HOW TO USE A SAT PRACTICE TEST IN YOUR PREPARATION
If you have been searching the internet you may have been surprised to see how many SAT practice tests are available to you. It is very important that you know the structure of the test and that you practice as much as you can before test day. In this article we explain the different types of mock tests and give you some tips on how to use them efficiently.
Table of Contents
Types of Practice Tests
There are multiple ways in which SAT practice tests can be classified: official exams (past) or inspired by them, online or paper exams, exams that emulate the structure and timing of the exam and exams that do not, among others. In this article, we are going to classify them into complete and partial.- Partial SAT Practice Tests:
These are reduced exams that partially replicate one, two or even all three tests (Reading, Writing & Language and Math) that you encounter on the SAT. The functionality of these is to provide the candidate with a quick overview of one or more parts of the SAT. When you are faced with this type of Mock make sure that the level and assessment system is the same as that of the test. The last thing you need is to create false expectations when solving a mock test.
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- Complete Practice Tests:
This test replicates the structure identically to the SAT exam. Both past official tests and those inspired by them are valid. It is vital that when you face a full mock, it maintains the weight of questions and resolution times given in the exam. As with midterms, they must also perfectly emulate the level of difficulty and the evaluation criteria.A complete Mock Test must place the candidate at a level of stress as similar as possible to that of the SAT
How to Use Mock Tests to Improve Your Performance?
Using mock tests wisely can have a highly positive effect on your preparation. At EPIC Prep we have you 3 ways to incorporate mock tests:- Assessing your level: as an SAT candidate it is very important to be able to diagnose where you stand before you start planning your course. Using a partial mock test at the beginning of your preparation allows you to understand where you should focus your efforts and even make an estimate of the time you will need to achieve your goals. Here is a link to a Mock Test we have prepared for your diagnosis.
- Practice of acquired knowledge: as you progress in your preparation, use partial mock tests to measure the degree of assimilation of the knowledge you have worked on. It is especially important that when you finish all the necessary theory for each of the 3 exams you test yourself. Focus on validating if you answer correctly and, for the moment, don’t get obsessed with the times, but don’t lose sight of them!
- Final phase of your preparation: once you feel comfortable with the results obtained in the practical phase, it is time to put yourself to the test. The SAT is a complex test, more for the way it examines than for the concepts evaluated. In this phase try, at the very least, to do a REAL simulation. The results of a well-done simulation will let you know if you are ready or if, on the contrary, you should go back to practice with partial mock tests.
Conclusion
The SAT is a complex test. You will be making a big mistake if you think that just doing practice will be enough to get a good score. Mock tests are essential but not sufficient. Use mock tests in combination with a specialized preparation course and you will achieve your goals.Hopefully this blog post has resolved all your doubts. However, if you have questions in regards to your SAT preparation, get in touch and we will let you know how EPIC PREP can help you achieve your goals. Differently, if you prefer to continue reading here is the link to our SAT courses page.
