The SAT in Pleasanton is one of the major college standardized tests to consider especially if you plan to go to a good college and would like to earn scholarships. Like many goals, getting a high score on the SAT takes a lot of hard work and patience. You’ll want to leave plenty of time in order to throw yourself into lots of studying and practice.

Here are a few simple but effective studying tips to score well on the SAT:

1. Take the practice test
If you want to know how you’d fare on the actual test day, take a legitimate SAT practice test booklet under the conditions that simulate the actual testing atmosphere. Make sure to find a quiet place, turn off your phone, and use a timer.

After that, now check your practice scores — they will be your guideline to help you build a study plan based on the areas that you need to improve. Do you want to focus on brushing up your vocabulary skills? Are you still confused by the mathematical equations? Do you need to polish your reading and comprehension capabilities? Your overall performance on the practice test will tell your weaknesses as well as your strengths.

Taking practice tests will also help you gradually ease the jitters that you would have experienced for the first time once you actually enter the testing room. Along the way, lots of studying and practice will help to slowly build your confidence aside from the additional testing skills you will have gained.

And it’s not that all. Taking practice tests will help you manage your time as if you were taking the actual exam. Because of this, you will be able to monitor your progress and do the test practice at your own pace.

2. Practice online
Preparing for the SAT online may not replace the tangible prep lessons and practices, but this may make a good addition to actual prep instructions or private tutoring lessons. Students with loads of extra-curricular activities or part-time jobs outside the classroom may find it difficult to schedule a class lesson in-between, so online course prep makes for a good bet to these situations.

3. Enroll for an in-person SAT prep class
If you find it hard to focus on your online studies during weekends, you can sign up for a prep class, held in a good old-fashioned classroom setting — complete with an instructor or a SAT expert, in-class seatwork, lots of homework, and other related things. It could be held either in small groups or bigger classrooms. If you sign up for such a prep course in your own school, you might expect your own teachers to preside over your class.

The great thing about practicing in a real classroom environment is that you will be able to focus on your studies, accomplish assignments, be provided with tips and strategies by your instructors which will keep you ahead of the curve, and keep track of your own progress — those things which you may not find by using an online prep course.

4. Practice in the summer
Summer usually means vacation for most students, but to you, it may also mean grabbing the opportunity to start practicing for the SAT. You may sign up for in-class instruction, hire a tutor, or simply start hitting the books and practicing by your own.

The SAT also offers exam dates during the summer season so this is the perfect chance to take the real test, experience an actual test environment, and show your test-taking skills. It’s recommended that you should take the August SAT as a senior. This will leave you with much time to improve your performance in case your score falls below your expectations. You may re-take the SAT during the winter break, or in the spring the following year — it’s up to you.

Yes, preparing for the SAT means hard work, even if that means sacrificing most of your summer fun. But if you get high scores it may help you qualify for scholarships or tuition money. If you receive them, all the hard work will be handsomely paid off.

If you are not also bound with fast-approaching school deadlines but are too financially limited to afford a regular in-house prep class or a tutor, online prep courses may be a good solution.

5. Hire a private tutor
If you have the resources to afford a private SAT tutor, you can do so for a more focused, personalized, and customized learning.

Some of the great things about having a private tutor include face-to-face prep sessions, on-the-spot response, and feedback as well as a personalized approach that will fit your learning style. For example: if you have mastered a particular subject but you need to work on another, your tutor will adjust to the study plan accordingly.

Private tutoring is also recommended for students who are bound with schoolwork and impending deadlines, making scheduling for a regular prep class close to impossible. Hiring a competent, experienced private SAT in Pleasanton tutor is ideal if you also want to set a more flexible practice plan, especially amid your busy school schedule.