when is the best time to take an sat prep course

by Zora Hickle IV 6 min read

We recommend taking your first SAT or ACT test as early as your schedule allows. If you plan to take both tests, plan to take them in consecutive months for the most efficient prep. Comprehensive prep courses can start as many as 8 to 10 weeks before the test.

When should you take SAT prep course?

First, any SAT prep course should come with plenty of time before the date of the test—ideally, a few months. Secondly, the best time to take your SATs is in the fall.

What is the best month to take the SAT?

Most high school student are advised to take the SAT in spring of their junior year and the March SAT test date is a big favorite of many college counselors.

What time of the year is the SAT the easiest?

Try to take the SAT in August, October, or November. These three test dates should have little trouble getting your scores to colleges in time, assuming your earliest deadline is somewhere around January 1.

Should I start studying for the SAT in 9th grade?

Freshman grade is the perfect time to start prepping for the SAT/ACT, reinforcing concepts you need to know, and taking official practice tests. If you're having trouble getting started, remember that you'll be doing Future You a favor.

What month has the easiest SAT?

The June SAT was considerably easier than any of the other 14 new SATs that have been released. The June SAT was much easier than any of the 50 released old SATs that Compass has documented. The June SAT was even easier than any of the 8 new PSAT/NMSQTs College Board has given!

Is it better to take the SAT in May or June?

We recommend taking the SAT for the first time in the spring of your junior year and again in the Fall before college application deadlines. Most students who retake the SAT raise their score, and some students even take it more than twice.

Is it better to take the SAT in November or December?

If you take the December SAT, you'll be cutting it much closer, although many schools do still accept scores from this test date. However, the November SAT is the final test date where you can be absolutely sure you'll make regular decision deadlines. If you're a junior, you'll have time for multiple SAT retakes.

What percentage is a 1480 on the SAT?

A score of 1480 rocks. You're a top one percenter now. It places you in the top 99th percentile nationally out of the 1.7 million test takers of the SAT entrance exam. The score indicates you've done an exceptional job answering the questions on the Math and Evidence-Based Reading & Writing sections of the test.

Which SAT test is the hardest?

Since it has the hardest scale for both sections of the test, it should come as no surprise that we think Practice Test #3 is clearly the toughest official SAT practice test.

Is Khan Academy enough for SAT?

Unfortunately, the Khan SAT program doesn't go far enough in its skill division. As of publication date, the Reading section and the rhetorical skills part of Writing are NOT divided into skills. These are important sections, and I'll explain more below.

Is 1100 a good SAT score for a 9th grader?

The more competitive your dream schools are, the higher your target score should be. On the other hand, you can expect your scores to increase as you go through high school. For that reason, if you're a sophomore, 1300 is a good score, while a freshman should be very pleased with scores of 1200 or higher.

How effective is Khan Academy SAT prep?

We're excited to announce today that studying for the SAT for 20 hours on Khan Academy's free Official SAT Practice is associated with an average score gain of 115 points. That's nearly double the average score gain compared to students who don't use our free test prep.

When is the best month to take the SAT?

Many experts recommend taking the SAT in the fall or spring of your junior year and then again in the fall of your senior year. The specific month...

How many times should you take the SAT?

Ideally, you should plan to take the SAT at least two times. The second time you know what to expect and can fill in any knowledge gaps by studying...

Can 10th graders take the SAT?

You can take the SAT during your sophomore year. However, in 10th grade, you're likely still learning information that will be on the SAT. A better...

When Should You Take The SAT?

Before you decide when to start studying for the SAT, first you need to figure out when you'll take the SAT. Given the content on the SAT and the c...

When Should You Start Studying For The SAT?

Working backwards from junior fall, it’s good to start studying at some point during sophomore year for a longer, less intense plan or the summer a...

Where Do You Want to Go to College?

The length and intensity of your study plan will strongly depend on your college goals. If you’re looking to go a decent in-state school, there is...

How Much Do You Need to Study For The SAT?

How many hours you need to study for the SAT depends on how large a point improvement you want to make. You'll determine this by figuring out the d...

What’S Tested on The SAT?

In this section we go over the major topics you'll be tested on in each of three main sections of the SAT. You can use this information to figure o...

The Bottom Line: When to Start Studying For The Sat

We recommend you take the PSAT (or an SAT practice test) sophomore year to get your base SAT score. Then, figure out your target SAT score based on...

