How to Improve SAT Scores by 200 Points

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“Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning”, – Benjamin Franklin

Knowing how to raise SAT score 200 points in a week can definitely come in handy. At first, it may sound impossible, but with the right strategy and commitment, you will triumph. However, it won’t be easy, as SAT tests a broad spectrum of your knowledge. So, without further delay, let’s see how to improve SAT scores by 200 points.

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How Can I Increase My SAT Score by 200 Points?

There are a few ways to improve SAT score by 200 points, and we will talk about all of them. For starters, you can just get incredibly lucky and answer all of the questions correctly at random.

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We don’t advise using this approach though, as it’s highly unlikely, and you should strive to score high consistently. Now that we got this option out of the way, we will focus on how to increase SAT score by 200 points using tried and tested methods.

Identify Your Weaknesses

In order to gain more points, you need to find out where you will likely lose the most points. In other words, you need to master new subjects. The reason why this is difficult is that you’ve probably avoided those same subjects because you are bad at them. Meaning, you are not naturally inclined towards those fields and you have a hard time understanding them.

You can identify these weaknesses by actually taking the test. SAT participants have access to practice tests or tests that were used in the past. This will give you a good idea of what’s actually being tested.

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Since these are practice exams you need to be honest with yourself. If you don’t fully understand the questions or if you are just giving answers at random, then mark those parts of the test.

Once you have tested yourself a few times you will have a good idea of where you stand. You will know how much you can expect to score, and what are your weaknesses. Once you know where you can improve the most you will know where to start.

So, this is the first step towards learning how to raise SAT score by 200 points.

Focus On Your Weakness

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We can’t be good at everything and we all have our strengths and weaknesses. Unfortunately, this attitude won’t help you improve your score. If you focus on things you are good at, you won’t raise your score too much. So you need to do the hard thing and start learning things you are bad at.

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The best way to do this in a short time frame is to seek expert help. Subject matter experts have extensive knowledge and know different ways how to teach this.

So, if you are having a hard time understanding something just by reading, an alternative approach is necessary. Once you can truly comprehend what’s going on, you will be able to be more focused. If you understand the fundamentals the next lessons that build on that will come easier.

Basically, you cannot come up with new strategies without knowing the basics.

Moreover, your current approach isn’t leading you anywhere, so you should ask for assistance. When a tutor shows you how to look at certain problems from a different perspective you will be able to apply that to the test.

Luckily there are lots of online tutors, classes, or even courses that can help you with this. Those who wish to learn how to improve SAT score by 200 points, have probably attended those same courses.

Meaning, there are lots of those who were or still are in a similar situation as you, and they can tell you their experience. So, reach out to them and ask whether a particular course or a tutor helped them.

Keep Testing

You need to monitor your progress, which is why you need to keep testing. If you are getting a private tutor or taking an online class, then the only way to see if it works is to take practice tests.

Focus for an entire day to learn things you are bad at, then start a new day with a test. Hopefully, you are a fast learner, and after a good sleep, you should be able to apply your new skills.

This daily testing will also show you new weaknesses. Maybe your whole day of learning was enough to compensate for one weak area.

Now, there is a new area that is dragging you down. Meaning, you just discovered new potential points, and you should focus on acquiring those.

Is It Difficult to Raise a Score on the SAT in a Week?

The answer to the question of how to increase your SAT score by 200 points, is lots of hard work. So, whether you like it or not this is going to be difficult. Maybe it is not the same for each student, as some might learn faster than others.

However, raising the score by 200 pretty much means focusing on stuff you ignored for a long time.

It’s important to mentally prepare for this challenge, so don’t expect any shortcuts. These are all the things you struggled with for a long time, as a result, you will feel exhausted.

But, the truth is – the harder you work the more likely your score will go up. There is also a silver lining here – you will be able to rest once it’s over.

Additionally, you might find the things you struggled with for so long slightly more interesting.

How Long Does It Take To Raise SAT Score?

