{"id":2652,"date":"2021-08-05T21:16:55","date_gmt":"2021-08-05T21:16:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.testgeek.com\/blog\/?p=2652"},"modified":"2022-02-15T20:02:47","modified_gmt":"2022-02-15T20:02:47","slug":"how-many-hours-per-week-should-i-spend-on-sat-prep","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.testgeek.com\/blog\/how-many-hours-per-week-should-i-spend-on-sat-prep\/","title":{"rendered":"How many hours per week should I spend on SAT prep?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you\u2019ve begun to craft your study plan for your SAT preparation process, you\u2019re probably wondering how much time you should spend per week studying.  And while, yes, you should<\/em> have a set number of hours per week devoted to SAT prep, it\u2019s hard to know what that number should be without a little more information. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Imagine someone asking you \u201cHow many hours per week should I spend practicing the piano?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well . . . uh . . . it depends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To answer that question, first you\u2019d have to figure out what their piano goals are.  Do they have a recital, or is this for an audition? How many songs do they need to learn? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kickstart Your SAT Prep with Test Geek’s Free SAT Study Guide. <\/a> <\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Next, you\u2019d need to know what their background knowledge is with the piano.  Do they know how to play all the scales and cadences, or do they struggle to find Middle C?  Have they played advanced pieces before? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019d also need to know if there are time parameters, what other commitments they have, whether they can read sheet music, if they\u2019ll be working on their own or with a piano teacher . . . I\u2019m sure you can see where I\u2019m going with this. <\/p>\n\n\n\n


There\u2019s not one answer to the question of how much time you should spend per week on SAT prep<\/strong> because the answer will vary from student to student.  There are myriad factors to consider to determine the number of hours that will be most beneficial for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ours is a problem of hours . . .<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When deciding how many hours per week to study, the first thing you should do is take stock of how much time you have to work with. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How much time do you have before your test?<\/strong>  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The further out you are from your SAT, the less time per week you\u2019ll need to devote to studying.  If your test date is in a month or two, it will require more of a time commitment on your part.  On the other hand, if you have six months or more to work with, you can spread out your studying more evenly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are your other time commitments?<\/strong>  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take a look at what else you have going on – homework, sports, band practice, art lessons, volunteer hours, maybe a part-time job.  How much time can you realistically devote to studying? Do you find yourself with chunks of free time in your week?  Great!  You\u2019ll have plenty of time to study. That is great . . . right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But maybe you just don\u2019t have that kind of space in your schedule.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, there are ways to work smarter, not harder: using your time more wisely, studying on the weekends and making study groups with your friends so you still have a social life.  But remember that your SAT score is only one piece of your application puzzle, so don\u2019t push yourself beyond what you can handle.  If spending more hours per week on SAT prep will strain your mental health or hinder your ability to complete schoolwork, it\u2019s time to scale back. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Are you working alone, or will you have a tutor?<\/strong>  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Having a tutor is not a requirement, but it can be a great way to speed up your preparation timeline.  Great tutors can clarify confusing concepts, assign homework based on the content you need to focus on most and help you create a comprehensive testing strategy that is tailored specifically to you.  It eliminates the guesswork, which makes the preparation process much more efficient. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Test Geek tutors have top 1% test scores. We can help you get the SAT score you need! <\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Personal considerations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Now that we\u2019ve settled some logistical questions, it\u2019s time to factor in your goals, abilities and experience level. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What score do you want, and what score are you starting with?<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jumping from 1000 to 1200 is easier than jumping from 1200 to 1400.  As a general rule, the closer you get to 1600, the more work is required to continue increasing your SAT score.  If you\u2019re looking to make a top score, it will likely take you longer to get there. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How quickly can you learn new skills? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some people only need to review a concept once or twice, while others may need to practice a concept many times to feel comfortable with it.  If you need more time to fully grasp new material, plan to spend more time in each study session (or plan more sessions per week) so you have time to cover everything. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is your prior experience with SAT prep?<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Someone who has taken the SAT (or even PSAT) before<\/strong> might require less prep time per week than someone who has no familiarity with the test.  If you\u2019re familiar with the test format, you may only need to work on content understanding or increasing your speed.  Plus, with your SAT results packet, you\u2019ll already know the exact concepts you need to improve on to see a score increase.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, if you\u2019re starting from ground zero,<\/strong> plan time for not only reviewing the content, but also trying out various testing strategies, getting comfortable with the time constraints and learning how to handle mental fatigue. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, you could be too<\/em> familiar with the SAT.  If you\u2019ve spent a substantial amount of time studying for the SAT in the past and still didn\u2019t see much improvement<\/strong>, you might need even more time each week\u2026 and probably to revamp your studying approach. If you’ve thrown hours at the problem, maybe it’s time to switch up your approach rather than simply doubling down on time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To help you keep track of all these variables, here is a handy chart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Less time required per week<\/strong><\/td>More time required per week <\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
More than 3 months until test day<\/td>Less than 2 months until test day <\/td><\/tr>
Having a great tutor<\/td>Working alone<\/td><\/tr>
Not needing a big jump in points or a top score <\/td>Needing a big jump in points or a top score <\/td><\/tr>
Some – but limited – prior experience with test prep<\/td>First-time test taker OR have extensive prep experience with little improvement<\/td><\/tr>
Learning new material quickly<\/td>Learning new material slowly<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Preparation timelines<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The number of hours per week you should spend on SAT prep is determined, in large part, by the amount of time you have before your test date.  (Not sure when to take the SAT? We can help you decide.<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re starting to prepare six months or more before your test, for instance, you won\u2019t need to spend three hours per week studying.  On the other hand, with two months or less, an hour a week probably won\u2019t be enough.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But before we jump into timelines, let\u2019s talk about the stages of test prep<\/strong> you\u2019ll want to follow to best prepare yourself. How many weeks you spend in each phase will be determined by how far in advance you\u2019ve started your study process. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t forget: you\u2019ll want to make time for full practice tests<\/strong>. You may decide to take one in between each phase, or you may decide to take several over the course of the same phase. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Phase 1: Familiarization<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n