Jude Magnotti ‘26
EE Co-Managing Editor
Like it or not, tests are a part of life. Whether you are taking a medical examination, a third grade spelling test, or your entrance to the bar exam, every test you take will have some sort of impact –some, far more than others.
For example, if you get a D on that geometry test, that might not hurt you too badly in the long run. On the other hand, if you decide not to study the night before your final college exam and fail, that could result in something as drastic as getting kicked out of college. Funny how just a minute to a few hours spent writing answers down on a piece of paper could potentially determine the eventual course of your life.
In the case of Trumbull High School juniors, they are currently in the process of studying for arguably one of the most important tests of their life: The SATs.
Designed as a potential indicator of success in your freshman year of college, schools all around the country use SAT scores to help gauge their pool of applicants in relation to one another. The higher score you get, the more likely a college is to look on you favorably, even if your other areas are not as strong. The lower score you get, the more likely colleges are to discredit the other things that make your resume respectable. In addition, the SATs are critical in determining how much scholarship money certain schools will offer you to attend their institution (if they offer any at all).
Needless to say, most teenagers and parents alike are well aware of the potential positive and negative ramifications that an exceptional or poor SAT score can have on their college application. While college certainly is not for everyone, the SAT can still be a good opportunity to gain practice for the numerous other standardized tests you will take in your life.
The SAT is graded on a potential scale of 400-1600. The individual sections for reading and writing are both worth from 200-800 each. While the SAT has long been regarded as having a difficult and strenuous subject matter, the recent transition into digital SATs has changed the landscape of how we view the infamous test. With the SAT now being taken on computers instead of paper and pencil, test makers have adapted their tests to attempt to make them more secure and available to people from all backgrounds.
Some of the changes that have arisen from this transition include shorter reading passages, shorter math word problems, a reduced test length, as well as full permitted use of a calculator on the math section. While College Board asserts that these changes are purely for the security and validity of the test, others argue that the for-profit enterprise is purposely making the tests easier in an effort to get more schools to buy their tests.
Either way, this does not reduce the importance of your score and the SAT still holds incredible weight, whether it’s made easier or not. With that in mind, the best way to deliver an extraordinary test performance is to have an extraordinary test study schedule. While many kids begin studying months in advance, even just doing 20 minutes of practice every day just a few weeks before the test date can drastically impact your score for the better.
Similarly, many students schedule 1 or 2 tests outside their school mandated session in order to get the best possible combinations of their scores from each. Personally, I would recommend starting with about 20-30 minutes of Khan Academy practice on both reading and math around 3 weeks in advance. By making it a habit, you ensure that the subject matter is at the bare minimum ingrained in your head so you have a better understanding of the test concepts on the big day.
Furthermore, taking full-length practice tests is a great way not just to get used to the type of question on the SATs, but to time yourself on how long you take to finish. The SAT is indeed a timed test and while many students have accommodations that allow for extra time, most will have to get by without this luxury. Still, concern over time can be a cancer to your test focus and your main priority should be absorbing the subject matter as effectively as possible.
One of the worst things you can do to prepare for this test is to put off all your studying until the night before and pull a cram session. The SAT is NOT a cram-style test like the normal ones you take in school. While it is better than no studying at all, the most effective method is still spaced practice and repetition of the tests key concepts. The night before, get as MUCH SLEEP AS POSSIBLE (at least 8 hours.) Without proper sleep, your brain can not properly function and adjust to the anxiety-provoking nature of the test.
Make time to prioritize your weaknesses and practice your key concepts, figure out how you are going to manage your time on the test, and get as much sleep as possible the night before (or really the week leading up.) These are your THREE MAIN priorities and if you do well enough at each, you might be able to earn yourself a one way trip to the college of your dreams or quite possibly a free to inexpensive education for certain places.
Many students blow off this exam and then wonder why they have 90,000 dollars of student loan debt at a college they don’t even really want to be at. DON’T be one of them. Be concerned about your future, take charge of what you want, and the work you put in on the SATs will help influence the way you put work into your future career and overall your life. We have barely a year left of high school, Juniors, let’s all LOCK IN.
Image courtesy PrincetonReview.com