There are dozens of tips on how to ace the SAT therefore proving difficult to cull the useful and necessary ones from the bad optional ones. Having this in mind, some SAT experts and teachers compiled a list of top ten essential requirements for SAT preparation.

1. Doing practice tests.
Nothing is more effective in preparing for SAT than taking the actual test. Spare time after every one or two weeks to take a timed, full length practice test. This will not only aid in keeping track of one’s progress but also increase one’s endurance on test-taking. It is grueling to sit through a three and a half hour exam. It is therefore of great importance to learn strategies in dealing with exam exhaustion and figuring out how to set pace. Do an evaluation of your performance after every practice test and focus the next preparation work on the weakest areas. This test will help you familiarize with the various test sections, instructions and structures.

2. Learning the exam structure.
Except for the section on critical reading, all SAT questions are placed in an ascending order of their difficulty. It means that the beginning questions of a section are less difficult than the ones at the end. The time you spend on each question should differ, take minimum time on the easy questions and devote more time to the difficult questions. As for the critical reading section which is not arranged in order of their difficulty, one should master important strategies for example first answering oriented questions in details; the ones with references to particular line numbers and ending with the general questions.

3. Reading.
Read articles on subjects you are unfamiliar with and look up any new words.

4. Studying vocabularies.
You can easily increase your SAT score by studying vocabulary. This will help you familiarize with the most commonly tested vocabularies on the SAT. You can employ the use of flashcards in your study.

5. Writing several practice essays.
The first part of the SAT test is essay writing, usually awarded 25 minutes. Planning, writing and proof reading an essay within that time is nerve-wrecking. However, practice makes perfect, the more times you practice your writing the faster and easier it becomes.

6. Calculations.
The use of calculators helps save up valuable time and prevent careless errors. Train yourself to use one and learn the shortcuts.

7. Memorize formulas and rules.
Although the SAT provide you with formulas, it is still of importance to memorize all the formulas in area such as Pythagorean Theorem, rules on special triangle, average formulas as well as exponent rules saving you valuable time.

8. Understanding how multiple-choice test works.
Except grid-in math and essay, SAT usually consists of multiple choices. This does not make the test any easier. However, it gives the test-takes an added advantage by being able to identify the grammatical concept being tested just from looking at the different choice answers. One can do answer choice elimination on a math problem by having them plugged back in the question equation. This helps one identify type of error to look out for.

9. Know when to skip a question and when to guess the answer.
If you have no idea on how to tackle a particular question, leave it be. Don’t waste time thinking over it when you can move to the next question that you can actually solve.

10. SAT being a ‘stress free’ zone.
Allow yourself to have plenty of study time for SAT so that when it comes to the actual exam date, you don’t have to worry about a thing. It is natural to panic; stop, shut your eyes and have a few deep breaths then resume the test. SAT exam is all about strategy and not intelligence. The previous day to the exam, spend time sleeping, relating, eating plenty of brain foods and relaxing.

Below is a list of the top study guides and SAT books that students can use to prepare for their SAT test.
[This article was written in or before Dec. 2013]

Official SAT Study Guide with DVD.
This guide is considered to be ‘the bible’ of the SAT test preparation books, its author, makers of the SAT. This book contains ten authentic practice tests in full length that has the actual SAT exam questions. Also provided is free online access to notes and answers as well as website score reports. As far a substance goes, its main strength is contained in the math section with sample problems and useful description features. This guide is a ‘must have’ simply because it contains practice test with a reliable prediction of your SAT scores. However, test-takers are advised to use this book with other top SAT guides since the questions are not accompanied with explanatory notes.

Gruber’s Complete SAT Guide 2014.
This is a highly popular book authored by Dr. Gary Gruber, SAT preparation expert and guru. This guide is notable for following critical thinking approaches that aims at giving students the necessary tools for getting correct answers within a short period of time. Additionally, this book is organized with a clear style in writing and 5 full length practice tests featured.

Barron’s SAT.
Barron is among the top trusted standard testing guide providers. It is the best SAT book which offers a mix of general techniques in test taking, reviews in SAT subjects, study advice and strategies in approaching every individual test question. This guide provides a no-nonsense, straight forward manual to necessary guidance. Barron’s SAT covers all the SAT sections and also includes 5 full length test models with clearly explained answers and in details. This book ensures to get the work well done.
Tutor Ted’s Guide to the SAT.
If you are searching for a conversational friendly approach, Tutor Ted’s Guide is the book to get. The author believes that writing the book in a personable humorous style makes studying easier by making it fun and interesting. This guide book contains over 700 exercises and problems giving room for enough practice and skill refining. For students in search of a less serious approach, Tutor Ted’s Guide is the best choice. You are advised to supplement this guide book with other top books.

