The SATs are one of the biggest exams in a high schooler’s life. They plague the nerves of even the best test takers and terrorize the minds of parents. But why are they so important?

SATs are the foundation of any college application. They provide colleges a good measure to compare applicants from different high schools, and can help secure scholarships and financial aid for students. Yale, an Ivy League university, has publicly stated, “Students with higher scores have been more likely to have higher Yale GPAs, and test scores are the single greatest predictor of a student’s performance in Yale courses in every model we have constructed.” Simply put, SATs are crucial for teens with ambition. 

When Jun Nakai (a writer of this article) first started taking the SATs, he struggled a lot. The reading questions tripped him up, and he had no idea how to even approach the second module of math. He desperately searched through YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok for tips and tricks. And nothing worked. He continued to crawl on the path towards success, hoping desperately for a miracle, something that could help him break a 1450 score. That was, until he found a few strategies that helped him reach and surpass his target score. 

Reading: 

Annotating seems like a waste of time. Why bother highlighting words when you could just READ the text? But here’s the twist: it works really well. Simple annotations help you track the structure, main ideas, and tone. Marking key arguments and important phrases helps keep relevant information in and the useless bits out. It’s a lot of work to get used to it at first, but the results will definitely show. 

Many SAT influencers and teachers, like Rosemari Nam, recommend Reading the Question First. This might feel redundant and counterintuitive. Shouldn’t you read the article first before looking at the question? Knowing what you’re looking for saves precious time: you only have 32 minutes for 27 questions. Skim the passage for exactly what is necessary and discard the rest.  

Don’t forget to Read the Full Answer, or RTFA. Most students jump to the first option that sounds correct, but the SAT loves traps. The obvious answer often contains something subtly off, while the correct answer feels wrong. In addition, in cases where 2 or 3 answers all sound the same, noticing the small differences could help make the right choice. 

Different questions require different approaches:

• Detail questions: Search for keywords and highlight. Annotating helps find the phrases relevant to the question. 
• Inference questions: Consider what the author implies instead of taking it all literally. 
• Function questions: Why did the author include this? What is its role? 

Michael Ambartsumyan, proud scorer of a 1540, recommended students “prove answers wrong” rather than trying to prove an option right. It’s much better to narrow down answer choices to 1 or 2 that work best for the question than to guess out of 4. 

Writing/Grammar:

The simplest trick is immediately spotting the subject and main verb. It’ll be easy to identify the sentence structure: SV (Subject-Verb), SVO (Subject-Verb-Object), SVA (Subject-Verb-adverb), SVIODO (Subject-Verb-Indirect Object-Direct Object), SVC (Subject-Verb-Complement). 

• Tense check: If the subject is singular, the verb must match. Present perfect? Past perfect? Make a mental note: if it talks about “connecting the past to the present,” it’s present perfect. “Connecting a past event to another past event” is past perfect. (The Critical Reader)
  
• Transition words: These are your clue detectives. Words like However or But signal contrast between sentences or ideas. Words like Therefore, Thus, or Consequently point to cause-and-effect relationships. Paying attention here prevents subtle logical errors.
  
• Modifiers: Always ensure modifiers (words that change the meaning of the sentence) are close to what they’re describing. Misplaced modifiers are a common SAT trap.

Math:

Math can feel like a battlefield if you’re not organized. Here are some key strategies to help it go smoother:

Plug in numbers: For variables in tricky algebra or word problems, pick simple numbers to test the equation. It often reveals the answer faster than algebra alone.

Backsolving: Start with the answer choices and work backward to see which one fits the problem.

Do the questions on paper. Even though the SAT is digital now, jotting down your steps and calculations on scratch paper helps prevent silly mistakes. Writing things out keeps your train of thought clear and reduces the chance of sign errors or skipped steps that can quietly sink your score.

Desmos magic:

• Graphing functions: Quickly visualize lines, quadratics, and inequalities—especially useful for intersections, roots, and transformations.
  
• Check answers: Input equations to verify solutions or confirm intersections when you’re unsure.
  

Desmos is a tool, not a crutch. Use it to confirm your work, not to replace your brain. You should be able to solve problems by hand first, then use Desmos as a quick accuracy check. Relying too heavily on it can actually slow you down. Chris Chung, a sophomore who scored 1530 recently. said, “Don’t abuse Desmos too much. Do everything by hand first. Master understanding the equations before taking the test and using Desmos.” 

Getting a high score on the SAT isn’t just about being smart. It’s about working hard to maximize scores and pushing limits. It’s difficult to start habits, but like all things in life, with practice comes perfection. A 1400 or more is achievable with hard work and smart strategies, like the ones Jun used before taking his test. Practice a lot! Take your practice tests, review incorrect answers, and exploit the question bank on the College Board. These resources will definitely help you reach and surpass your target score.