Elevate Your Potential: Effective Strategies to Increase Your SAT Score by 200 Points

Earning a high SAT score can significantly increase your chances of getting into the college of your dreams. If you've taken the SAT and earned a less than desirable score, that does not mean that you need to give up hope. Raising your SAT score by 200 points may seem challenging, but with a focused approach and consistent practice, it is entirely possible.

Setting the Stage for Success

The first step you need to take if you want to increase your SAT score between administrations is to set a goal or a target score that you want to reach. To be most competitive, you should aim to be in the upper end of the range, or even above it. If you’re aiming for a 200 point score increase, an extra hour or two of studying is not going to cut it. Even if you already have a high score, you are going to want to dedicate several weeks to consistent SAT studying and review to drastically improve your score.

The Importance of Effective Studying

It is important for you to study effectively in order for you to see your score increase. Likewise, if you take practice quizzes, but fail to review your answers and learn from your mistakes, you are not making the most of your study time. The key to improving your SAT score is to learn why you miss the questions you missed so that you won’t miss them in the future.

Leveraging Resources and Strategies

While taking an SAT prep course or working with a private SAT tutor are two of the best ways to make sure that you are ready to improve your SAT score the next time you take the test, you can also benefit from trying what I call the 1,000 Question Rule.

Targeted Practice and Resource Utilization

As long as you have a dedicated plan, and you use only the best resources, you can improve your points by as much as you want. They take your past scores and set up your practice so that you can practice specifically what you missed on your last test, and you can also take full timed practice tests. It's helping me get used to following the time limits and approaching the questions the right way.

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The College Board touts its partnership with Khan Academy-for good reason! Students who use official materials have a significantly better experience than those who do not. You can find seven official SAT practice tests available at Khan Academy.

Identifying Strengths and Weaknesses

Maybe you’ve already earned an incredible score on the SAT Math section, and the colleges on your list are superscoring the SAT. Maybe your SAT Reading score is impeccable, but you need a significant boost on the SAT Math section. Find what way you best study/review and keep on taking practice tests. If you find that you're better at the reading portion then try getting better at the math portion and visa versa.

Know and address your weaknesses. Are you solid on math content, but struggling with time management? Vice versa?

The 1,000 Question Rule

The SAT is one of those tests where the best preparation is the test itself. Take notes on what confused you, questions that you found difficult, and concepts or sections that were harder than you anticipated.

Mastering the SAT Sections

Prepare for each subsection.

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Math Section Mastery

You will encounter Heart of Algebra questions, Problem Solving and Data Analysis questions, Passport to Advanced Math questions, and Additional Topics in Math questions. Math often makes the difference between a good and a great score. Practice under timed conditions, review your answers carefully, and strengthen your understanding of Algebra, Problem Solving, and Advanced Math concepts. Avoid careless mistakes and learn to perform calculations without a calculator for the no-calculator section.

Memorize key formulas. Do you know the quadratic formula by heart? What about the Pythagorean Theorem?

Key Math Content Areas

Heart of Algebra: Linear equations, systems of linear equations, and the relationships between them. Linear equations always involve two variables that change according to a consistent pattern.
Problem Solving and Data Analysis: Application of ratios, percentages, and proportional reasoning. For these questions, you’ll need to demonstrate your ability to create and use a model and to understand the distinction between the model predictions and data collected.
Passport to Advanced Math: Complex equations and functions typically needed in STEM-based careers.

Reading and Writing Strategies

Don’t be afraid to answer questions out of order. Contrary to popular belief, questions on the reading section are not in order of difficulty. Feel free to start with the easiest questions first. For the Reading section, answer easier questions first and leave harder ones for later. Focus on comprehension, main ideas, and efficient time management.

Brush up on your grammar. Do you know how to fix dangling or misplaced modifiers? Are you confident about fixing run on sentences or incorrect comma placement? Can you identify a comma splice? Eliminate wordiness and redundancy. On the writing and language section, you will see questions requiring you to make a sentence more concise. For essays, analyze high-quality examples, practice structured writing, and review thoroughly before submission.

Implementing Effective Study Habits

Some general advice before we dive into our tips: the quality of your studying is more important than how long you study. Many students believe that if they sit at a desk for several hours that they're being productive. In reality, long, unfocused, and forced study sessions actually hurt your performance.

Generally, the sweet spot to begin studying for a test is somewhere between 4-12 weeks in advance. Do you have time to practice every day? Depending on the answers to these questions, you may increase or reduce the amount of time you're dedicating to studying. If you're reviewing over the summer, you may be able to condense your prep into a matter of weeks, not months. No matter what timeline you're working with, take the time to establish a schedule. Consistency and structure are key. Create a schedule that covers all SAT sections: Reading, Writing and Language, and Math. Depending on your availability, dedicate specific days to different subjects and reserve time for full-length practice tests.

Collaboration and Diverse Study Methods

This tip is most effective if you're a competitive person. Working with someone else might inspire you to work harder. If you're not a competitive person, there are still many benefits to working with a partner. Not every student retains information the same way. We always recommend that students take the time to identify the ideal study approach or to speak with a tutoring expert to learn what works for them. It's also important to switch up how you study.

