How to Build a Study Plan for the SAT

A structured SAT study plan can be the difference between reaching your target score and falling short. With the right approach, you can maximize your study time, strengthen weak areas, and approach test day with confidence.

How do I know this? I’m an SAT Tutor at Crimson Education — and I’m going to share the exact SAT study process I’ve developed over 1,000+ SAT tutoring sessions.

I’ll share advice on creating effective SAT study plans that work for a variety of timelines, including one-month, three-month, and six-month options. Whether you’re looking for a quick refresher or building a long-term strategy, this guide will help you make the most of your preparation time.

Let’s get into it.

Step 1: Assess Your Starting Point and Set Your Goals

Understanding Your Baseline:

First — and don’t skip this part — I want to emphasize that studying for the SAT is a highly personalized experience. The amount of study time required varies from person to person. How long you’ll need to study depends on several factors, like:

• Your goal score
• What you already know
• How much time you have before the test
• How quickly you retain information

And more!

Now, I’ve watched students diligently for 100 hours just to boost their score by 50 points, and I’ve seen students waltz in and earn their goal score on their first try. That’s why I’m not giving you a generic study plan with a set number of hours. I’ll give you suggestions as a starting point, but don’t get too hung up on the number of hours you’ll need to spend. We’re aiming for quality, here.

It’s time to get acquainted with the categories content on the SAT. First, check out pages 12-15 on this College Board PDF. Then head over to this College Board guide with sample questions and answers from each domain and skill on the SAT.

Go through the topics you need to know, and take notes on the domains and skills you need to work on. Rate each SAT content category with on a scale of 1 to 3:

• Level 1: Weak Understanding
  These are the topics where you have the least familiarity or confidence. You might find the material confusing or struggle to answer questions correctly. This category requires the most intensive study and review.
• Level 2: Basic Understanding
  These topics are somewhat familiar to you, but you still make mistakes or need more practice to fully grasp the concepts. You’ll dedicate a moderate amount of study time here to reinforce your knowledge and hone your skills.
• Level 3: Strong Understanding
  These are the areas where you feel confident and have a good grasp of the material. You may only need light review or occasional practice to keep your skills sharp.

You can also take a partial-length SAT diagnostic test like this one (Crimson) to get an idea of what you’ll need to spend more time on.

Should you take an official Digital SAT practice test at this point?

Please don’t take any official Digital SAT practice tests yet! The 6 official practice tests provided by the College Board are the most valuable resource we have. They’re the best prediction of your actual score, and they are as close as possible to the material on the actual SAT.

But there are only six of them! I urge my students not to take one until they’ve done at least some content review first. That way, they get the most out of each precious practice SAT test. I’ll share more guidance on when I recommend taking the first official practice test later in this post.

So, how are you feeling after your self-assessment? Please don’t judge yourself based on how much or little you already know. **Simply knowing what you need to know is a success! **We’ll jump into the actual studying soon.

Setting Target Scores

Now that you know your baseline, it’s time to set a goal for your ultimate SAT score. This is largely determined by which universities you are aiming for.

If you’re aiming for an elite university like Stanford, MIT, Duke, or the Ivy League, a “good” SAT score is one in the 75th percentile or higher. Most students admitted to top 20 universities have SAT scores around 1550.

*Visit *this blog post for a breakdown of SAT scores of admitted students to each top university in the US.

You can find the range of SAT scores of admitted students for any university by searching “[School Name] Common Data Set.” Once you know the range for your target school(s), set a goal to score within that range or higher.

Evaluating Your Schedule

To build an effective SAT study plan, you’ll need to take a realistic look at your current schedule. Consider your school hours, homework, extracurriculars, and any other commitments. Decide how much time you can consistently dedicate to SAT prep each week. If the test is still far away, you won’t need as much time per week.

Next, think about when it makes the most sense for you to focus on SAT prep. If your school year is packed, it might be better to dedicate more time during the summer when you have fewer obligations.

