The Biggest SAT Lesson From the October Test
By Laura Whitmore
The October SAT offered a useful reminder: knowing the material is only part of the game.
After the test, Strategic Test Prep CEO Laura Whitmore sat down with tutor Tomas, who had just taken the October SAT, to talk about what he saw and how he approached the test.
The concepts themselves may have looked familiar. But knowing what to do, when to move on, how to use Desmos, and which questions deserve more of your time can make a big difference.
That distinction matters as students prepare for the November and December SATs.
You can know the material and still lose points if your strategy isn't working.
Rather watch than read? Head over to my YouTube video !
The Math Wasn’t Necessarily “Hard”—But It Could Be Time-Consuming
Tomas said the October Math section did not contain many surprises.
In fact, he saw problems that were similar to what students can encounter in Bluebook practice, including percentage questions and several similar-triangle problems.
But familiar does not always mean fast.
Geometry questions, for example, can require sketching and additional notation. Even when the actual math isn't especially difficult, those extra steps can eat into your time.
That’s why practicing the concepts is only one piece of SAT preparation.
You also need to practice how you will approach those concepts under time pressure.
Desmos Is Powerful. But It’s Not Always the Fastest Option.
One of the most interesting parts of Tomas’s test experience was how heavily he used Desmos. He estimated that he used it for roughly 60–70% of the Math section.
That’s a lot.
But he also ran into an important SAT lesson: sometimes the tool you know best isn't necessarily the fastest way to solve a particular problem.
On one geometry problem, Tomas used Desmos and eventually solved it—but afterward realized that a paper-and-pencil approach would have been much faster.
That experience stuck with him for the rest of the section.
The goal isn't to use Desmos on every question.
The goal is to recognize when Desmos gives you an advantage and when a traditional approach is quicker.
That distinction can save valuable seconds—and on the SAT, seconds add up.
Reading Was a Different Kind of Challenge
The English section brought another issue to the surface: dense passages and complicated answer choices.
Tomas described some passages as requiring careful attention to logic, with answer choices that could themselves be several sentences long.
That creates a problem for students who try to read everything from beginning to end and process every detail equally.
You simply don't have unlimited time.
Strategic SAT preparation teaches students to identify what information matters, what can be skipped, and when it makes sense to move on.
And sometimes, that means changing the order in which you approach the questions.
Don't Assume Every Question Needs the Same Amount of Attention
One strategy discussed in the video was moving toward the easier rhetorical synthesis questions to build momentum. The exact approach will depend on the student, but the larger lesson is important:
You don't have to treat every SAT question as equally urgent.
Some questions can be answered quickly. Others require more reading, more analysis, or more work.
If you spend several minutes wrestling with one question early in a module, you may end up creating a time problem later.
Good test-takers aren't necessarily the students who know everything.
They're often the students who know where to spend their time.
Crossing Out Wrong Answers Is a Real Strategy
One of Tomas's biggest takeaways from the English section was the importance of eliminating wrong answers.
An answer choice might look reasonable at first.
But when you read the entire option carefully, you may discover that something is missing, inaccurate, or out of place.
That is why simply choosing the first answer that “sounds good” isn't enough.
Instead, build the habit of asking:
Why are the other answers wrong?
That small change can make a big difference, especially when two answer choices initially seem plausible.
⏲️Your SAT Strategy Should Be Personal
There isn't one perfect way to take the SAT.
For example, Tomas prefers hiding the clock because watching the countdown can increase his anxiety. Other students may find that checking the clock regularly keeps them on track.
Some students may benefit from saving longer reading passages for later.
Others may prefer to break the section into smaller blocks.
The point isn't to copy someone else's strategy exactly.
It's to test different approaches during practice and figure out which ones help you work more efficiently.
That is what advanced SAT preparation should do.
If You Keep Taking the Same Approach, Don't Expect a Completely Different Result
This may be the biggest lesson from the October SAT.
If your previous SAT score wasn't where you wanted it to be, simply taking another practice test and doing more of the same may not solve the problem.
You need to identify what isn't working:
Are you running out of time?
Are you spending too long on difficult questions?
Are you using Desmos when a manual solution would be faster?
Are you reading every passage the same way?
Are you choosing answers before fully eliminating the wrong ones?
Are you making careless mistakes because you are rushing at the end?
These are strategy problems—not simply content problems.
And they're exactly the kinds of problems that can be addressed with targeted preparation.
Preparing for the November SAT?
If you're taking the November SAT and want a focused review before test day, our November SAT: 2-Hour Advanced Review Crash Course is designed to help you sharpen your approach.
This is a remote class focused on advanced strategies, efficient problem-solving, and the kinds of decisions that can make a difference when you're working against the clock.
November SAT: 2-Hour Advanced Review Crash Course
đź“… Saturday, October 31st
⏰ 12:00 PM–2:00 PM ET
đź’» Remote
Don't spend your final preparation hours simply doing more questions. Use that time to improve how you take the test. Reserve your spot for the November SAT Crash Course.
Planning for the December SAT?
If you're aiming for the December SAT, you have more time—but that doesn't mean you should wait. Our December SAT Advanced Strategy Class is designed for students who want to build stronger test-taking habits before their next attempt.
The goal is not just to learn another formula or complete another practice test.
It's to develop a smarter, more efficient approach to the SAT. Join the December SAT Advanced Strategy Class.
Not Sure What You Actually Need to Improve?
This is where a little individual guidance can help. Maybe you don't know whether your biggest issue is timing, content, strategy, or test anxiety. Maybe your practice scores are improving, but you're stuck below your target.
Or maybe you keep making the same mistakes without understanding why.
Let's figure it out.
Request a 15-minute consultation with Strategic Test Prep and we'll talk through where you are now, where you want your score to be, and what kind of preparation makes the most sense for you.
You don't need to guess your way through another SAT attempt.
The Bottom Line
The October SAT was a good reminder that the SAT isn't just a test of what you know. It's also a test of how efficiently you can use what you know.
The students who improve aren't always the ones who simply study more. They're often the ones who change their approach.
So if you're taking the November or December SAT, don't just ask yourself:
“What do I need to study?”
Also ask:
“What do I need to do differently?”
That question might be the key to your next score increase.
Happy prepping!
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