The Morning of the Test

Eat breakfast. You'll be at the test center for four hours and you're likely going to get hungry.

Bring snacks. You will get a short break at the end of each hour of testing time. You can eat or drink any snacks you have brought with you during these breaks. A healthy snack will go a long way toward keeping you alert during the entire test.

Bring acceptable Photo ID and your SAT Admission Ticket.

Bring two No. 2 pencils and a good eraser — a pencil is required for the multiple choice questions and the essay. Mechanical pencils are not allowed. Pens are not allowed.

Arrive at your test center no later than 7:45 a.m. Don't risk getting locked out because you're 30 seconds late.

Give yourself plenty of time to get to the test center. Consider traffic, weather conditions, flat tires, and anything else that could slow you down.

During the Test

Work only on the section you are supposed to be working on. You're not allowed to go back to a section once that section has ended. You also can't start the next section if you finish a section early.

Do easier questions first. You earn just as many points for easy questions as you do for hard ones.

Make sure you use a No. 2 pencil on the answer sheet. It is very important that you fill in the entire circle darkly and completely. If you change your response, erase it as completely as possible. It is very important that you follow these instructions when filling out your answer sheet.

Use all of your time. Students around you may close up their test books and rest their heads on their desks, but you know better. Go back to review problems you weren't quite sure about the first time. Or, if you skipped any hard problems use the time to try to work them out.

Stay positive and focused. Keep your mind on your work, not your score.

Try not to worry about whether you "nailed it" or "blew it." It'll be a long couple of weeks if you do. Know you did your best—and celebrate. You deserve it.

Good Luck!