Proven Study Techniques

Spaced Repetition: Studying in 25-30 minute intervals, followed by a short 5-10 minute break. This approach allows students to stay energized and break their studies into more manageable pieces.
Flashcards: Flash cards are a creative way to test your knowledge.
Teach Someone Else: This approach is simple, but effective. In short, this approach encourages the individual who is learning a concept to explain the concept, in their own words, to someone else. Why is this effective? It allows you to take complex concepts, simplify them, and understand them in a way that makes the most sense to you. Many students struggle with their studies because they are focused on memorizing rather than comprehending.
PQ4R Method: PQ4R stands for: Preview, Question, Read, Reflect, Recite, and Review. This approach is great if you're looking to improve your reading comprehension skills. By taking breaks in between your studying sessions to question what you're learning and reflect on your findings, you'll walk away with a better understanding of what you're reading.

There are plenty of helpful study approaches out there, many of which can be a tremendous help to any student who is looking to improve their SAT score.

Overcoming Test Anxiety and Utilizing Available Resources

We hear many students say that they have “test anxiety.” It is a real phenomenon, and it’s one that can be addressed. We talk with students about managing their stress and turning anxiety into excitement. We view these tests as a performance of sorts-and many of our students are performers, whether in athletics or dance or drama or music. The reality is that tests are not going to go away, especially if you go to college or want to become a certified professional (a nurse, doctor, lawyer, psychologist, even a driver). Test anxiety can hinder performance, so practicing mindfulness and stress management techniques is important. Treat each test as a performance and approach it with calm and confidence.

Exploring Additional Resources

There are tons of free study materials available to help with SAT studying and preparation, but knowing where to look for high-quality materials is important. Many study guides have been self-published online by students with little more experience than you. No matter how much content knowledge you study, you need to know the format of the test and how it assesses this knowledge in order to be successful.

You might perceive SAT tutors as a privilege that not everyone can afford, but there are options out there to suit almost any budget. Sometimes, an SAT tutor can simply be a mentor, teacher, or guidance counselor who has helped to coach other students through the SAT in the past. You can also find paid tutoring services available locally, or online. If cost is a concern for you, you may be able to find pro bono tutoring services in your area, or apply for a scholarship with a larger tutoring company. Alternatively, some local tutoring companies also offer pro bono tutoring services to students who qualify. You can search for opportunities near you by conducting an online query with the terms “pro bono SAT tutor” and your city name.

AI tools can support your prep by creating practice questions or explaining complex concepts. Do not rely solely on these tools for answers. Instead, use them as a companion to reinforce learning.

Reading Widely for Vocabulary Enhancement

Do you like the NY Times, Washington Post, or LA Times? Great, pick them up and start reading analytical articles from any section. More into the sciences? Read National Geographic magazine or a science blog online. See a word you don’t know? Even better! Look it up, use it in a sentence, and make a flashcard for it. Project Gutenberg: A free, curated collection of classic texts in the public domain. Jane Austen? Check. Shakespeare? Check. Kurt Vonnegut?

Analyzing Your Score Report and Identifying Error Types

There is a ton of valuable information in your score report. Once you’ve recovered from the initial excitement, take a few moments to review it. In particular, pay attention to your subscores. Try to identify areas in which your performance could be improved. Your goal is to get as specific as possible.

While your score report will indicate which content areas are most in need of improvement, they will not reveal the specific kinds of error to which you’re most susceptible. If your score on your practice test is dramatically higher than your score on the actual SAT, you probably fell victim to test anxiety. There are many ways to conquer this, but the good news is that test anxiety generally diminishes on its own with subsequent testing experiences. The more you take the SAT, the more familiar you’ll be with the format, and the less you will be affected by test anxiety.

If your score is similar on the practice test, you will need to evaluate your mistakes. Careless mistakes are the ones that seem obvious as soon as you review the question. Content knowledge gaps occur when you are lacking some of the basic skills or knowledge to understand the questions at hand.

Strategic Guessing Techniques

No matter how difficult any question on the SAT is, you will have a 50% chance of getting it right if you can eliminate two of the answer choices. It’s likely that, all studying aside, you will encounter at least one or two questions where you will need to make an educated guess during the test. If you really have no clue about how to solve a problem, try working backwards from the answers. See if there are any answer choices that you can immediately rule out.

Think of it this way: A completely random guess of the four answer choices has a 25% chance of being correct. If you can eliminate one more answer choice, you suddenly have a 33.3% chance of guessing correctly. And if you can eliminate yet another choice, you’ll be up to a 50% chance of guessing correctly. If you have absolutely no idea at all, use the “Answer of the Day” strategy: just pick a random letter, like “B,” and consistently put that down for questions where you can’t eliminate any answers.

The Bigger Picture: Academic Index and College Admissions

Selective colleges use a metric called the Academic Index (AI) to represent the strength of applicants’ grades and test scores. If your AI is too low, a school may not even review the rest of your application. That’s why it’s so crucial to have a strong academic profile. With our free Admissions Chances Calculator, you can clearly understand the impact of your SAT scores on your application. This calculator will let you know how your score stacks up against other applicants’ and let you know whether or not you should apply test-optional.

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