SAT Preparation Tips: How to Study for SAT Exam?

SAT

Aishwarya Bhatnagar
Updated on Oct 8, 2025 09:03 IST

By Aishwarya Bhatnagar, Study Abroad Expert

There are two ways students prepare for SAT exam - Self-Study or Coaching Classes. Both options have their benefits, and they are equally good with quantifiable benefits. The SAT exam is for undergraduate applicants, right out of high school. SAT preparation tips that will help you in preparing for the SAT exam 2025 include starting early, studying with official SAT practice on Khan Academy, taking at least one full-length practice test on Bluebook, and paying attention to your high school classes. All these methods are free and you can follow them for better practice. We have mentioned the best ways with which you do your SAT preparation effectively along with some SAT preparation strategies that can be followed in this article.

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Q:   How to prepare for SAT for free?
Q:   What is the best SAT prep app?
Q:   How can students prepare to get a good SAT score?
Table of content
  • How to Start SAT Preparation: Initial Tips & Strategies
  • How to Prepare for SAT Exam: Timeline
  • SAT Preparation Section-Wise Tips 2025
  • Best Books for SAT Preparation 2025
  • SAT Preparation 2025 FAQs
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How to Start SAT Preparation: Initial Tips & Strategies

Before going to SAT preparation tips, first you should thoroughly understand the SAT exam pattern. Here are some of the key Digital SAT Preparation Tips which will help you make their preparation strategies for studying.  

digital sat prep tips

Ideally, this should be the strategy to prepare for SAT exam. Let us understand in detail all of these strategies and discuss a few more by the Digital SAT exam format.  

Q&A Icon
Commonly asked questions
Q:   How many hours of study are required to prepare for SAT?
Q:   How to prepare for SAT to crack in one go?
Q:   How can I start preparing for SAT?
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How to Prepare for SAT Exam: Timeline

The following is the SAT Digital preparation timeline for prospective students, who are still wondering how and when to do what before appearing for the newest SAT Digital exam in 2025:

sat prep timeline

This is just to give an idea to students as to how to go about registering on Bluebook, then attempting a mock and when to download their admission ticket for the SAT Digital Exam to be conducted in 2025.

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SAT Preparation Section-Wise Tips 2025

Since the SAT exam is divided into two broad areas of testing - Reading + Writing & Math sections, students registering for SAT in 2025 will have to devise their SAT preparation strategy in such a manner that they cover both areas with conceptual clarity and are able to get enough practice before finally attempting the SAT exam. The SAT preparation strategy can be tailored to each section of the test. There are just a couple of important preparation tips which can help students ace their SAT exam in just one go. Check out the following SAT section-wise preparation strategies and tips to be able to crack the exam. 

Digital SAT Preparation Tips for Reading and Writing Section

This section includes reading and writing areas together and tests around 54 questions in the MCQ format. This section covers areas of Craft & Structure, Information & Ideas, Standard English Conventions and Expression of Ideas. Check out the following SAT RW Section preparation tips to ace the SAT exam:

  • Focus on academic words often seen in arguments and rhetorical questions.
  • Use chunk reading (groups of 3–5 words) to increase words per minute.

  • Practice complex texts from old school textbooks of science, history and also social studies.

  • Train yourself to quickly extract the main ideatone, and author’s intent.

  • Avoid reading “blindly”; instead, know what to find using the right strategy.
  • Helps reduce rereading and improves passage efficiency.

  • Avoid options that fall outside the scope or introduce new information not supported by the passage.
  • Passages can be of two types: one where there will be errors that you need to identify after reading, and one where you need to understand the idea or theme of the passage.
  • Every question is designed in such a way that it tests your grammar, word choice, and sentence structure.

Read: SAT preparation tips: Reading section

Digital SAT Preparation 2025 Tips for Maths Section 

While the Math section of the SAT is the second area, which includes a total of 44 questions, where 33 are MCQ-based and the other 11 require students to produce an answer themselves without choosing from options. SAT Math comprises three sections: Algebra and Functions, Geometry, Statistics, Probability, and Data Analysis. In Maths, there will be two parts; test takers are allowed to use a calculator in both modules. Check out the SAT Math section preparation tips: 

  • Use diagnostic tests also known as mini tests to target specific topics of algebra, problem-solving, geometry, data analysis or others.

  • Practice medium- and hard-level questions, as the digital SAT adapts based on performance.
  • Simulate a digital setting by noting elimination and work neatly on paper for math problems.

  • Know how to add hard questions for review and edit later.

