Tips for the SAT Compiled from College Board, ACT, and Student Feedback

No matter how prepared your students are for the SAT, it can happen to anyone: the last-minute test day mishap. Forgotten photo ID, alarm malfunction, the dog ate my admission ticket... the list of mistakes that just don't have to happen goes on and on.

Of course, you probably can't call each of your students the night before. That's why we've created a printer-friendly handout for students with a checklist of last-minute reminders to review the day before the test.

Before you know it, it'll be 8:30 Saturday morning and you'll be sitting in the test center with an SAT test book in front of you. As your SAT test day draws near, be sure to review these last-minute tips to help you do your best.

The Day Before

• Gather up everything you're going to need for the next morning. You don't want to be stuck frantically searching for your admission ticket just before you rush out the door. You'll need the following items:
  • Acceptable Photo ID
  • Your SAT Admission Ticket
  • Two sharpened No. 2 pencils
  • A calculator with fresh batteries
• Write down the directions to the test center. Make sure you know how to get to your test center and how long it'll take you to get there.
• Check to see if your test center is open. Especially if there is bad weather in your area, tune into your local media (like you do for school closing announcements) or visit www.collegeboard.com on the Friday before the test to make sure your test center is open.
• Be well-rested and ready to go. Get a good night's sleep the night before the test.
• Set two alarms—one in your room and one in someone else's room, in case you hit the snooze button one time too many.

The Morning of the Test

• Eat breakfast. You'll be at the test center for four hours and you're likely going to get hungry.
• Bring snacks. You will get a short break at the end of each hour of testing time. You can eat or drink any snacks you have brought with you during these breaks. A healthy snack will go a long way toward keeping you alert during the entire test.
• Have your SAT Admission Ticket and acceptable Photo ID ready. You will need your admission ticket and photo ID for admission to the test center.
• Bring two No. 2 pencils and a soft eraser — a pencil is required for the multiple choice questions and the essay. Mechanical pencils are not allowed. Pens are not allowed.
• Arrive at your test center no later than 7:45 a.m. Don't risk getting locked out because you're 30 seconds late. Give yourself plenty of time to get to get there. Consider traffic, weather conditions, flat tires, and anything else that could slow you down.

During the Test

• Use breaks to eat or drink any snacks you have brought with you. You will have several breaks during the test. Use them to relax and eat a snack so you can stay focused.
• Work only on the section you are supposed to be working on. You're not allowed to go back to a section once that section has ended. You also can't start the next section if you finish a section early.
• Do easier questions first. You earn just as many points for easy questions as you do for hard ones.
• Make sure you use a No. 2 pencil on the answer sheet. It is very important that you fill in the entire circle darkly and completely. If you change your response, erase it as completely as possible. It is very important that you follow these instructions when filling out your answer sheet.
• Use all of your time. Students around you may close up their test books and rest their heads on their desks, but you know better. Go back to review problems you weren't quite sure about the first time. Or, if you skipped any hard problems use the time to try to work them out.
• Stay positive and focused. Keep your mind on your work, not your score.
• Try not to worry about whether you "nailed it" or "blew it." It'll be a long couple of weeks if you do. Know you did your best—and celebrate. You deserve it.

Good Luck!