Every student dreams of getting a perfect high SAT score. Not only does it make things a lot easier during the college admissions process, but it may also provide financial rewards. SAT scores that are higher enjoy scholarship and financial benefits. With a perfect SAT, you are more likely to stand out and get accepted into your dream school. A good SAT score is achieved by the student who puts in the hard work and has determination, whereas the student who neglects these areas tends to get an average SAT score.

So what is a perfect score? The maximum score on the SAT is a 1600. Out of the 1.7 million students who take the test every year, only about 300 get the highest possible SAT score. Below are some tips on how to achieve a high SAT score.

Practice, Practice, Practice

College Board tends to take concepts most students have seen before, twist them to be unfamiliar, and counts on students to screw up. To do great on this test, you need the highest quality of practice materials. Since the SAT has questions that are twisted in a particular way, you need to train in exactly the way they’re twisted so you learn the patterns. Take official SAT practice tests and use study books from College Board. Train yourself on questions that reflect what’s on the SAT, so you’re not blindsided once you take the real SAT.

Study Efficiently

When studying you have to understand your weaknesses. Most importantly, you need to make sure you get the most out of your studying and make it as efficient as possible. You need to make sure that you know what topic you’re studying, and what to spend the most time on. The quality of your studying is what will get you that high SAT score.

Understand Your Weaknesses

The most important way you will succeed on the SAT is by understanding your mistakes. You need to understand exactly why you missed a question, or you will make the same mistake over and over. When taking SAT practice tests, mark every single question you’re unsure of. When you grade your practice tests, review every single question that you marked, and every incorrect question. So even if you guessed a question correctly, you’ll still make sure to review it.

Try to fully understand why you got a question wrong, and how to avoid that same mistake when you take the real SAT. What specifically you missed, and what you have to do to improve in the future. Although it’s good to give attention to weak points, you don’t want to lose sight of what you can do well. Make sure you don’t forget your strengths.

Avoid Making the Same Mistakes

Try to find the pattern in your mistakes, such as misreading the passage, reading way too fast, or eliminating the wrong answer. Focusing on your weaknesses is critical. When you find your weakness, you need to find resources to help you attack that content area. Focus on strategies that work best for you and your way of learning.  Think about how you learn information and apply it to your study program. Think about what you need to improve and set aside more time for it in your study plan.

Always Double Check Answers

It’s very easy to make careless errors. Always double-check that you’re answering the right question. Try to underline what the question is asking you to solve for and don’t stop until you’ve answered it correctly. Don’t get sucked into a question for 5 minutes. If you’ve spent 30 seconds on a question and can’t see how you’re going to get the answer, circle the question, and skip it. You’ll have time at the end to come back to it. Make sure you have enough time left after each section to double-check your answers.

Find a Good SAT Tutor

Private tutors are a great resource! They can help you learn how to practice good study habits. A tutor will provide you with the individualized attention that you wouldn’t get in a crowded classroom. Tutors help you develop study and learning skills that set you up for success.