The SAT moves fast, there is not much time to answer each question and just completing a section might feel like a huge accomplishment. However, when you are practicing the SAT and developing your pacing, you should plan time to go back and double check your work.
A Second Look
It is important not to second guess yourself. You don’t need to doubt every answer you put down or go back and rework problems you were confident about. You can go back and take a second look at problems that you weren’t so sure about. Maybe the second look or a new angle will reveal an answer that you had trouble finding before. If you left any questions blank, you should certainly go back and at least fill in a circle. You won’t be penalized for a wrong answer and you may happen to pick the right one.
Line It Up
One of the most common mistakes that can be devastating on the SAT is to bubble in the answer on a line the doesn’t correlate with the correct question. One mistake like this can cause your answers to be off for multiple questions. Taking even just a few moments to make sure your answers are lined up correctly on the bubble sheet can prevent a lot of heartache. One method for taking the SAT suggests circling the answers in your test booklet and then going back and bubbling them in on the bubble sheet. This can save time moving back and forth between the booklet and the bubble sheet and reduce the likelihood of accidentally skipping a space. There are some risks to this method also. You need to be sure you will have time to bubble in the answers. It will be very disappointing if you have all the answers in your test booklet, but didn’t have time to put them on the sheet. To prevent this, you can use a middle ground of bubbling in a page at a time.
Catch Your Errors
The SAT is a demanding test. It can be easy to slip up and make minor mistakes that negatively impact your score. Planning time to check your answers can help ensure that you get a score that accurately reflects your abilities.
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