Is SAT 1200+ difficult? SAT 1200+ study path

SAT 1200+ is the target score of many students who want to study abroad at top universities. However, achieving this number is not simple if you study based on feelings and lack direction. The good news is that you can absolutely achieve this score. SAT 1200+ if there is careful preparation and a systematic learning path. Together ETEST English for Study Abroad Explore the SAT 1200+ study path and build a suitable study strategy today!

Is SAT 1200+ difficult?

For many candidates who are just starting to prepare for the test, the score SAT 1200+ It sounds high and challenging. However, in reality, this is a completely feasible goal if you have a reasonable study path and a systematic review method.

Instead of studying based on inspiration or rushing to the exam, allocating study time regularly and practicing test-taking skills in each section – especially Reading, Writing & Language, and Math – will help you make significant progress. Along with that, practicing test questions regularly and analyzing mistakes also play a key role in the process of improving your score.

In other words, SAT 1200+ It's not difficult if you study properly and stick to the plan.

Advantages of getting SAT score 1200+?

Achieving an SAT score of 1200 or higher is not only proof of solid academic ability, but also brings many practical advantages in your study abroad journey.

• Increase your chances of getting into college: Many universities in the US and other countries use SAT as an important admission criterion. Score SAT 1200+ is considered a safe threshold, helping your profile stand out from other candidates, especially when accompanied by impressive transcripts and essays.
• Opportunity to receive valuable scholarships: Many full and partial scholarship programs require an SAT score of 1200 or higher. A good score can open doors to financial success, reduce the burden of studying abroad, and create conditions for studying in a high-quality environment without worrying too much about finances.

Plan to get SAT 1200 from the foundation

Phase 1: Target 400-800

Knowledge overview

This is the foundation stage, for students who are just starting to get acquainted with the SAT exam or do not have much knowledge about it. SAT test structureThe goal of this stage is to build a basic knowledge system, develop reading comprehension skills and become familiar with the SAT test format.

SAT Math:

In the Math section, students need to focus on:

• Basic arithmetic and algebra: Addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, integers, fractions, decimals, powers, square roots, ratios and percentages.
• Equations and inequalities: Simple algebraic expressions, solving first-degree equations, equations with absolute value signs, and systems of equations with 2 variables.
• Basic geometry: Calculate area, perimeter, volume of common shapes (rectangle, triangle, circle, rectangular prism, sphere...), Pythagoras theorem, interior angles of triangles and circles.
• Charts and data: Read and understand graphs, tables, bar charts, and pie charts. Become familiar with how data is presented on the SAT.
• Mathematical logic: Get familiar with practical application problems, read and understand situations, and identify the data needed to solve the problem.

SAT Reading:

This is a difficult part for Vietnamese students due to the barrier of vocabulary and academic reading skills. During this stage, students should focus on:

• Enhance basic academic vocabulary: Learn words by topic group (education, history, social science…), and learn them in context.
• Practice reading short passages: Read to understand the main topic, identify topic sentences, main ideas, and supporting details. Become familiar with academic writing style and paragraph structure.
• Identify basic question types: Questions about main content, vocabulary meaning in context, specific details, logical reasoning, and author's attitude.
• Practice reading quickly but understanding deeply: You can read slowly at first, then practice increasing your reading speed to meet the real test time.

SAT Writing and Language:

This section tests your ability to edit grammar, punctuation, and academic writing. Students need to:

• Grasp the basic grammar rules: Subject-verb agreement, pronouns, verb tenses, compound sentence structure, relative clauses, conditional forms.
• Understand how to use punctuation: Commas, periods, colons, semicolons and dashes – appear frequently in exam papers.
• Get familiar with writing style editing: Practice correcting sentences to make them clear and coherent, avoiding repetition, and shortening sentences while still maintaining the meaning.
• Practice reading passages and correcting errors in context: Not only learn grammar individually but also apply it to real text editing.

Additional Skills:

• Get familiar with the exam interface SAT Digital (if taking the test by machine).
• Focus on learning basic academic English vocabulary (first 500–1000 words).
• Form a habit of studying regularly every day for 30-60 minutes.
• Take notes of your mistakes and learn from your first practices.