On the other hand, if summer is busy or you'd prefer a more gradual pace, studying during the school year could be more effective. Assess your availability and choose the timeframe that allows you to study effectively without getting overwhelmed.

Step 2: Choose Your Study Materials

You probably already know that the College Board has partnered with Khan Academy to provide free SAT prep materials for everyone taking the test. These are great, but they are most likely not enough to help you achieve your goal score. As I mentioned before, those six official practice tests will come in handy once you’ve studied some content.

So if you’re not starting with the official practice tests, where should you start?

Here’s a list of SAT study resources I use with my Crimson SAT Tutoring students:

1. Study Guides and Books for the Digital SAT

• Erica Meltzer’s Updated Digital SAT Books (English): Erica Meltzer’s materials are somewhat legendary in the SAT prep space. Depending on which areas need the most work, you can check out her Reading, Grammar, and Vocabulary books. They cover all the question types you’ll encounter on the SAT. Note that her resources are for Reading and Writing only — you’ll need to look elsewhere for Math.
• Princeton Review SAT Books (English and Math): The Princeton Review Digital SAT Prep, 2025 book is useful for reviewing both English and Math content. It includes access to 4 practice tests. I find the practice tests tend to be more difficult than the actual SAT, but you can use them to study the material or to challenge yourself. For more practice questions, you can check out Princeton Review’s book 800+ SAT Practice Questions, 2025. Each question comes with a detailed answer explanation. The online practice tests in both of these Princeton Review books adaptive, meaning they adjust the difficulty level based on your performance — just like the Digital SAT.
• College Panda (Math): The College Panda’s math resources have long been some of my favorites. They are thorough and similar to the level of the actual SAT Math section. Check out the recently updated College Panda’s SAT Math guide. It has hundreds of examples and 500+ practice questions.
• PWN the SAT: Math Guide: Recently updated for the digital SAT, I find this math book to be particularly helpful for students who have already worked through other math prep materials like the College Panda book and are looking for more challenging problems. The questions tend to be more difficult than the ones on the actual SAT — so do them, and the SAT questions will feel easy in comparison.

2. Khan Academy and Online Platforms

• Khan Academy’s SAT Prep (English and Math): The College Board partners with Khan Academy to offer free SAT prep materials. This platform is excellent if you want to work independently. Since it’s an official College Board resource, the practice questions closely match the SAT's content and style. If you encounter specific challenges on any concepts, you can also search Khan Academy for instructional videos and exercises — even outside the SAT-specific resources.
• Anki and Quizlet (SAT Vocabulary): If you need to build your SAT vocabulary, consider using digital flashcards. Anki and Quizlet are popular apps where you can find pre-made decks, such as "400 Words You Must Know for the SAT." You can create your own decks or add words to pre-made decks to suit your study needs. The benefit to using these platforms over paper flashcards is that they use “spaced repetition,” a study method that helps you learn more efficiently and retain information long-term.

3. Third-Party Practice Tests

As I mentioned, now is not the time to take the official SAT practice tests. However, there are third-party practice tests that you can use to boost your content knowledge:

• Erica Meltzer’s Digital SAT®: Reading and Writing Test Book. This one includes three full-length practice tests modeled after the Digital SAT’s Reading and Writing section.
• Princeton Review’s Free Full-Length Digital SAT Practice Test. This one mirrors the format found in the College Board’s Bluebook app. Keep in mind that the questions are by different writers and won’t perfectly match the style and difficulty level of the actual SAT.

Crucial Tips for Using SAT Practice Tests (Don’t Skip This!)

• Save the official practice tests for later! Remember, the official Digital SAT Study Guide from the College Board includes six practice tests, which are the closest simulation to the real SAT. Since these are limited, save them for when you have a solid grasp of the material and are ready for a full-length test experience.
• Use third-party practice tests as a learning tool — not to predict your SAT score.* *Approach practice tests from third-party resources like the Princeton Review with an understanding that they are not a perfect match in difficulty to the actual SAT. These can be useful to challenge yourself or to boost confidence as you see improvement. Take your test scores from third-party practice tests with a grain of salt.
• Spend just as much time reviewing your practice test results as you did taking the test, if not more.
• Analyze not only the questions you missed, but also those you answered correctly. This will clear up the reasoning in cases when you guessed but weren’t actually sure about the correct answer.

