The 8-week SAT & ACT math study plan

A realistic week-by-week plan that assumes 4–6 hours per week and uses only free official materials plus this site.

Before you start

Take one official practice test cold under realistic timed conditions. Score it honestly. Don't skip this step — without a baseline, the plan can't tell you which topics to attack first. If your baseline math score on the SAT is below 500 or below 18 on the ACT, add an extra two weeks of foundations work before week 1; if it's above 700 or 30, you can compress the plan into about five weeks.

Week 1 — Diagnose and rebuild linear foundations

Linear equations, linear functions, and systems of two linear equations are the most common item types on either test. Even at the top of the curve, missed points often trace back to a sign error or a misread variable in a linear setup. This week, drill Heart of Algebra end-to-end. Plan two 90-minute sessions: one untimed working through subtopic pages reading every solution, one timed mini-set of 20 mixed linear items at 60 seconds per item. Goal: 90% accuracy on linears by Sunday.

Week 2 — Ratios, percentages, and units

The bridge from linear thinking to "real world" word problems. Drill Problem Solving & Data Analysis with a focus on ratio setups, percent change, and unit conversions. The single most useful habit you can build this week is writing the units beside every number — every wrong answer in this section is, deep down, a unit confusion. Two sessions, same shape as week 1.

Week 3 — Quadratic and polynomial functions

Move into Passport to Advanced Math. Lock down factoring, the quadratic formula, completing the square, and parabola vertex form. Aim to recognize each surface form within five seconds of reading a stem. End the week with a 25-question timed mini-test drawn from quadratic and polynomial subtopics.

Week 4 — Rational expressions, exponents, radicals

The harder half of Passport to Advanced Math. These topics are where students who got an SAT 650 typically get stuck on their way to a 720. Spend at least one session purely on exponent and radical manipulation rules — the speed gain from automating those rules is enormous on test day.

Week 5 — Geometry and trigonometry

Drill Additional Topics in Math on the SAT side, or the geometry and trigonometry sections on the ACT side. Memorize, don't derive: the unit circle, special triangle ratios, common Pythagorean triples (3-4-5, 5-12-13, 8-15-17), the area formulas for triangles and circles, and the properties of inscribed angles. The SAT and ACT both reward students who can recognize these without thinking.

Week 6 — Statistics and data analysis

The "easy" topic everyone underprepares because it feels easy in textbooks. On the test, this section is full of subtle wording trap items — "what is the difference between the mean and the median," "which interpretation of the slope is correct," and so on. Drill it specifically and read every answer choice carefully. The wrong answer that traps you here is almost always wrong because of one word.

Week 7 — Full-length test and targeted re-drill

Take a fresh official practice test under timed conditions. Score it. Build a miss-list with topics. Spend the rest of the week drilling the two topics on top of that list, then re-attempt the items you missed in those topics. Do not take another full test this week.

Week 8 — Pacing, tactics, and rest

Last week. Take one final official test mid-week under exact test-day conditions, including the time of day you'll actually be taking the test. Score it; address only the careless errors and pacing issues, not new content. The 48 hours before the test should be light review, sleep, and confidence — your math knowledge is what it is; it won't improve in 48 hours, and it will get worse if you exhaust yourself trying.

What this plan deliberately leaves out

It doesn't include daily problem-of-the-day apps, paid courses, or weekend boot camps. Those can be useful for some students, but they aren't necessary, and the plan above already saturates a normal high school student's available study hours alongside a full course load. Trying to do everything is the most common reason prep plans fall apart in week three.