How to Study for the SAT in 1 - 2 Weeks (2025): Your Ultimate Cram Plan

Laura (Heslin) Whitmore
4 hours ago
4 min read

By Laura Whitmore

⏰ The SAT is almost here — and you’ve only got one to two weeks left to study. Don’t panic! You can still make meaningful progress and raise your score in a short amount of time if you focus strategically.

Whether you’ve barely started or you’re aiming for that last 100-point boost before test day, this guide will walk you through exactly what to do in your final stretch.

👉 Don't feel like reading? Watch the full video here.

💡Step 1: Diagnose Your Weaknesses

Before doing anything else, figure out where you’re losing points. If you’ve already taken a practice test, review your score report carefully. If not, download the Bluebook App from College Board and take one of their full-length digital SAT practice tests.

Once you have your results, use our Test Tracker Analysis Tool (linked in YouTube video description) to pinpoint your weaknesses. College Board’s breakdown is vague — our tracker gives you a detailed, topic-by-topic view so you can focus your efforts where they’ll have the biggest payoff.

🔍 Pro tip: Your Bluebook score might be around 50 points higher than your real SAT score. Adjust accordingly when setting your goal.

💡 Step 2: Focus on High-Yield Areas

With only a week or two left, you can’t study everything — so target the question types that appear most frequently on the SAT.

English Breakdown:

Roughly 70% of questions come from:

Grammar (Standard English Conventions)
Transitions & Rhetorical Analysis (Expression of Ideas)
Vocabulary in Context

👉 Skip the dense reading passages for now and drill these categories using the College Board Question Bank — you can filter by topic and difficulty.

Math Breakdown:

About 75% of the math section focuses on:

Algebra (linear equations, slope, intercepts)
Advanced Math (quadratic, cubic, and other non-linear functions)

Spend most of your time mastering these. Geometry and data analysis questions appear much less frequently.

🎯 If your goal is 1500+, you’ll eventually need to cover everything — but in a 1–2 week crunch, prioritize these high-yield topics first.

💡 Step 3: Build a Daily Practice Plan

Consistency matters more than total hours. Here’s a simple, high-impact two-week cram schedule:

Days 1–2:

Take a full Bluebook test to get your baseline.
Spend several hours reviewing every mistake deeply.

Days 3–10:

Study 2–3 hours per day:
- Morning: 20–25 English questions
- Afternoon: 15–20 Math questions
- Evening: Review mistakes and log them in a “miss journal.”
Retake missed questions later in the week to confirm you’ve mastered them.
Around Day 7–8, take another full test to track progress.

Days 11–13:

Continue focused drills and review.
Take a third Bluebook test to simulate the real thing.

📈 Students who take at least 3 practice tests before the real SAT improve by an average of 80 points, according to College Board.

💡 Step 4: Master Strategies — Not Just Content

At this stage, you’ll gain more from strategy refinement than from learning new concepts.

Top English Strategies:

Use process of elimination — look for two answer choices that mean the same thing (both are wrong).
On reading questions, find three wrong answers first; what remains is usually correct.
Beware of LY words (“significantly,” “minimally”) — they’re often traps.

Top Math Strategies:

Get fluent with Desmos, the built-in graphing tool.
- Learn to graph equations quickly, use regressions, and check intersection points visually.
- Watch my Desmos video to master this skill before test day.

💬 Want more? Our Self-Paced SAT Courses dive deep into the strategies we teach in our tutoring programs — and you can get $100 off the bundle right now.

💡 Step 5: Simulate Real Test Conditions

Your final practice test should feel exactly like the real SAT.

Sit at a desk in a quiet (but not silent) room.
Play “test day” background noise on YouTube — people coughing, pencils scratching, pages turning.
No breaks, no snacks, no pausing.
Use real scrap paper and your calculator.

This dry run will reduce nerves and make the actual test feel familiar and manageable.

💡 Step 6: Stop Cramming the Night Before

Please, please don’t stay up late drilling flashcards. You won’t gain points — you’ll just lose energy.

Instead:

Skim your strategy notes or review your mistake log.
Look over our Math Formula Cheat Sheet (linked in YouTube video description) for a light refresher.
Pack everything you need: charged device, calculator, pencils, admission ticket, ID.
Lay out your clothes and set your alarm early.

Your brain performs best when it’s rested and calm, not crammed and stressed.

⏰ Final Thoughts

Yes, it’s absolutely possible to make real progress in 1–2 weeks — if you focus on the right areas, stick to a plan, and stay disciplined.

That said, the best results come from consistent prep over time.

If you want to go deeper and continue improving beyond this test date, join one of our strategy classes or book a consultation to work with one of our top tutors.

And if this helped you, share it with a friend who’s in crunch mode — they’ll thank you later.

👉 If you want extra support for your Cram Plan, check out our self-paced SAT courses!

Good luck—you’ve got this! 💪