Review all correct AND incorrect answer choices for each question. Sometimes correct answers come from ruling out incorrect answers. This is a valuable skill.

Step 3: Develop Your Personalized Study Plan

It would be impossible for me to recommend one ideal SAT study plan for every student. That's because each student approaches the SAT with a different level of content knowledge, study habits, and learning speed.

However, I'm going to recommend three different SAT study plans for different scenarios. Feel free to adapt any of these to suit your schedule — or use them as inspiration to create your own!

One-Month Study Plan for the Digital SAT

Who It’s For:
This one-month plan is best suited for students who have taken the SAT before and need a quick refresh. I do NOT recommend only studying for one month if you’ve never taken the SAT before!

Plan Details:

• 4 official digital SAT practice tests
• Intense review and analysis of each test
• Focused content review on weak areas
• 10 hours per week; 40 hours total

Week 1: Diagnostic & Baseline

Total Time: 10 hours

• Day 1: Practice Test 1 (2.5 hours)
  Take the first official SAT practice test under real test conditions. Put away all distractions, and try to simulate the test environment as closely as possible. Stick to the timing of the SAT, including breaks.
• Day 2: Test Review & Weak Area Identification (2.5 hours)
  • Go over the practice test and review each correct AND incorrect answer.
  • Identify patterns of mistakes (specific question types or subject areas).
  • Write down all weak areas and create a list of topics for focused review.
• Day 3-4: Focused Content Review of Weak Areas (2 hours each)
  • Using the SAT prep resources you chose from the list above, review problem areas (e.g., algebra, reading comprehension, grammar).
  • Focus on one subject (English or Math) and one or two key concepts per session.
• Day 5: Strategy Session (1 hour)
  • Review test-taking strategies, such as pacing, reading strategies for long passages, or guessing techniques.
  • Revisit any fundamental concepts (math formulas or grammar rules) that tend to trip you up.

Week 2: Deep Dive into Content

Total Time: 10 hours

• Day 1: Practice Test 2 (2.5 hours)
  Complete the second official SAT practice test under test-like conditions.
• Day 2: Test Review (2.5 hours)
  • Review mistakes and continue building on your weak area list.
  • Focus on specific question types (evidence-based reading, problem-solving in math).
• Day 3-4: Targeted Practice on Weak Areas (2 hours each)
  • Work on exercises specifically designed to address your weak points.
  • Break it up between math and verbal sections depending on your needs.
• Day 5: Quick Review of Strengths (1 hour)
  • Briefly go over strong areas to ensure you’re keeping skills sharp.
  • Focus on timing, pacing, and small refinements to your approach.

Week 3: Refining Skills & Practice

Total Time: 10 hours

• Day 1: Practice Test 3 (2.5 hours)
  Take the third official SAT practice test under test conditions.
• Day 2: Test Review (2.5 hours)
  • Analyze errors and update your list of weak areas.
  • Pay special attention to recurring mistakes.
• Day 3-4: Content Review (2 hours each)
  • Continue focused review on any remaining weak areas.
  • Mix in some practice from strong areas to maintain balance.
• Day 5: Strategy Reinforcement (1 hour)
  • Refine test-taking strategies and go over pacing methods, especially in sections where you struggled with time management.

Week 4: Final Prep & Confidence Building

Total Time: 10 hours

• Day 1: Practice Test 4 (2.5 hours)
  Complete the final official practice test.
• Day 2: Test Review & Final Adjustments (2.5 hours)
  • Review the test thoroughly and make note of any last-minute weak points.
  • Focus on final adjustments to strategy and content areas.
• Day 3-4: Polishing Weak Areas (2 hours each)
  • Work specifically on any lingering weak areas and tricky concepts.
  • Practice with SAT-style questions to build confidence.
• Day 5: Confidence Booster & Review (1 hour)
  • Review key concepts and strategies.
  • Spend some time mentally preparing for test day. Focus on relaxation and pacing techniques.

