One common mistake that many students make while taking the SAT is that they miss-bubble the answer sheet. In other words, they make the common mistake of putting the answer for question number 5 into the oval for question number 4, and then the rest of their test is then off by one question which can be quite a disaster. You want to put your answers to each question in your test booklet as well as transferring it to your answer sheet.

Another common mistake that students make while taking the SAT is that they’re not well-known with the directions and the format of the test, so when the real test begins, they spend a lot of time interpretation the directions and trying to figure out what they’re supposed to do. So you want to at least prepare for the directions and the format. In addition, I would say students have trouble with the timing.

They get stuck on one or two questions which use up a lot of time. It’s actually important to move at a nice, steady pace so that you at least get to seem at every question on the test even if not of necessity answer every question. Also, what happens is that some student’s just panic if they hit a question or two that appear mainly difficult. I would say just relax. One third of the questions have to be easy.

 Another one third is going to be of midrange complexity. Only one third of the questions are what the test makers think to be very hard. If you hit a patch of hard questions, relax, skip to a section that might be easier, and then take it from there.

When should I start revising for my exams?

You should really start revising for exams from the very beginning of your course. I don’t know how many people in fact do that, but as you go through your course you should look at past examination papers to do with the topic that you’re studying at that time. You should be keeping notes and trying to shorten them, so that they’ll be easy to go over later on. Most people don’t start revising at that stage, but surely don’t leave it too late.

How long before my exams should I work out a revision timetable?

You should have an idea about your revision timetable right from the very beginning. Most courses are for two years, and surely the last year of the course, when your examinations are coming up, you should work out a programme of how long you have, what you’ve got to cover in that time, and how you’re going to cover it. Some people make a very complicated programme.

It really depends on the person. I wasn’t of that sort; I didn’t like to make an elaborate programme. Sometime students spend so much time making out the programme, and coloring it in, et cetera, that they don’t in fact get down to studying. So, in terms of your revision timetable, you should do what suits yourself, but do make a programme. It doesn’t matter how lacking in information it is, as long as the crucial parts are there; of dates, what you’ve got to do, and the time in which you’ve got to attain it.

The key is that it will give you confidence. Once you feel that you’ve done an enough amount of the paper to start with, you’ll have confidence to go on and tackle what might be more hard questions.