Q&A Icon
Commonly asked questions
Q:   Is it hard to prepare for SAT for Indian students?
Q:   Can I crack SAT by preparing without coaching?
Q:   Is SAT preparation easy for Indian high school students?
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Best Books for SAT Preparation 2025

Many candidates prefer self-study to prepare for the SAT test. With the best books and resources for SAT, you can prepare for the SAT exam on your own. Apart from this, there is online study material for SAT prep is also available which is helpful in preparing for the SAT. Some of the books that can be helpful in covering SAT preparation are as follows:

SAT Reading & Writing Section Best Books:

  • Classical novels, literature, and unabridged books can be helpful in cracking the reading section.
  • Reading is always essential because when attempting SAT RW section, will increase your speed of reading one, and two, and you'll be able to understand the context of the passages wth ease.
  • The Critical Reader: The Complete Guide to SAT Reading, 3rd Edition 

SAT Math Section Best Books:

  • High school textbooks for conceptual clarity.
  • 500 New SAT Math Problems by Dr Steve Warner's
  • 800 Math Workbook New Edition by Dr Jang's SAT

Apart from the above-mentioned resources, students can look for more resources and prepare for the SAT exam based on their previous knowledge and the kind of time they have in hand. 

Still, have more doubts about the SAT? Go through the most frequently asked questions about the SAT preparation FAQs given below for prospective students.

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SAT Preparation 2025 FAQs

Q. I found common options as answer while preparing for SAT. How far is it feasible?

A. No, there is no common answer on the SAT. Each answer choice whether A, B, C, or D are evenly distributed, so, guessing a particular choice (e.g. option B) for most questions will not be the right approach. Even while preparing for SAT exam, students may have come across a couple of questions which may have a common option as answer but this rule may not apply at all times, especially for the main exam day. So please avoid falling into such traps and prepare for SAT based on will and academics. 

Q. How to prepare your child for SAT?

A. Follow these steps to prepare your child for SAT exam:

  • Make him familiar with the SAT test format
  • Tell him to work on his reading skills
  • Use free test prep available online
  • Make a proper study plan
  • After completing the syllabus give practice tests

Q. How to make SAT prep a fun activity?

A. Plan your study time to prepare for SAT exam in such a way that it doesn't seem to be a learning exercise rather it should be a fun activity.

  • Start reading for fun and not just as an exercise every night before sleeping.
  • Play word games to build a strong vocab for this you can read non-fiction books or solve crosswords in newspapers.
  • Watch educational videos regularly.
  • Pick up one topic everyday and discuss amongst yourselves while each member puts in some ideas, at the end there will be enough knowledge on the topic.

Q. Is it easy to prepare for SAT exam in a month?

A. Preparation for SAT in a month may be possible for some but may be a herculean task for others. The previous knowledge is key to preparing for SAT. If the student has a strong background in any of the two sections of SAT or in both sections of SAT, they can easily prepare for SAT in a month because they just have to brush up their skills. However, others not falling in any of these categories will have to buy more time to prepare for SAT exam.

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Comments

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avantika

6 months ago

good morning mam/sir I want to give sat exam in august or after august but I don't see any registration dates do I have to apply for may or there will be more sat exam dates in 2025 for students

Reply to avantika

A

6 months ago

Hello Avantika You will be able to see the August SAT date after June SAT date is over. At a time, only one SAT exam date is available for registration, unlike the previous times when 2-3 dates were given as options. So wait for the registrations to end for June and then you will be able to see the

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Anadishree Singh

9 months ago

Hello Ma'am, so these are the queries which are rising up:- •What are the admission steps required for SAT examination from an Indian student. •Can we actually choose our center for the specific test •how will we know where and at which place will the test be conducted at.

Reply to Anadishree Singh

A

9 months ago

Hello Anadishree! For SAT registrations, check out - https://www.shiksha.com/studyabroad/exams/sat/how-to-register and understand the steps for registration. While registering you will be given an option to choose the area where you reside and you will be prompted with the number of SAT centres avai

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Mahi

10 months ago

what is portion of an sat exam and what are books required to prepared for it if you are india in 11 grade

Reply to Mahi

A

9 months ago

Hello Mahi! If you are in class XI you can begin preparing for SAT exam, by first understanding the SAT exam's pattern and syllabus. You can then pick up books relevant to SAT exam topics that are tested and begin your preparation for the exam. You can check out the details on our page for all the a

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Hrishi Gupta

a year ago

Hello mam, Here's a query rising that, if a I pass my sat exams after my high school completed, will it be too late for applying in a foreign university .I mean is there any time period applying for university . Moreover will u recount me a good platform preparing for my sat exams .

Reply to Hrishi Gupta

A

11 months ago

Hello Hrishi! In case you take your SATs after completing your high school, you can still submit your admission application, without SAT exam scores. A window opens for universities abroad to submit scores within that period, and you can update your SAT scores or score reports can be sent officially

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What if I pass sat in 11? Like what am I suppose to do now? Clear 12 then register for college with my 11 sat marks?

Reply to Ishika Sonthalia

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Hrishi Gupta

a year ago

If you are ready then u can contact me from my instagram account- hogwart_sorting . thank you

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Hrishi Gupta

a year ago

Hey Ishika, Hrishi here; I'm preparing for my sat too but I need a little bit of help about preparation, if u don't mind will you help me for my preparetion too, I mean if we will work as a classmate then it will be helpful for both of us.

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