3-Month SAT Study Plan

Who It’s For:
Students with some familiarity with the SAT but who need a structured approach.

Plan Details & Time Commitment:

• Combination of content review, practice questions, and official practice SAT tests.
• Practice Tests (6 official tests at 2.5 hours each): 15 hours
• Practice Test Review Time (6 reviews at 2 hours each): 12 hours
• Content Review, Strategy, and Practice: Approximately 42 hours

Total Study Time for 3 Months: ~70 hours

This plan spreads the first three official practice tests over every other week and ramps up to weekly tests in the final 3 weeks before the SAT. The diagnostic test at the beginning is NOT one of the official practice tests.

Phase 1: Foundation Building (Month 1)

Goal: Establish a strong content foundation and identify weak areas through targeted review and practice.

Total Weekly Time: 8 hours (32 hours total for the month)

Week 1: Introduction & Content Review

• Day 1: Diagnostic Practice Test (2.5 hours)
  Take an initial diagnostic SAT practice test (NOT one of the official tests) to establish a baseline. If you have already taken the Digital SAT, you can use that score as your baseline.
• Day 2: Test Review & Analysis (2 hours)
  Review your performance on the diagnostic test, identify weak areas, and make a list of topics to focus on.
• Day 3-5: Content Review Sessions (1.5 hours each)
  • Focus on content areas such as Math (Algebra, Data Analysis) and Reading/Writing (grammar rules, comprehension strategies).
  • Alternate between Math and Verbal each day.
• Day 6: Timed Practice Questions (1 hour)
  Complete a set of 30-40 timed practice questions from both Math and Reading/Writing sections. Review any mistakes and revise weak areas.

Week 2: Deep SAT Content Review

• Day 1: Math Focus (1.5 hours)
  Focus on problem-solving and data analysis, reviewing fundamental math concepts with exercises.
• Day 2: Verbal Focus (1.5 hours)
  Concentrate on reading comprehension strategies and writing rules.
• Day 3: Practice Test 1 (2.5 hours)
  Take your first official SAT practice test.
• Day 4: Test Review & Analysis (2 hours)
  Go over incorrect answers, identify recurring mistakes, and update your weak areas list.
• Day 5: Quick Concept Review (1 hour)
  Briefly review any concepts that are still giving you trouble.

Week 3: Refining Strategies

• Day 1: Focused Content Review (1.5 hours)
  Focus on tricky areas, especially if any patterns emerged in practice test errors.
• Day 2: Practice Questions (1.5 hours)
  Work on practice questions from your SAT prep resources (Math or Reading/Writing).
• Day 3: Strategy Session (1.5 hours)
  Focus on pacing strategies and techniques for managing stress during the test.

Week 4: Strengthening Core Areas

• Day 1: Practice Test 2 (2.5 hours)
  Complete your second official SAT practice test.
• Day 2: Test Review & Adjustments (2 hours)
  Review and analyze your performance, noting weak areas.
• Day 3-4: Content Review Sessions (2 hours total)
  Target weak areas identified from the last practice test. Use one day for Math and the other for Reading/Writing.
• Day 5: Practice Questions (1 hour)
  Continue to expose yourself to practice questions from all of your SAT prep resources.

Phase 2: Intense Practice & Review (Month 2)

Goal: Continue reviewing content while adding more frequent and intense practice.

Total Weekly Time: 10 hours (40 hours total for the month)

Weeks 1 & 2: Alternating Practice & Content Review

• Week 1, Day 1: Practice Test 3 (2.5 hours)
  Take your third official practice test (the last spaced-out test). Focus on managing timing and pacing.
• Day 2-3: Review & Weak Area Focus (2 hours each)
  Analyze the practice test and target your weak spots with focused content review.
• Day 4: Strategy Refinement (1 hour)
  Go over test-taking strategies, fine-tune pacing techniques.
• Day 5: Practice Questions (2 hours)
  Work on practice questions, alternating between Math and Reading/Writing.