McGraw-Hill’s SAT, 2014 Edition.
It is an improved study guide that utilizes plenty of practice exercises and instructions to aid you in mastering SAT. The book mainly focuses on 8 essential reasoning skills in order to achieve high scores and conquer the SAT. They include analysis and problem mapping, identifying and simplifying problem patterns, considering alternatives and thinking in logic. More so, this manual contains 6 practice tests in full length, online coaching video access and an added bonus of an interactive test-planner application, easily downloadable which allows the student to have in preparation a customized study schedule for SAT. McGraw-Hill’s SAT 2014 Edition is the tools for a successful preparation for SAT.

How to Successfully Prepare for the SAT Reading and Writing Segments
The reading and writing segments of the SAT are significantly important. Currently, students can receive up to 800 points each on the critical reading and writing portions of the SAT. In understanding the significance of this test in relation to college admissions, one can understand why it would be necessary for students to prepare as early as possible for the reading and writing portions of SAT. Luckily, there are numerous ways that preparing for the SAT reading and writing sections can be achieved without any extra effort.

The Importance of the Reading and Writing SAT Sections
The reading and writing sections of the SAT are incredibly important for a variety of reasons. One of the reasons is that both of these sections combined equates to nearly half of the total SAT score. Thus, it is important that students have a firm grasp of how to write timed prompts as well as understand and execute the proper answers to critical reading assignments. This part of the SAT really does show whether or not students are prepared for collegiate reading and writing assignments. The whole high school experience is supposed to be geared towards preparing students to excel in a collegiate environment. Thus, the results for the reading and writing portions of the SAT really do reveal a lot in regards to whether or not a student is properly prepared for college. Given these reasons, preparing for the SAT reading and writing sections is essential.

Techniques to Prepare for the Reading and Writing SAT Sections
There are a variety of ways that preparing for the SAT reading and writing sections can be achieved. In most cases, students that are attending college preparatory high schools are more likely to receive a curriculum that prepares them to excel on the reading and writing portions of the SAT. As soon as the freshman year of high school, students will be required to take timed writing assignments while in class in order to get them accustomed to writing thorough prompts. Furthermore, many teachers assign critical reading assignments in order to get students to think complexly about a variety of different literary works. It is very obvious that in most cases the high school curriculum that is provided sets them up to take the SAT. There are some instances where teachers will present specific SAT information such as weekly tests on popular SAT terms. Also, there are some students that choose to take SAT prep courses in order to increase their chances of obtaining the best scores possible on the SAT.

How Preparation Will Affect SAT Scoring
Preparing for the SAT reading and writing sections will definitely have an effect on all SAT scoring. As a matter of fact, there are many students that take the SAT at least twice in order to see if they can increase their score. Those students that have been exposed to early preparation for the reading and writing portions of the SAT are more likely to feel comfortable taking this portion of the test. A lot of the anxiety that is associated with taking the SAT comes from the fear of not being able to complete the test properly. Thus, providing students with a firm base of critical reading and writing assignments will definitely increase their confidence when taking this portion of the SAT.

Overall, preparing for the SAT reading and writing sections is highly recommended in order to ensure that high school students are prepared to take and score well on the critical reading and writing portions of the SAT.

Everyone is aware how important getting into college can be. For this reason, many parents and teaching professionals begin to prepare students for the SAT as early as they possibly can. The SAT is a standardized test that is used for college admissions. Currently, this test consists of three parts which include math, critical reading and writing sections. Each section is worth 800 points apiece which means student scores can range from 600 to 2400 on the SAT. Each of these sections includes a variety of problems that range in degrees of difficulty. Because this test is so important for college admissions, preparing for the SAT in middle school is very important.

Why Early Preparation is Necessary
Although there are some people that believe middle school is too early to prepare for the SAT, this could be the furthest thing from the truth. Students need to be prepared to take time tests. The SAT is a timed test that in many ways forces students to be able to relay their understanding of questions in a relatively short period of time. The sooner students are prepared to take timed tests and do well on them; the less likely they are to experience anxiety when taking a test of such importance as the SAT. Many teachers are preparing their students to take the SAT as early as middle school by simply giving them timed tests. This forces students to understand a topic or subject thoroughly within a limited amount of time. Students that experience issues completing tests during a certain amount time must use the experience to prepare themselves by studying harder so that they can easily answer questions in an allotted amount of time. This early preparation is essential because students that do not know how to take timed tests often feel at a disadvantage when it is time to take the SAT.