Take It As A Junior

It is recommended that the SAT is taken no later than June of the Junior year.

Reality

Anyone who has lived with a high school Junior knows this is one of their busiest years, not only academically but in athletics and school involvement.

Check The Calendar

The calendar will clearly show you when you will have time to most importantly prepare and take the SAT.

Check College Admission Due Dates

College Admission due dates will also help you decide the best time to take the SAT.

Parents Help Out

Parents need to get involved in helping the student manage all this information, and it will take a steady hand at the helm to guide them through the uncharted waters of meeting deadlines.

Parents, Talk To Your Child

Outside of buying a calendar today and mapping out the high school years, have a discussion with your child.

When should I start doing test prep?

The key is to look at the calendar, select the best test date for you, then count back 6 weeks, that’s when the test prep begins.

Before a course, see how you score on the PSAT

Do your best on the preliminary SAT (PSAT) and see what score you achieve without a test prep course. You can also complete two or three full-length practice tests and check your current abilities.

Taking a prep course before your second or third SAT attempt

You may also decide to take a course after you’ve failed on your first or second attempt because now you know you need to go all in. Just make sure that the course won’t collide with the college application process. Take it long before the end of your senior year.

What to do before signing up for an SAT prep course?

Keep the right timeframe in mind. SAT is administered 7 times a year (September, October, December, February, April, June, and July), and you have ample time for three attempts during your high-school years. So you have a lot of time!

Twelve months is too far away from the test date

There’s no point taking an SAT prep course twelve months before you plan to pass the test. This will only dilute your efforts and you won’t remember as much.

Conclusion

There’s never a perfect time to take a prep course because it all depends on your individual situation. Is it your first attempt to pass the test? The second one? What’s your baseline score?

When Is the SAT? 2021-22 Dates and Deadlines

The College Board offers the SAT seven times per year in August, October, November, December, March, May, and June. There are also SAT School Days in October, March, and April. The deadline to register is typically about a month before the test date, so it's important to plan ahead.

When to Take the SAT: 5 Critical Factors

Five critical factors should play into your decision on when to take the SAT. These include how much time you need to prepare for test day, additional commitments, how many times you plan on taking the SAT, and college application deadlines.

Frequently Asked Questions About When to Take the SAT

Many experts recommend taking the SAT in the fall or spring of your junior year and then again in the fall of your senior year. The specific month you choose depends on your outside commitments. Keep in mind that most students spend 2-3 months preparing for the SAT.

Compare your school options

View the most relevant school for your interests and compare them by tuition, programs, acceptance rate, and other factors important to find your college home.

How many hours do you need to take the SAT?

As a high school junior, you've completed over 20,000 hours of schooling and homework. An improvement of 200 or more points requires a serious retooling of your knowledge and skills.

What happens if you start studying for the SAT too early?

If you start too late, you won't get the highest score you're capable of. But if you start too early, you might struggle because you haven’t learned all the necessary content yet, plus you could forget things by the time the test rolls around.

What colleges require a high SAT score?

If you’re aiming for highly selective colleges like the Ivy Leagues, Stanford, and MIT, getting a high SAT score is extremely important. Definitely plan to take the PSAT as a sophomore to see how you are shaping up to do on the SAT.

What are the reading sections of the SAT?

All questions on the SAT Reading section are based on passages with set topics. There will be one US or world literature passage, two history/social science passages, and two science passages. You will need to be able to read and understand the passages and then answer multiple-choice questions about them. The literature passage can use especially complex language, so you have to be able to break down complex language in a short amount of time -- five passages (and 52 questions) in 65 minutes, to be precise.

What is the target score for SAT?

For example, if you’re hoping to get into the University of Kentucky, you should set your target SAT score at 1130 for the new SAT, which is their average SAT score for admission. Take the SAT junior fall.

How many points do you need to improve on a test?

If you're looking for a small improvement, like 50 points, you can do this by optimizing your testing strategy and possibly even just by retaking the test. But for serious improvements, 200 points and above, you likely still need to learn a lot of fundamental content.

Do you need to study calculus for the SAT?

You don’t need to worry about pre-calculus or calculus concepts on the SAT. However, SAT Math will require you to work through story problems and real-life scenarios, with some science and social science concepts thrown in as well. This is why extra studying for the SAT Math section is very important.

How many hours of prep for SAT?

