The key is prioritizing based on your diagnostic test results. If math is your weakest section, dedicate 40% of study time there; allocate the remaining time between reading/writing and test-taking strategies. Most students benefit from spending the first week on fundamentals and question format, the second and third weeks on targeted practice in weak areas, and the final week on full-length practice tests and pacing drills. Varsity Tutors connects you with tutors who can create a customized study schedule based on your specific needs and timeline.

Time management is the #1 reading challenge—most students run out of time before finishing all passages. Many also struggle with inference questions that require you to read between the lines. The solution is practice: work through passages with strict time limits (about 8-9 minutes per passage), then review which question types trip you up most. Tutors can teach you efficient reading strategies, like how to annotate quickly and identify question patterns, so you're not re-reading the entire passage for each question.

Start by taking a full diagnostic SAT practice test to pinpoint exactly which topics trip you up—whether that's algebra, geometry, trigonometry, or word problems. In a 4-week program, you can't re-learn years of math, but you can focus intensely on the specific concepts the SAT tests most. Varsity Tutors connects you with tutors who know the SAT inside out and can teach you the most efficient approaches to each problem type, helping you work smarter rather than harder in your remaining time.

Aim for 3-4 full-length practice tests during your 4-week program: one at the beginning as a diagnostic, one around week 2-3 to measure progress, and 1-2 in the final week to build test-day stamina and confidence. Each test should be followed by detailed review—not just checking answers, but understanding why you got questions wrong. This cycle of testing, review, and targeted practice builds the pattern recognition and speed you need on test day.

Test anxiety often stems from feeling unprepared or uncertain about strategies. The best antidote is building confidence through repeated practice under timed conditions. When you've taken multiple full-length practice tests and reviewed your mistakes, test day feels familiar rather than frightening. Tutors also teach breathing and pacing techniques to keep you calm during the actual exam. In your final week, focus on practice tests and review rather than learning new content—this reinforces what you know and reduces anxiety.

The SAT writing section tests a specific set of grammar concepts repeatedly: subject-verb agreement, pronoun clarity, verb tense consistency, comma rules, and parallelism. You don't need to memorize every grammar rule—focus on these high-frequency errors. The SAT also emphasizes sentence structure and conciseness, so practice identifying wordy or awkward phrasing. With 4 weeks to prepare, tutors can drill these patterns until they become automatic, so you spot errors quickly without overthinking.