SAT Math Study Plan: 8 Weeks to Test Day

Eight weeks is enough time to make a meaningful improvement in your SAT Math score — if the time is used strategically. This plan takes you from diagnostic through content review, timed practice, and test-day readiness. It assumes roughly 5–7 hours of focused study per week.

Week 1: Diagnostic and Foundation

• Complete a full Digital SAT Math practice test under timed conditions
• Analyse every wrong answer: was it a knowledge gap, careless error, or misread question?
• List your top 3 weak topic areas based on the diagnostic
• Review: linear equations, solving for unknowns, basic percent problems
• Start your error log — record every mistake with the correct approach

Week 2: Core Algebra

• Systems of linear equations (substitution and elimination)
• Inequalities (single variable and systems)
• Linear word problems (rate, distance, mixture, age problems)
• Absolute value equations and inequalities
• Practice: 20 topic-focused questions per day with error log review

Week 3: Quadratics and Polynomial Functions

• Solving quadratics (factoring, completing the square, quadratic formula)
• Vertex form and standard form — converting between them
• Interpreting graphs of quadratics (roots, vertex, direction)
• Sum and product of roots (Vieta's formulas for higher-difficulty questions)
• Polynomial long division and remainder theorem

Week 4: Functions and Exponentials

• Function notation: f(x + a), f(x) + a, −f(x), f(−x) transformations
• Evaluating and composing functions
• Exponential growth and decay models
• Linear vs exponential — when to use which model
• Radicals and rational exponents

Week 5: Data Analysis and Geometry

• Mean, median, mode — and how they relate in skewed distributions
• Scatter plots: interpreting correlation, line of best fit
• Probability — basic, conditional, combinations
• Area and perimeter (triangles, circles, composite figures)
• Circle theorems, arc length, sector area
• Volume formulas (these are given on the exam — practice applying them)
• Basic trigonometry: sin, cos, tan in right triangles; SOHCAHTOA

Week 6: Timed Module Practice

• Complete 2 full SAT Math modules (timed, 35 minutes each) per day this week
• Review all wrong answers in detail — compare to error log patterns
• Focus extra time on your top 3 weak areas from Week 1
• Practice Desmos workflows for intersection-finding and quadratic roots

Week 7: Hard Question Strategies

• Review the hardest question types from your practice sessions
• Practise "plug in numbers" and "back-solving" strategies on multi-step problems
• Complete one full practice test under exact test conditions (same time of day as your test, no distractions)
• Note areas where pacing is still a challenge and adjust timing strategy

Week 8: Final Review and Test Readiness

• Review your error log — consolidate the patterns you've seen
• Do one final full practice test early in the week
• Light review only in the final 2–3 days — no new topics
• Confirm logistics: test location, required ID, what to bring
• Sleep and routine: prioritise sleep the night before over any last-minute studying

A Note on Practice Test Quality

Only use official College Board practice materials or Khan Academy (which uses College Board content). Third-party practice tests often have different question styles and difficulty distributions that don't reflect the real exam. If you're practising with the wrong material, your progress tracking is inaccurate.

If you want a structured, personalised version of this plan — with expert feedback at each stage — our SAT Math online tutoring covers all of this with a tutor who can identify and target your specific gaps week by week.