Digital SAT Tips: Preparing for Test Day

October 9, 2024
Category: Communications

Digital SAT Tips: Preparing for Test Day

Understand the test’s NEW Adaptive Features

As a parent, ensuring your student is well-prepared for the Digital SAT is more than just helping them with study schedules. A good test day begins long before the morning of the exam. It’s all about setting them up for success physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Building Strong Habits for the Digital SAT Doesn't Happen Overnight...

In the week leading up to the Digital SAT, help your child establish a consistent routine. Consistency in their sleep schedule will help regulate their body’s internal clock, minimizing the chances of fatigue on the big day. You can do help your student establish a routine by ensuring they’re:

  • getting plenty of sleep—about 8-10 hours a night
  • waking up at the same time they’ll need to on test day
  • turning off devices a couple of hours before bed (or at least using night mode, to reduce blue-light exposure)
  • sticking to a consistent study routine–even just half an hour a day is better than saving it all for the end!

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But Practicing Strong Habits the Night Before the Digital SAT is Crucial!

The night before the test, make sure your student packs their Digital SAT go-bag:

While not essential, these items may also prove a benefit to your student on test day. 
  • healthy snack
  • watch without an audible alarm
  • charging cable or portable charger
  • backup testing device
  • test-approved water bottle

Set your alarm for the next morning, making sure to leave yourself plenty of time for traffic. Check public transit schedules and planned outages!

The name of the game here is consistency. Lots of students psych themselves out the night before the test and vary their routine in a way that can ultimately hurt their performance. The night before the test, don’t 

  • change up your nightly routine by staying up later than normal
  • cram in some last-minute studying.

Your time the night before the test is better spent relaxing and resting your brain! Squeezing in last-minute studying has been shown to actively harm recall and test performance by overtaxing the brain!

Your student has put in the time and put in the work. Encourage them to relax, and trust in the Digital SAT prep and enrichment they’ve already done. Sit back with a calming activity like reading or watching a favorite movie—anything to help your student unwind for a good night’s sleep! 

Test Day is Like Game Day: Trust in Your Training!

Preparing for the Digital SAT is like training for a sport or learning to play a musical instrument. It’s all muscle memory!

When it comes time to perform, having a nutritious breakfast on the morning of the test will provide your student with the sustainable energy they need to give the test their all.

Some good healthy breakfast options include:

  • scrambled eggs
  • whole-wheat toast
  • fruit.

Try to avoid

  • heavy, greasy foods that might lead to sluggishness and an upset stomach
  • caffeine, as it is a diuretic
  • simple sugars; as blood sugar levels drop, so do energy levels and focus

Don’t leave your prep for the last minute. Set your student up for success by helping them pace out their studies in the weeks leading up to the test. At the Tutorverse, we offer a wide range of SAT enrichment materials–test-specific tutoring, digital question sets, and a modular class designed to fit your student’s SAT needs. Click below for more information!