SAT prep - how many points

[Anonymous]

If you take your first SAT almost cold, one practice test and maybe 5-6 hrs of some sort of review, what point increase can you except with some kind of serious work?

Let’s say your starting point is:

1200
1300
1400
1450
1500
1550

[Anonymous]

Depends on a lot of factors. For one thing, math is more straightforward to bring scores up. It’s hard to study for the verbal - all you can really do is practice questions over and over.

[Anonymous]

It's harder to move up from an already-high score. DC's first cold practice test was in the mid 1400's (I don't recall the actual score - 1440 or 1450 maybe?). Wound up with 1560 after studying. If you're starting from a lower base, say in the 1200's, I think a 200-point increase is possible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's harder to move up from an already-high score. DC's first cold practice test was in the mid 1400's (I don't recall the actual score - 1440 or 1450 maybe?). Wound up with 1560 after studying. If you're starting from a lower base, say in the 1200's, I think a 200-point increase is possible.

How much studying?

Studying alone or with help?

Thanks.

[Anonymous]

Ps. That’s a great score. Congratulations!

[Anonymous]

There is no fixed number of points to expect with prep. Not all prep is equal. It also depends on how much time has passed in between the baseline and the test date and perhaps what classes the student has taken in school in that time.

[Anonymous]

My dd got it up 80 points to 1440.

[Anonymous]

My DD went from 1450 to 1510. Honestly don't know if it made much of a difference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Depends on a lot of factors. For one thing, math is more straightforward to bring scores up. It’s hard to study for the verbal - all you can really do is practice questions over and over.

I've been told that a great way to get good at the verbal section is by doing the NYT crossword puzzles because of how the clues are written.

[Anonymous]

130 points, but I think it is not all due to the test prep. He had broken up with a long term girlfriend shortly before the first time he took it, and just wasn't himself generally.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Depends on a lot of factors. For one thing, math is more straightforward to bring scores up. It’s hard to study for the verbal - all you can really do is practice questions over and over.

I've been told that a great way to get good at the verbal section is by doing the NYT crossword puzzles because of how the clues are written.

Told by?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:130 points, but I think it is not all due to the test prep. He had broken up with a long term girlfriend shortly before the first time he took it, and just wasn't himself generally.

Was any of the SAT scores consistent with PSAT/SAT PRACTICE tests?

[Anonymous]

From 1220 to 1470, partly time management

[Anonymous]

Which test prep service company worked for your kid?

[Anonymous]

My kid took a practice test at the beginning, middle, and end of a self-paced, online prep course:
Practice 1: 1360
2: 1420
3: 1480

Actual score a couple of weeks after practice 2: also 1480

So went up 120 points.