Hey kids! The August SAT is creeping up like that one teacher who always calls on you when you’re half asleep. Everyone has their own “secret tips,” so I’m here to share mine — short, tested, and definitely better than your cousin’s “just guess C” plan. I’ll share these in parts, so stick around — I promise they’ll actually help you walk into the test cool, calm, and ready to crush it.
1. Rhetorical synthesis = free points
These are the easiest points you’ll ever get — if you do them right.
When you see bullet points or extra notes, don’t panic and don’t waste time reading every single line like it’s a novel.
Look straight at the question and figure out exactly what it wants (similar? different? main idea?). Then pick the answer that matches it word for word.
Don’t overthink — this is not the time to add your own ideas.
The test-makers basically give you the answer if you stay laser-focused.
It’s free. Take it.
2. The passage hides everything you need
Ignore what you think you know. Pretend the topic is brand new.
Every single answer must come only from the passage — not your memory, not your guess.
Reading tests you on what’s in the text, not on common sense.
If the passage says the sky is pink, don’t pick blue — pick pink!
3. Keep your brain awake
Paraphrasing while you read keeps you focused — no more reading the same line ten times.
Highlight big ideas, circle keywords, or jot quick notes if it helps you stay alert.
If your mind starts drifting, don’t worry — that’s why breaks exist!
Use break time to stand up, walk around, stretch, grab some water, or eat a snack — wake up your body so your brain wakes up too.
A few minutes moving beats sitting there half-asleep. Come back fresh and ready to tackle the next section!
4. Grammar is a tool, not a trap
Grammar is your helper — not a trick to trip you up.
Learn the basics well: colons, semicolons, dashes, commas — know when to use what, and why.
Don’t just guess where a comma “looks nice.”
Example:
- Colon → adds details or explains something.
- Semicolon → connects two related ideas that could stand alone.
👉 How to get better?
Do small practice sets — just 5–10 sentences at a time.
If you get one wrong, don’t just mark it — stop and ask: Why is this punctuation here?
Fixing your own mistakes now means you’re less likely to repeat them on test day.
And hey — don’t wait until SAT season to fix this.
If your grammar’s weak, start improving it six months before the test.
A little progress every week beats panicking at the last minute.
A little progress every week beats last-minute panic.
5. Don’t waste time re-reading
Lots of students run out of time — SAT or AP, same problem.
The trick for reading fast has never been to read the same thing twice. It’s always: Read once, but read smart.
Think of the test like a football game — if you plan it well, even the smallest player can score big.
Most questions? Spend about 45–60 seconds each — don’t get stuck!
If you’re blanking out, take your best guess, mark it, and move on — you can always come back if you have time left.
6. Transitions matter (but don’t show off!)
Words like however, meanwhile, thus, moreover — these link ideas together.
Use the right one. Pick the wrong one, and the whole sentence falls apart.
This is not the time to show off fancy words you’re not 100% sure about.
The SAT is not your chance to prove you own a thesaurus — it’s about clear, simple, correct choices.
Stick with what you know is right — save the big words for your college essays!
7. One answer — no “kinda right”
This isn’t your English class. There’s no “maybe.”
One answer is 100% right. The others? Wrong.
Trust that. Millions of kids take this test — you need the same answer they do.
The SAT is not the place to argue, “Well, this word could mean that too…” — nope.
No “also,” no “maybe.”
No matter how much you try to convince yourself, there’s always just one right answer — that fact never changes.
So trust the passage, trust the question, and pick the one that fits exactly.
8. If you can’t spot what’s wrong, you won’t know what’s right
Don’t just look for “which one seems best.”
Look for what doesn’t fit:
Does it miss the point?
The more you cross out, the clearer the real answer gets.
If you can’t see why an option is wrong, you’ll never feel fully sure about which one’s right.
Train yourself to hunt for mistakes first — wrong parts jump out, and the right answer basically waves at you.
Is it off-topic?
Does it bring up random stuff?
9. Some mistakes should never happen
Catch the bad phrasing, wrong tenses, or mismatched subjects.
Example: They was → ❌ → They were → ✅
These simple fixes add up to easy points.
Tiny slip-ups like mixing up its and it’s, forgetting subject-verb agreement, or throwing commas everywhere — these are points you should never lose.
Slow down just enough to catch these. Easy points. No excuses.
10. Your brain’s a muscle — use it!
Don’t just read tips — use them.
Do quick timed sections, talk through your answers, check your mistakes.
A little practice every day beats cramming at the end.
And yes — you can get better at this!
Your brain works just like a muscle — the more reps you do, the faster and stronger it gets.
Practice builds “muscle memory,” whether it’s sports or studying.
If you just sit and watch other people dance, you’ll never learn the steps.
If you keep your mouth shut when learning a language, you’ll never speak it well.
Same thing here: do the work, test yourself, mess up, fix it — that’s how you level up.
withVal 