As a senior student, you will have to take and pass dozens of tests on your last year of high school or secondary school. But one of the most important exams you need to take and pass is the SAT.  This is because your SAT score will have a direct impact on all your plans after high school including your choice of college or university, course, and scholarship eligibility.

Attending regular SAT test prep classes and reviewing well for the exam are great ways to ensure you will get a high score. However, following other relatively unknown tips and tricks will also help you prepare better and boost your confidence that will allow you to perform better on your test.

Below are some of the most important additional tips and tricks you need to keep in mind when preparing for the SAT:

1.    Start reading more nonfiction materials

SAT has several sections designed to test your reading skills. You will have to read and understand long and dense paragraphs in an hour.

However, you don’t have to worry too much about the questions at the end of each text. Experts say they are relatively straightforward and easy to answer. But if there’s one thing you should worry about the reading part, it should be about your brain running out of energy when you get to this section.

 To prepare well for this part of the SAT, read lots of nonfiction books and other forms of literature as part of your test preparation routine. This is because there is a high chance that majority of the passages you will read will be nonfiction.

A typical high school reading curriculum tends to lean mostly towards fiction. To prepare your brain for reading nonfiction passages, read newspapers, magazines, or the biography of a popular politician or important historical figures.

 By reading a lot of nonfiction before exam day, your brain will be primed for reading fact-based text in the test and won’t get exhausted or bored easily.

 2.    Practice using the calculator you will bring to the actual exam

To maximize your efficiency on the actual SAT test day, make sure you bring a calculator you are familiar with. This means using only one calculator during your review classes, practice tests, and on the exam day.

When you follow this tip, you will know how to use the functions you will most likely to encounter on the SAT test. You won’t have to waste time pressing different functions to solve certain equations.

In addition, practice jotting down the steps or functions you used on your calculator on paper. This way, if you get an answer that is not among the options, you can follow the same steps, know quickly where you went wrong, and try to get the right answer on your second try.

Lastly, replace the batteries of your calculator a day before the exam and check if it is working properly and if it is ready for use.

3.    Be an expert in mental math

There is a math section on the SAT wherein you won’t be allowed to use a calculator. You will save a lot of time doing equations with your pencil by knowing the basic mental math skills.

 These include knowing the multiplication tables from 1 x 1 to 9 x 9 by heart. You also have to know the most used tricks for dividing and adding large numbers and finding the percentage of numbers.

In case you won’t be taught these tricks in school or in your review classes, go online to learn them.

4.    Know and practice the most useful test-taking strategies

When reviewing for the SAT, make sure you know the best, most effective test-taking strategies which you should apply on the actual exam day.

These include:

• Using the process of elimination to choose the best answer if you are stuck on a question
• Not leaving any questions blank
• Answering the easy questions first before proceeding to the harder ones on the math test
• Skim-reading
• Answering questions as you take the writing and language test

5.    Don’t overstudy

Lastly, although you really want to get a high score on your SAT, you shouldn’t spend more than three hours studying per day. This can lead to a brain overload. In addition, you will end up overworking your brain which will leave you feeling mentally exhausted.

As such, don’t forget to take frequent breaks whenever you study on your own. This will allow you to let the information sink in and give your brain the rest it needs. Aside from eating a snack during these breaks, consider playing your favorite sport for 15 to 30 minutes since this will help you focus and retain information better when you resume studying.

Although these tips and tricks are easy to follow, don’t make the mistake of ignoring them. They will go a long way in helping you ace your SAT exam.

AUTHOR BIO

Maloy Burman is the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Premier Genie FZ LLC. He is responsible for driving Premier Genie into a leadership position in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Education space in Asia, Middle East and Africa and building a solid brand value. Premier Genie is currently running 5 centers in Dubai and 5 centers in India with a goal to multiply that over the next 5 years.

The world is changing and getting more competitive each passing day. Things around you are all changing for the good. However, there will always be certain things that remain the same through ages. One of them being stress management just before exams.

A small amount of stress is obvious just before a big exam. It can give you the push to try harder and be more effective. It brings in the urgency in such moments when you can’t spare to lose a minute. But at the same time, extreme amounts of stress can lead to serious fatigue and inefficiency. It’s easy to lose your rationale when your brain is stressed. It releases a chemical called Cortisol which hampers the way you think. Chances are high you would end up doing something completely irrational. Additionally, the cloudiness in your brain will make you skip things you already know. This can be a major disaster while you are in the exam hall.