Ways to Prepare for SAT in Middle School
Preparing for the SAT in middle school is done in a variety of ways. Some schools allow students to take the PSAT which is a standardized test similar to the SAT that is taken by high freshman and sophomores as well as seventh and eighth graders in middle school. This test is often used to determine eligibility for The National Merit Scholarship Program. Although not everyone will qualify for The National Merit Scholarship Program, this test can be used to determine where a student is academically based on the test scores received. From these test scores, students can get an idea of where they may need extra assistance for taking the SAT. Also, many teachers are preparing for the SAT in middle school by creating assignments that mimic the SAT format. Such examples of this include requiring students to write extensive prompts within a specified time period and assigning SAT words once a week as part of a homework assignment. These little techniques can significantly help middle school children prepare themselves to take the SAT in high school.

Benefits of Preparing for the SAT in Middle School
The benefits of preparing for the SAT in middle school cannot be underestimated. Many of the assignments that middle school students are given by their teachers enable them to complete the SA. By preparing for the SAT as early as middle school, students can rid themselves of some of anxiety that is associated with taking a timed test. Likewise, students will have some idea of their academic strengths and weaknesses so that they can work one improving both areas to receive higher test scores.

Ultimately, the time is never too soon to prepare for the SAT. Preparing for the SAT in middle school helps students to have confidence in their ability to take a timed scholastic achievement test.

The Blarney Stone is a historical stone, or actually part of the Blarney Castle in Ireland where it was believed that kissing the stone can grant you the gift of gab. Yeah, it seems strange in this day and age, but who are we to question tradition? It’s not like I’m saying that Santa Claus doesn’t exist (OOPS!).

There is so much to know about conversation that anyone, even I, could ever realize. You can go though watching talk shows; radio programs; clubs dedicated to public speaking; ordinary conversations; certain rules still apply when it comes to interaction through words. It may sound tedious, I know, but even though it’s your mouth that’s doing the work, your brain works twice as hard to churn out a lot of things you know. So what better way to start learning to be an effective communication is to know the very person closest to you: yourself.

1. What you know
Education is all about learning the basics, but to be an effective speaker is to practice what you’ve learned. My stint as guest at every Toastmasters’ meeting I go to taught me that we all have our limitations, but that doesn’t mean we can’t learn to keep up and share what we know.

2. Listening
It’s just as important as asking questions. Sometimes listening to the sound of our own voice can teach us to be a little bit confident with ourselves and to say the things we believe in with conviction.

3. Humility
We all make mistakes, and sometimes we tend to slur our words, stutter, and probably mispronounce certain words even though we know what it means, but rarely use it only to impress listeners. So in a group, don’t be afraid to ask if you’re saying the right word properly and if they’re unsure about it then make a joke out of it. I promise you it’ll make everyone laugh and you can get away with it as well.

4. Eye Contact
There’s a lot to say when it comes to directing your attention to your audience with an eye-catching gaze. It’s important that you keep your focus when talking to a large group in a meeting or a gathering, even though he or she may be gorgeous.

5. Kidding around
A little bit of humor can do wonders to lift the tension, or worse boredom when making your speech. That way, you’ll get the attention of the majority of the crowd and they’ll feel that you’re just as approachable, and as human to those who listen.

6. Be like the rest of them
Interaction is all about mingling with other people. You’ll get a lot of ideas, as well as knowing what people make them as they are.

7. Me, Myself, and I
Admit it, there are times you sing to yourself in the shower. I know I do! Listening to the sound of your own voice while you practice your speech in front of a mirror can help correct the stress areas of your pitch. And while you’re at it you can spruce up as well.

8. With a smile
A smile says it all much like eye contact. There’s no point on grimacing or frowning in a meeting or a gathering, unless it’s a wake. You can better express what you’re saying when you smile.

9. A Role Model
There must be at least one or two people in your life you have listened to when they’re at a public gathering or maybe at church. Sure they read their lines, but taking a mental note of how they emphasize what they say can help you once you take center stage.

10. Preparation
Make the best out of preparation rather than just scribbling notes and often in a hurried panic. Some people like to write things down on index cards, while other resort to being a little more silly as they look at their notes written on the palm of their hand (not for clammy hands, please). Just be comfortable with what you know since you enjoy your work.

And that about wraps it up. These suggestions are rather amateurish in edgewise, but I’ve learned to empower myself when it comes to public or private speaking and it never hurts to be with people to listen how they make conversations and meetings far more enjoyable as well as educational.