Weeks 3 & 4: Content Deep Dive & Targeted Practice

• Day 1: Content Review (2 hours)
  Focus on problem areas, especially more difficult math or advanced reading comprehension.
• Week 3, Day 2: Practice Test 4 (2.5 hours)
  Complete another full-length official SAT practice test.
• Day 3-4: Detailed Test Review (4 hours total)
  • Go over each section carefully and analyze mistakes.
  • Adjust your study strategy based on the test results.
• Day 5: Refine Weak Areas (1.5 hours)
  Focus on targeted exercises that reinforce challenging concepts.

Phase 3: Final Review & Test Readiness (Month 3)

Goal: Focus on fine-tuning weak areas, practicing test-taking strategies, and solidifying your confidence for test day.

Total Weekly Time: 10 hours (40 hours total for the month)

Weeks 1-2: Practice & Review

• Week 1, Day 1: Practice Test 5 (2.5 hours)
  Take your fifth official practice test under real exam conditions. Focus on accuracy and timing.
• Day 2-3: Detailed Test Review (4 hours total)
  • Analyze mistakes and adjust your study strategy.
  • Target content gaps or test-taking weaknesses.
• Day 4: Practice Questions (2 hours)
  Work on practice questions for your weaker subjects of the SAT.
• Day 5: Strategy Session & Confidence Building (1.5 hours)
  Review final strategies and work on mental preparation for test day.

Week 3: Final Preparations

• Day 1: Practice Test 6 (2.5 hours)
  Take your final official SAT practice test. This serves as a final rehearsal for the real exam.
• Day 2: Final Test Review (2 hours)
  Review the test results and make any last-minute adjustments. Focus on reinforcing strengths and minimizing weaknesses.
• Day 3-4: Light Review (2 hours total)
  Briefly review key concepts and strategies. Focus on any last-minute content concerns.
• Day 5: Test-Day Preparation (1 hour)
  Make sure you have everything ready for test day. Practice calming techniques to minimize test anxiety.

6-Month SAT Study Plan & Sample Schedule

Who It’s For:

This plan is ideal for students starting from scratch or international/ESL students who may need extra time for language preparation.

Plan Details:

This plan includes a gradual build-up from foundational content review to more frequent full-length practice tests in the final two months. The final weeks focuses on time management, test-taking strategies, and building endurance.

Total Time Commitment:

• Weeks 1-12 (Months 1-3): 6-8 hours per week
• Weeks 13-16 (Month 4): 8-10 hours per week
• Weeks 17-24 (Months 5-6): 10-12 hours per week

Months 1-3: Building a Strong Foundation

Time Commitment: 6-8 hours per week = 72-96 hours total

Weeks 1-2: Diagnostic Test & Review

• Day 1: Take a Diagnostic Test to identify strengths and weaknesses. This should NOT be one of the official College Board practice tests!
• Day 2: Review your Diagnostic Test results in detail (2 hours). Identify patterns of mistakes and create a list of topics for focused review.
• Days 3-7: Begin reviewing the core content based on your results (2-3 hours). Focus on understanding the test structure and content. Dedicate each day to either Math or Reading and Writing — not both.

Weeks 3-8: Core Skills Review

• Day 1-4: Study key SAT math concepts (algebra, geometry, word problems) and practice problem sets (3-4 hours each week).
• Day 5-7: Study key SAT reading and writing concepts (vocabulary, passage analysis, grammar rules) and complete practice exercises (3-4 hours each week).
• Use practice questions and quizzes to track your progress.

