The SAT exam is one of the most important high school academic achievements necessary for college applications. The SAT exam can make or break a student’s chances of getting into their dream university; it is because of this that it is important to be well prepared for such a tremendous feat. Many resources are available to help students equip for the test and many staff members are willing to help these students succeed.

There are many test dates throughout the school year. According to the College Board, registration for the test takes about 30-40 minutes after creating an account, but this is not meant to be a deterrent. The registration process walks through majors, interests, and accomplishments to help the student get connected with the schools best suited for them. The image above shows the dates and deadlines for 2018-19 SAT tests as provided by the College Board.

Planning and timing are vital to a student’s success on the difficult exam. Dr. Spaid, junior/senior guidance counselor, reports: “If a student has been studying and utilizing the online tools and products – they could take it anytime from the beginning to end of junior year.”

Junior year is the time that most students take the exam, but the classes best equipped to help students succeed are College Algebra and English 10 Pre-AP. These two classes are typically taken during sophomore year and entail the bulk of the material that is presented on the test, suggests Dr. Spaid. She also explains that any weighted class taken by juniors and seniors would benefit students and their scores.

Some ways to prepare outside of the school are initiatives that must be taken at the student’s liberty. Dr. Spaid and the College Board offer that online test prep sites like Khan Academy are the best ways to gear up for the SAT outside of school. Students can also have hard-copied study sessions with the PSAT and study guides and books, which can be found on Amazon. This studying can be spread over a larger portion of time, rather than spent preparing for the test only once.

With each test usually taking about 4.5 hours, studying for a couple minutes a day can be useful for students in each of their attempts. Dr. Spaid also claims that the test that usually costs around $50 or so, as provided by the College Board, can be taken for a free or reduced price if a student’s family income qualifies for a fee waiver.

She elaborates further that a student almost always does better on the test the second time, which is helpful because many schools still have score-based acceptance. SAT exams are used for applications, scholarships, and other programs for higher education and should be taken with confidence and with a vast amount of preparation in mind.