There are very few things more disheartening for a student than realizing that they can’t recall something they know. Personally, I have had spent in numerous tearful nights because of the same. There’s a good reason you should be sparing some time understanding how not to stress up before exams. Believe me, this small investment in time will help you focus better and be more productive later.

Here are 5 great tips on surviving the exam stress:

1.      Decide upon a realistic routine and stick to it-

There’s a good reason your parents and your teachers ask you to follow your routine. It’s pretty understandable to be curious and try to be different and unique. However, exam times are not ideal for you to be experimenting probably. Having a routine that is in accordance with your habits, like sleeping patterns and food habits etc., will help you stick to it. This trains your brain to function accordingly without any confusion.

Be organized and de-cluttered to be more calm and peaceful. This will make you feel more sorted. Take help of dairy, journals and visual aids to plan your day and to-do lists.

2.      Do not get bothered by how your approach is different from others-

Each student is different from the other. Something that works for your friend doesn’t necessarily have to work for you. A simple example is, waking up early in the morning to study is a great habit but is not everyone’s cup of tea. Instead of trying desperately to wake up every morning stick to what works for you. Remember, it’s important to have a routine and structure, irrespective of how it is. Usually, students get disheartened when unable to follow a certain thing that works for most. It wise to understand that it is the consistency and the sincerity that helps in scoring well and not how a certain student decides to revise.

3.      Practice meditations and exercise and eat healthy-

Yes, health is the last thing in your mind when exams are around. This is a mistake most students do. How you perform depends greatly on your physical and mental health. Meditating slows down your mind from all the hundred things running simultaneously. It gives you the break to organize your thoughts and plan well. Exercising give u an adrenaline rush as it pumps blood faster. This gives a boost to you and a rush that is helpful during stressful times. It also shifts your thoughts for you to focus better later.  It also fills your mind with endorphins which make your more content and satisfied.

You can’t focus on your studies properly when you are suffering from the flu or are having acidity issues. The best studying happens when both mind and body are at peace and ease. This is why you should keep yourself full yet light. Try to avoid heavy and greasy food during such times. This inner stress can otherwise pump your stress levels further. Also including the right foods can help you concentrate and memorize better.

4.      Avoid social media-

This is the era of digital media. It’s extremely important to be aware of what’s happening around you in this age. This makes it obvious to be alive on social media at all times. It’s hard to fight the urge of looking at your mobiles even during the deadliest of hours. And once you are at it, it’s hard to notice how fast time passes. You know the drill, don’t you? It’s common for most students to keep extending their social media usage time and then regret it later. The same thing is repeated the next day. It an addiction which is hard to give away.

Question yourself each time you have the urge to check social media, what is at stake? You might end up flunking a paper and realizing it’s only you to be blamed at the end of the day. Do not let social media control you. This can be more frustrating. Allocate a certain time between your breaks for social media. This is a trick that allows you to perform without its interference. Make sure you only check social media during those allocated times only, while keeping it away rest of the time. Reward yourself with a treat when you successfully manage to do it.

5.      Remember to be confident and take the break you deserve-

Confidence comes from within and can drive miracles. Once you have revised your lessons well and are already halfway through, you know you can ace your exams. This is the feeling of confidence and clarity. This allows you to plan better and smartly. It’s a good feeling to contemplate how far you have come from where you had begun. Believing you can do a certain thing makes it easier to do the thing.

Give yourself a break when you feel confident and remember not to overdo it. Do something of your liking, like grab a cup of warm tea, watch Netflix or write to relieve stress.

All the very best for your exams. I don’t see any reason for you to be stressed, its well within your control. There’s no point crying over spilled milk, meaning stress hasn’t ever helped anyone score well. Start afresh and be confident about your new innings. Remember, there’s a fun world waiting for students, outside as a reward.

Mary Jones is the co-founder & editor-in-chief at TopMyGrades and focused on Content Marketing Strategy for many clients from Education industry in US, Canada & UK. Mary has conducted a series of webinars for  Assignment Essay Help on how to use their Essay Writing Services. She has intensive content editing experience and, also has worked with MSNBC, NewsCred & Scripted. She has also authored blogs on Lifehack.org, Wn.com, Medium.com, Minds.com and many more digital publications.