Test Prep: 9 Tips for SAT Success

9. Use every second. If you get bogged down trying to answer a question that has you stumped, skip it and revisit it using whatever extra time you have after you've worked through the full section. "You will do better on the test overall if you give each question its fair share of time, versus spending all your time on question number seven," says Alexis Avila, founder and president of Prepped & Polished, a Boston area-based college counseling and tutoring firm. "If you get stumped on any question, circle the question and go back to it at the end if time permits."

Also, even if you've answered every question in the section, rework the problems that gave you the most trouble if you have spare time. Ahmad found she had ample time at the end of each section to go back and rework some of the tougher problems. She says double-checking her answers helped contribute to her perfect score.

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