Weeks 9-12: Strengthening Weak Areas

• Day 1-4: Continue working on math, focusing on more advanced topics (quadratics, data interpretation) and reviewing any weaknesses identified in practice tests (3-4 hours per week).
• Day 5-7: Continue reading and writing practice, with an emphasis on passage-based reading and the rhetorical analysis required for writing (3-4 hours per week).
• Begin timed practice with shorter sections (half-tests or untimed full sections).

Month 4: Practice Tests & Strategy Development

Time Commitment: 8-10 hours per week = 32-40 hours total

Weeks 13-14: Full-Length Practice Test 1

• Day 1: Take Official Practice Test 1 (2.5 hours) under real testing conditions.
• Day 2: Review your results (2 hours), focusing on missed questions and timing errors.
• Days 3-7: Strengthen any weak areas revealed in the test (4-6 hours), focusing on both content and test-taking strategies (like pacing, guessing strategies, etc.).

Weeks 15-16: Full-Length Practice Test 2

• Day 1: Take Official Practice Test 2 (2.5 hours).
• Day 2: Review Practice Test 2 results (2 hours), focusing on continued problem areas.
• Days 3-7: Continue refining math, reading, and writing skills (4-6 hours). Work on improving timing and accuracy.

Month 5: Intensive Practice Testing & Review

Time Commitment: 10-12 hours per week = 40-48 hours total

Weeks 17-18: Full-Length Practice Test 3

• Day 1: Take Official Practice Test 3 (2.5 hours).
• Day 2: Review Practice Test 3 (2 hours).
• Days 3-7: Focus on targeted practice, improving weak areas, and developing strategies for specific question types (4-6 hours).

Weeks 19-20: Full-Length Practice Test 4

• Day 1: Take Official Practice Test 4 (2.5 hours).
• Day 2: Review Practice Test 4 (2 hours).
• Days 3-7: Continue intensive review and practice (4-6 hours), concentrating on fine-tuning pacing and avoiding careless mistakes.

Month 6: Final Prep & Practice Tests

Time Commitment: 10-12 hours per week = 40-48 hours total

Weeks 21-22: Full-Length Practice Test 5

• Day 1: Take Official Practice Test 5 (2.5 hours).
• Day 2: Review Practice Test 5 (2 hours).
• Days 3-7: Focus on weak points, particularly any recurring problem areas from previous tests (4-6 hours).

Weeks 23-24: Full-Length Practice Test 6 & Final Adjustments

• Day 1: Take Official Practice Test 6 (2.5 hours).
• Day 2: Review Practice Test 6 (2 hours).
• Days 3-7: Do light review of weak areas (2-3 hours). Prioritize rest, mental preparation, and confidence-building before test day.

Final Week: Rest & Test Day Prep (2-3 hours)

• Day 1: Light review of key strategies (1 hour).
• Day 2-7: Rest and focus on staying mentally sharp. Avoid last-minute cramming.

Step 4: Test Day Preparation

You did it! The hardest work is behind you. As you approach the final stretch before the SAT, start preparing for test day.

Final Week Tips: Focus on consolidating your knowledge, revising key concepts, and maintaining a steady study routine. Avoid cramming; instead, review lightly and focus on areas where you need reinforcement.

Day Before and Day Of: Prioritize rest, eat nutritious meals, and engage in activities that keep you calm and focused. Make sure to follow best practices for test day, including what to bring and how to prepare yourself mentally.

For detailed guidance on what to bring to the SAT and other test day essentials, check out our blog post: What to Bring to the SAT

Final Thoughts

Creating a well-structured SAT study plan is crucial for achieving your best possible score. By assessing your starting point, setting clear goals, and selecting the right study materials, you set a strong foundation for success.

Remember: the practice tests provided by the College Board are invaluable, so use them wisely! Also, the time you spend reviewing your practice test results — both correct and incorrect answers — will play a huge role in your final score.

Want an SAT study plan tailored to your existing knowledge and goal score? Crimson Education’s SAT tutoring is known to lift SAT scores by 150+ points. Our experienced tutors can help you refine your study plan, maximize your practice test results, and boost your confidence for test day.

Book a free consultation with us today to work toward achieving your target score!