October SAT Last-Minute Tips (2025): 10 Strategies You Need to Know
- Laura (Heslin) Whitmore
- Sep 30
- 3 min read
By Laura Whitmore
The October SAT is almost here, and if you’re in cram mode, don’t worry — you can still sharpen your score in the final days. These last minute SAT tips focus on grammar and strategy so you can walk into test day confident and ready.
I’m Laura Whitmore, founder of Strategic Test Prep. After 18 years of coaching students, I’ve seen that even the smallest grammar shortcuts can save time and add points. Here are my 10 best October SAT last minute tips.
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💡 Tip 1: Eliminate Two Identical Answers
If two answer choices say the same thing, they’re both wrong. College Board loves to throw in duplicates to trick you. Cross them off immediately to narrow your options. In this case, the period and semicolon both are used to separate two complete sentences, so get rid of them immediately!
💡 Tip 2: Look for a semicolon to separate complex list items
On grammar questions, the surrounding text usually gives away the answer. For example, if you see a semicolon paired with “and,” that signals they’re separating items in a list. If you see that in the text, pick the semicolon.
💡 Tip 3: Description Before Name --> No Commas
When a descriptive phrase comes before a proper noun, no commas are needed. Example: award-winning author Toni Morrison. Read it straight through without pauses, and pick the no-comma choice.
💡 Tip 4: Use Majority Rules for Apostrophes Questions
For apostrophe questions, 85% of the time you can use majority rules. If three answer choices use singular (its) and one uses plural (it’s), the majority is usually correct. This quick hack eliminates wasted time.
💡 Tip 5: Only One Answer Separates Two Complete Sentences
When only one answer choice correctly separates two independent clauses, that’s your winner. Think: semicolon, period, or a comma + conjunction. Find the one that works grammatically, and move on.
💡 Tip 6: If You See a Dash, Pick the Dash
If you see a dash, it almost always introduces or closes off extra information. Example: Chloroplasts—the cell’s energy producers—help plants grow. Remove the clause, and the sentence still makes sense. That’s the test’s pattern. Notice that you need two dashes to separate non-essential information, which is why you must pick the dash.
💡 Tip 7: On Module 2, Q20 or 21, Pick the -Ing
A quirky pattern: questions 20 or 21 on Module 2 are often answered with a verb ending in -ing. It won’t always be true, but if you’re stuck between choices, trust the “-ing” form.
💡 Tip 8: Verb Tense Questions --> Use Pronoun Trick
When verb tense feels tricky, test it with a pronoun. Swap in he, they, it and read it out loud. The answer that is different from the others with the pronoun is usually correct — and it saves time.
💡 Tip 9: Review & Redo Past Mistakes
Don’t just keep practicing new problems. In your last week, go back to the questions you missed before. Redo them until you understand why you got them wrong. Correcting old errors is the fastest way to boost your score.
💡 Tip 10: Do a Warm-Up Set in the Parking Lot
Athletes warm up before games, and you should too. Before the test, do 5–10 easy SAT questions (without answer keys). It wakes up your brain so you start sharp instead of warming up during the first passage.
⏰ Final Thoughts
You don’t need a full cram session to raise your score — you just need smart strategies. These 10 last minute SAT tips are quick, practical, and proven to work.
I’ll be cheering you on during the October SAT!
And if you want expert guidance to make sure you’re ready, our team of tutors is here to help. We’ve helped hundreds of students boost their scores, and we’d love to do the same for you. Book a consultation here.
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Good luck—you’ve got this! 💪
