If you are not a reader, become one. Read literary fiction and magazines or newspapers with high-quality writing, such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Scientific American, Harper’s, Atlantic, The Nation, and The Economist. Many of these publications are available at your local library or free on the Internet. The most pleasant way to build up your vocabulary is by reading high-quality prose and learning by context.

You will also need to begin using a dictionary regularly. When you come across a word you don’t know, treat it like a Sentence Completion: try to supply a word you do know to properly complete the sentence. Circle that word. Then, at the end of the day or week, look up all the unfamiliar words you encountered.

You may also want to read the Vocabulary Builder title in the Power Tactics series, which contains advice on word study, along with lists of words that have appeared frequently on recent SAT tests; lists of common suffixes, prefixes, and word roots; and exercises to build your vocabulary.

In your day-to-day writing, whether in assignments for school or emails to friends, strive to be exact and correct in your grammar, logic, and choice of words. Writing will help you to solidify your knowledge of language.

Finally, make sure you’ve planned out a schedule of study not only for Sentence Completions but also for all aspects of your SAT preparation. Having a plan and working day by day is the best antidote for anxiety. Preparing for the SAT does not have to be a nightmare. In fact, a positive attitude about the test will help focus your attention on maximizing your potential.