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If you think about it in terms of days, then it’s possible to do so within 7 or 10 days. Unfortunately, this can also be misleading. You might think that if it only takes several days, then it probably isn’t that difficult. The truth is, it’s really difficult to raise the score within this time frame.

In fact, it would be better to think of it in terms of hours rather than days.

If you study regularly and give your brain time to process information then it feels a lot easier. Improving your score within 7 to 10 days means you will study 5 hours each day minimum.

Moreover, this doesn’t count the time you are using for taking practice tests. Meaning, it will take you about 70 hours or more.

Also read: SAT vs LSAT: Which Is Easier?

You should also bear in mind that it won’t be a good idea to study the day before the test. You need time to relax and allow the brain to process all of the new information. Doing more practice and getting anxious will only overwhelm you further.

Best Practices to Improve SAT Scores by 200 Points

Finally, in order to learn how to improve your SAT score by 200 points, you will need to rely on tried and tested practices. Here we will go over some of the general tips on how to prepare for each part of the test.

Math

Math has a few subsections, and you need to prepare for each one of them. This means Algebra, Data Analysis questions, and Problem Solving. You need to memorize all of the key formulas that you are going to use on the test. You can also do drills for some of the basic calculations, as a calculator won’t be allowed on all parts.

When you are doing practice tests, try to be as effective as possible. The idea is to finish this section with a few minutes to spare. Read every problem carefully, and try to remain focused.

Reading and Writing

You only have a limited time to read and fully understand the text that is going to be on the test. This is something you want to work on throughout your practices. Also, remember that you can answer the questions out of order. The reading test questions are not organized according to difficulty.

So, don’t waste potential points by trying to figure out the answers to questions you don’t know immediately. Go after the low-hanging fruit first.

Make sure you brush up on your grammar skills. This means you can spot and fix misplaced modifiers, or incorrect commas. Pay attention to the sequence of tenses, and try to remember all of the irregular verbs.

When writing try to eliminate redundant phrases. A verbose essay doesn’t necessarily mean a quality essay. Information density and the ability to express yourself in a variety of ways are what counts.

So, don’t run in circles and beat around the bush.  Just get your point across without relying on superfluous words.

Much like with math, try to finish quickly in order to have the time to review your answers. You need to make some decisions on the spot and ignore the questions that seem like an unnecessary time investment.

Prep Courses

The most effective use of your time is to go on prep courses. Work with people who are experienced with SAT preparations. They can immediately give you a good assessment of your current skills and create a program for you. Their goal is for you to get the most points possible. Meaning, they will create a program to allow you to bridge all the major gaps in your current test performance.

Most of these prep courses can last for a month or more. If you need to really get the best results possible in a short time frame, then go for a private tutor.

Alternatively, if you don’t think you are ready and would like to get some additional time, then postpone the test. There are ways to do so, and many students go for this option.

Hopefully, you found these tips and practices helpful. We wish you the best of luck on your upcoming SAT, and we hope you will be satisfied with your score.

Also, do not forget to check our guide on how much does SAT tutoring cost on average.

FAQ

Now let’s go over some of the frequently asked questions when it comes to SAT score improvements.

Who Can Help Me With SAT Score Improvement?

There are a few options. You can help yourself, but doing practice tests. This way you find out your weak points and know where to focus your attention. You can go over the study materials, and do more practice to see how your scores are improving.

The better option though is to seek help from an expert. There are multiple companies that actually offer SAT prep courses. We have reviewed dozens of different services and companies which either offer classes or tutors. You can find all of those reviews and see which one is a good fit to help you with your struggles.

Whatever the case you will have to work extra hard for the foreseeable future. The test is very long and does require a lot of time investment. There are no shortcuts here.

What Are the Best SAT Test Prep Services?

There are lots of SAT test prep services out there. Of course, not all of them are equally good.

Bear in mind that someone with the best overall quality is not necessarily the best option for you. If you predominantly struggle with math, then go for courses or tutors that have the best score in that department. The same goes for reading and writing.