/PSAT questions, but I have also heard good things about Khan Academy SAT Prep, which partnered with College Board to create a free and structured curriculum.   

2.      Take all the full-length practice tests on Bluebook once you’ve gotten a solid understanding of the test.

Approach these practice tests with the same seriousness you would show on the SAT. Don’t be on your phone or listening to music while doing the practice tests, then excuse the bad scores. It’s true that the practice tests tend to be slightly easier than the actual SAT, but they are probably the closest thing to the test itself.

3.      Don’t lie to yourself about what you know.

It’s easy to excuse a question that you got wrong without thinking about it twice. It’s more difficult but important to always read the explanations for the correct answer. For students who already have a solid understanding of all the concepts, reading the explanations will help you pinpoint the exact flaws in your thinking. Knowing exactly why you got a question wrong will help you score those last few points on the SAT.

4.      Take every SAT test you take seriously.

Don’t study for a week and hope you “get lucky.” Admittedly, this was my mistake too: I took my first two SATs to just see what I could get. Some students choose to take the SAT many times, yet they only put in just a couple days of studying before every test. Not only does this waste a lot of time, but you will also forget a lot of information between tests. Study for at least a few weeks for every SAT test you take. Try to get that target score with just a few tests (or even one!), not through hoping you can improve with minimal studying each time.

5.      It’s just a test.

No matter how you do on the SAT, it won’t matter in a few years. It’s not worth sacrificing sleep the night before trying to get the last few points on the SAT. Study well, but don’t overstudy.