References

During the foundation stage, choosing the right materials helps candidates to be easily accessible and not overwhelmed. Below are some books and resources SAT self-study materials Fit:

• Official SAT Practice on Khan Academy (free): This is the official test prep platform developed by the College Board in partnership with Khan Academy. It offers topic-based practice tests, detailed explanations, and personalized pathways for each level.
• The Official SAT Study Guide – College Board: The official SAT book, suitable for familiarizing yourself with the test structure and basic question types. The book comes with 8 official practice tests to help learners practice early.
• SAT Prep Black Book – Mike Barrett: For beginners who want to understand test-taking strategies, this book analyzes test-taking strategies and shows how to avoid common mistakes.
• Kaplan's SAT Prep Plus: The material balances basic knowledge and practice, suitable for intermediate and beginner students. SAT test preparation.
• Oxford Learner's Dictionary (online): Supports vocabulary lookup during reading practice and test taking, especially useful for Reading and Writing sections.

Phase 2: Target 900-1100

Knowledge overview

At this stage, candidates need to improve their ability to solve more difficult problems in the SAT Math section and improve their reading comprehension and grammar skills in the SAT Reading and SAT Writing & Language sections. The goal is to help candidates achieve Score from 900 to 1100To do this, candidates need to focus on complex mathematical questions and advanced grammar structures. At the same time, candidates must also develop test-taking skills under time pressure to improve speed and accuracy.

In the section SAT Math, candidates will be familiar with advanced math problems such as: operations with polynomials, quadratic equations, power functions, exponential functions, and rational equations. In addition, candidates need to improve their ability to read and understand long and complex sentences in the SAT Reading section. In particular, candidates need to master complex grammar structures such as perfect tenses, conditional sentences, passive sentences, and subject-verb agreement in the SAT Writing & Language section.

An important part of this phase is practicing with SAT practice tests. Candidates should take at least 1-2 practice tests each week to improve their test-taking skills, increase their speed and accuracy, and get used to the pressure of time. Analyzing mistakes and learning how to overcome them will also help candidates improve their performance in each section of the test.

References

To consolidate and develop knowledge during this period, candidates can refer to the following documents:

• “Think in SAT Digital Math – Reasoning and Strategies” by ZIM: This book provides strategies and methods for solving advanced math problems, helping candidates develop logical thinking and effective problem solving skills.
• The Official SAT Study Guide: This is the official SAT document, providing practice tests and detailed solutions, very useful for candidates to familiarize themselves with the test structure.
• IES New SAT Reading: Vice and Virtue in the Exploration of Democracy: This book helps candidates practice reading comprehension skills, especially long and complex passages in SAT Reading.
• IES 2018 SAT Reading: World Literature: Provides readings from world literature, helping candidates practice their ability to analyze and understand difficult texts.
• Princeton Review – Cracking The SAT, 2020 Edition: This book provides strategies and exercises to help test takers familiarize themselves with difficult questions on the SAT, especially SAT Math and SAT Writing.
• Barron's SAT, 2019 Edition: Provides many SAT practice exercises and tests, helping candidates practice and improve their ability to solve questions on the SAT exam.
• McGraw-Hill Education SAT, 2019 Edition: This book includes practical exercises that help test takers improve their SAT scores through effective problem-solving strategies.

Phase 3: Target 1200+

Knowledge overview

This stage marks an important turning point in the SAT preparation journey, when the target score is raised to approximately 1200-1300. To achieve this goal, candidates not only need to be solid in the knowledge they have learned but also need to practice test-taking skills under time pressure. This is the final stage in the review process, requiring candidates to focus fully on perfecting their test-taking skills and strategies, while improving their ability to do the test quickly and accurately.

In the SAT Math section, students will review difficult topics such as problems involving polynomials, quadratic functions, rational equations, and exponential functions. Reviewing quick-solution techniques will help students solve complex problems easily and effectively in a short time.

On the SAT Reading and Writing sections, students should focus on improving their ability to read long, complex passages, as well as reviewing advanced grammar topics such as relative clauses, conditionals, and subject-verb agreement in the Writing section. This is the time for students to focus on skills they have learned, review gaps in their knowledge, and improve their ability to answer questions quickly and accurately.