A much better baseline to use is 40 hours of prep. In this case, every hour can substantially help you. By contrast, a full-on, supercharged study regimen, like a boot camp, is closer to 100 hours. Here is a chart of possible SAT study times. Especially good combos are marked with an asterisk:

How long before SAT do you have to take practice tests?

Taking official practice tests. Finally, these are the things I don't recommend doing until at least two months before your test: Getting used to the SAT format with multiple practice tests. Doing one or more dry runs so you can get used to the length (and fatigue) of the test.

What happens if you pick a date early?

If you choose a date that's very soon (i.e., less than a month before the test), you won't have as much time to study or rearrange your schedule. (On a related note, picking a date early also means avoiding having to pay late registration fees .) Furthermore, pick a date that doesn't have much going on around it.

How long should I study for the SAT?

Ultimately, you have to give your brain adequate time to retain new SAT concepts! So try to study, at a minimum, at least two weeks before your test. A month or longer is, of course, even better.

Should I study hard for the SAT?

In your SAT study plan, there are some skills I don't recommend studying hard until you're closer to your test date. Study them too early and you're more likely to forget them!

How many hours do I need to prepare for the SAT?

130 – 200 points increase. Minimum SAT preparation time of 80 hours. 5 hours – 4 times a week. 4 hours – 5 times a week. 3 hours and 20 minutes – 6 times a week. Buy Proper SAT Preparation Materials: Candidates questioning how to prepare for SAT in one month are required to purchase the best SAT preparation books.

How long should I study for the SAT?

The answer to ‘how long should you study for the SAT?’, according to experts, is around 3 months. In these three months, candidates will be able to learn the approaches, SAT exam pattern, score, and also tips and strategies. They will also be able to know the number of SAT full-length practice tests they should take.

What do I need to know before taking the SAT?

Before starting with SAT preparation, candidates have to find a suitable study approach. They will be required to understand their method of studying, know their target SAT score, SAT preparation materials, and also hours of study they can devote.

What is the SAT score required for a scholarship?

The SAT score required for SAT scholarship is quite high. If you’re planning to apply for SAT scholarship then you might have to score higher than even the average SAT cut-offs. The SAT scholarship score requirement rises up to 1500, therefore, requiring more SAT preparation time. Note the difference between the initial score ...

They can be expensive

today i’m remembering about how my parents scrimped and saved to send me to a sat prep class, and drove me three hours to take an expensive exam for international colleges i applied to, and shelled out maybe $1k for the college applications.

There are other alternatives

Get your own free, personalized SAT prep at https://t.co/Yb7kYIY8aP. #SATPractice pic.twitter.com/2sfHwN4ugW

There are different types of SAT prep courses

It’s a wrap on our 7 Week Group SAT Prep Course! We wish our students all the best! Contact us for info on our cour… pic.twitter.com/UgP9PPfL6q

What is SAT prep?

SAT prep courses are a great way to learn new material and refresh yourself on old material. Some factors to consider might be your budget, learning style, and self-discipline. SAT prep courses will help identify strengths and weaknesses, simulate the actual test, and provide a study plan.

How does SAT prep help students?

SAT prep courses will help students become more comfortable taking the SAT by offering strategies and test taking tips. The more comfortable a student is with the material and concepts, the better the student will do when taking the SAT. Determining your best approach to preparing for the SAT can be tough.

How much does Magoosh cost for SAT prep?

Magoosh offers one of the most affordable SAT prep courses available on the market. Their courses range from $100-$129 with the biggest difference being the amount of time student get access to the course.

What is eprep SAT?

ePrep is an online test prep company. ePrep offers different options of SAT prep to their students – express, standard, and premium. We will focus on the premium option. Premium comes with 6 full-length practice tests, 28 practice quizzes, 112 video lessons, WordSmith vocab builder, and a 250-point improvement guarantee. Student get access to the premium course for 6 months.

What is a prep expert?

Prep Expert is our choice for most comprehensive SAT prep course. Every instructor teaching an SAT prep course with Prep Expert has scored in the top 1% of the SAT – you know you are getting the best of the best in terms of instructors.

What are the benefits of taking SAT prep classes?

Benefits of an SAT Prep Course. Score improvement – the top SAT prep courses will guarantee a score improvement of 100 points or more. Simulates actual test – the online exams included in an SAT prep course do a great job of simulating the real SAT.

Why do undergraduates take SAT?

Many undergraduate programs also use SAT scores to determine scholarships and academic financial aid. SAT prep courses are a great way for students to refresh their knowledge on multiple topics while also learning new material.

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