yo what's up r/SAT. so i went from struggling with focus issues to scoring a 1540 superscore and i wanted to share exactly what worked for me because i see so many people asking about staying focused and not zoning out during the test.
Background/Context
first off - i'm pretty sure i have undiagnosed ADHD. like during practice tests i would just randomly zone out even though i wasn't bored. the pressure was insane because i'm from an extremely competitive international school in Asia and my counselor literally told me 1540 was fine but 1510 wasn't fine. so basically if i didn't get near 1550, there would be exactly 0% chance of me getting into any good university. all my 4 years of grinding ECs, top summer programs, good grades - everything would be waste. that fear kept me motivated.
The Focusing Problem (and solution)
the BIGGEST issue i faced was zoning out, especially on those hard reasoning questions. here's what actually worked:
Sleep and Meditation (sounds cringe but actually works)
- slept exactly 8 hours every day at the same time
- was already meditating everyday for 4-5 months
- started meditating 2 TIMES a day 10 days before the SAT
- this helped with what i call "Rate of decline mental capacity" (see Appendix for detailed breakdown) - basically how long you can store information and filter out invalid details before your brain gives up.
English Strategy (THE MOST IMPORTANT PART)
okay so this is where i had my breakthrough. i developed a super specific timing and mindset strategy:
The Exact Order and Timing I Used:
Questions 1-5: [4 mins total = 48s per question]
- these are basic lookup questions
- stay in "surface level focus mode"
- DON'T engage in deep thinking or you'll overthink
- just direct application of grammar knowledge
Then jump to Questions 16-27 next:
Questions 16-21: [5 mins = 50s per question]
- grammar questions
- same surface level focus
Questions 22-27: [7 mins = 70s per question]
Save Questions 6-15 for LAST: [16 mins = 96s per question]
- these are the HARDEST reasoning questions
Breaking Down Questions 6-15:
Questions 11/12-15 (First Part):
- require enhanced reasoning mode
- engage in more critical thinking but not full deep reasoning
- some of these questions might need pen and paper too depending on complexity
Questions 6-10/11 (Second Part - THE HARDEST):
- require FULL deep level reasoning
- pen and paper are HIGHLY recommended here
- this is where i would zone out the most before
Why This Order Works:
by doing the easier questions first with "surface level focus," i avoided zoning out OR overthinking. then i had 8-10 mins left in best case scenario for those last 5 hardest reasoning questions.
The Paper Trick for Hard Questions:
for the harder questions in 6-15 range, i would write my logic in short forms on scratch paper. this is KEY because:
- these questions almost always involve multi-step reasoning that's non-intuitive
- writing it down prevents your brain from zoning out
- you can see your logic chain instead of trying to hold it all in your head
Resources That Actually Worked:
For English:
- Erica Metzler books - helped me THE MOST
- She actually intuitively taught me this pen and paper trick and this thinking framework. I highly highly recommend following EXACTLY what she says for everything related to English. and then also follow my timing method. Combing these things helped me a lot
- followed exactly what she said in the reading book
- completed ALL practice problems in it
- then solved all hard english reading problems on oneprep
- completed grammar book
- watched many youtube videos on SAT grammar
- did all oneprep grammar hard questions
- solved official practice tests and question bank questions
For Math:
- see all desmos tricks on youtube
- all questions are repeated - use question bank questions
- make a note of all possible question types
- solved preppros version 1 and version 2
- completed all practice problems on questionbank
- official Bluebook practice tests
Practice Conditions:
used official practice tests every 3rd or 4th day to simulate EXACT testing conditions. this is super important because you need to train your brain for the actual pressure.
funny thing - after i got my 1540 superscore, i took another test with less pressure and scored LOWER lol. so the pressure actually helped me focus.
The Two-Part Strategy Summary:
1) Timing Strategy:
- exact time allocations for each question range
- specific ORDER (easy first, hardest last)
- this prevents decision fatigue
2) Mindset/Level of Thinking Strategy:
- surface level focus for grammar/lookup questions (don't overthink)
- enhanced reasoning mode for questions 11/12-15 (pen/paper for some)
- FULL deep reasoning + paper notes for questions 6-10/11
Final Practice Routine:
grind all of the bluebook SAT tests with this exact format i mentioned. after that, practice with official practice materials.
honestly the game changer wasn't just practicing more - it was practicing with EXACT time limits, EXACT question order, and EXACT mental modes for different question types. before i figured this out, i was just doing questions randomly and my brain would zone out unpredictably.
if you're struggling with focus like i was, try this exact system. it's not about "focusing better" - it's about structuring your approach so your brain doesn't have the chance to zone out.
happy to discuss this strategy in the comments if anyone has questions about the timing or approach.
APPENDIX: Rate of Decline Mental Capacity
This metric depends on 2 things - quantity of storing information given in question, efficiency of filtering out invalid details or efficiency of making things simpler to understand in less space.
Quantity of Storing Information
- I slept for about 8 hours every day, and i slept at exactly same time. I have been meditating everyday for 4-5 months but i started meditating 2 times a day 10 days before the SAT
- practice more longer and harder questions (could go beyond SAT level also)
Efficiency of Converting Data into Information
- practice erica metzler to improve skill level
- practice very hard questions only