References

To consolidate knowledge and develop skills during this stage, candidates can refer to the following documents:

• The Official SAT Study Guide: This is the official SAT document, with practice tests and detailed solutions, very useful for familiarizing yourself with the test structure and practicing test-taking skills.
• Princeton Review – Cracking the SAT, 2020 Edition: This book provides strategies and exercises to help test takers familiarize themselves with difficult questions and better prepare for the SAT.
• Barron's SAT, 2019 Edition: This material includes practice exercises and SAT practice tests, helping candidates practice and improve their ability to solve questions on the SAT exam.
• McGraw-Hill Education SAT, 2019 Edition: This book includes many practice exercises and test-taking strategies, helping candidates improve their scores through effective problem-solving methods.
• Kaplan SAT Prep Plus 2020: This book provides comprehensive test-taking strategies to help candidates improve their test-taking skills quickly and accurately.

During this period, practicing full-length tests under time pressure is extremely important. Candidates should do at least 3-5 full-length tests to get used to the pace of the test and time pressure. At the same time, candidates also need to pay attention to allocating study and rest time reasonably to avoid overload and stress.

Universities that require SAT scores of 1200+

With an SAT score of 1200, you have the opportunity to get into many different universities. Here are some schools that you can refer to with this score, divided by the difficulty of getting into:

Reach Schools – Top schools that are difficult to get into

These schools have average SAT scores above 1200, so you will have a hard time getting into them. However, if you improve SAT score yours, your chances will be higher.

Match Schools – Schools that match your abilities 

Các trường này có điểm SAT trung bình gần 1200. Nếu bạn nộp đơn vào các trường này, cơ hội trúng tuyển của bạn sẽ khá. Nếu cải thiện điểm SAT thêm 200 điểm, cơ hội của bạn sẽ tăng đáng kể.

Safety Schools – Schools with the highest probability of admission

Với điểm SAT 1200+, bạn có khả năng cạnh tranh mạnh mẽ với các trường này và gần như chắc chắn được nhận nếu nộp đơn. Nếu cải thiện điểm SAT, bạn sẽ có thể vào các trường an toàn tốt hơn.

Khi đạt được điểm SAT 1200+, bạn đã vững vàng bước vào con đường chinh phục các trường đại học hàng đầu trên thế giới. Tuy nhiên, để có thể đạt được mục tiêu học tập cao hơn và mở rộng cơ hội, bạn cần cải thiện và hoàn thiện kỹ năng qua việc ôn luyện chuyên sâu và chiến lược học bài hiệu quả. Không chỉ là việc nâng cao điểm số, mà còn là sự phát triển toàn diện về tư duy và khả năng làm bài thi dưới áp lực thời gian.

Với khát vọng đưa thế hệ trẻ Việt Nam đến với nền giáo dục tiên tiến của thế giới, ETEST English for Study Abroad luôn cam kết mang đến những khóa học luyện thi SAT chất lượng, tập trung vào lộ trình cá nhân hóa giúp mỗi học viên phát huy hết khả năng của mình. ETEST English for Study Abroad đứng đầu trong lĩnh vực đào tạo tiếng Anh chuyên sâu và tư vấn du học tại các thành phố lớn như Hồ Chí Minh, Đà Nẵng và Úc, với đội ngũ giảng viên giàu kinh nghiệm và phương pháp giảng dạy hiện đại, phù hợp với xu hướng giáo dục quốc tế.

ETEST English for Study Abroad tự hào khi mang đến cho học viên những chương trình học toàn diện, chú trọng vào việc phát triển kỹ năng và thành công của từng cá nhân. Nếu bạn đang tìm kiếm sự hỗ trợ để đạt điểm SAT 1200+ hoặc vượt qua ngưỡng điểm cao hơn, hãy đăng ký ngay SAT test preparation course in ETEST English for Study Abroad. Đội ngũ giảng viên giàu kinh nghiệm và chuyên môn, tốt nghiệp từ các trường Đại học top đầu sẽ đồng hành cùng bạn trên mỗi bước đường chinh phục mục tiêu học tập, đưa bạn đến gần hơn với ước mơ học tập tại các trường đại học danh tiếng trên thế giới.

Bạn đang cần một lộ trình rõ ràng, người hướng dẫn tận tâm và phương pháp học hiệu quả để đạt điểm SAT như mong muốn? Đừng ngần ngại liên hệ qua hotline 0937 80 66 99 – 093 380 6699 để được đội ngũ Anh Ngữ Du Học ETEST tư vấn và hỗ trợ lộ trình học tập phù hợp nhất với bạn!