If you’ve been studying and taking timed practice exams, you’re already a step ahead of the game when it comes to taking your SAT. Here are some other tips for performing well on your SAT exam:

• Be as relaxed as possible on day of the exam. Gather your materials and directions to the test center the night before, get a good night’s sleep, eat a healthy breakfast, and aim to arrive with time to spare.
• Be familiar with the structure of the test including the sections, and the scoring, so that you can spend as much time as possible answering questions.
• Know that there is a 1/4 point penalty for guessing on the SAT multiple choice sections with a wrong answer. If you can eliminate at least one choice, the odds are in your favor if you guess. If you have no idea which answer is correct, it’s a better idea to skip the question.
• Don’t change your first response unless you are really sure you made a mistake.
• Keep track of time. Try to answer easy questions very quickly, so that you can spend slightly longer on harder ones. If you can’t answer a question in a moment or two, you may need to move on and come back to it later.
• Check frequently that you are marking the right question number (in the right section) on your answer sheet – especially if you have skipped one or more questions.
• You can mark questions to return to or scratch out answers you know are incorrect in your test book if it helps. Do not make any extra marks on your answer sheet.
• Read questions carefully.
• Even if you aren’t sure you’re doing well, try to stay calm and focused, and do your best. You might be doing better than you think.

Good luck! If you’ve still got a few days (or weeks, or months) before your SAT, remember that the more practice you get, the more confident you will feel!