nadira berman

mock sat tests: how to stage the perfect practice exam

mock sat tests are important for a number of reasons. they should be an integral part of your sat studying. these tests not only familiarize you with the test format, they also allow you to practice your skills. you can see where your strengths are and where you need to improve.

mock sat tests become more useful when you take them in realistic test conditions. the better the conditions, the better the learning experience. and better learning results in higher scores!

create a classroom setting for your mock sat test

timer- mock sat test -magoosh

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make sure the room is quiet and there are no distractions. if you are taking the practice test at home, let your family know that you are not to be disturbed. it’s helpful to have a clock in the room. you’ll also need a timer of course. make sure your phone is off and any sat prep materials are out of the room. you don’t want any temptation to cheat.

it’s also important that you are in a good mental state to take a practice test. if you’re tired or hungry, you won’t be getting a realistic simulation of test day. you won’t be performing your best.

be thorough

it helps to be as thorough as possible on your mock sat test. a lot of practice tests even allow you to practice filling out the personal information you’ll have to provide on test day. this will help to familiarize you with the experience of taking the test. on the day you take the sat, you’ll probably be nervous, so knowing what to expect can help calm you down.

simulate the full sat

timer- mock sat test -magoosh

take the whole practice test at once, not just certain sections. use strict timing and take only the scheduled breaks you would have on the actual test. bubble in the answers instead of just circling them, as this affects your timing.

you may be tempted to be a little lax with yourself when you’re simulating the test conditions, but remember that you want a realistic idea of what your score would be. you won’t get a realistic representation if you don’t accurately simulate test day.

take only one mock sat test in a day

do not take more than one test in a day. the sat is long, and it will tire you out. if you try to take another practice test, you won’t be able to do as well as you would if your brain was fresh. if you’ve been focusing for nearly four hours straight, you’ve earned a break from testing for at least a few days.

author

  • nadira berman

    as a summer marketing intern, nadira is excited to help high schoolers prepare for the sat and act. as a freshman at the university of pennsylvania, she is considering studying economics. in her free time, she reports for the school newspaper and styles photo shoots for the school’s fashion magazine. besides fashion and journalism, her passions include bagels, smoothies and netflix.

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