By this point, you have spent time building up the concepts you need, absorbing and practicing the strategies to use, and doing your outside reading, vocabulary building, and coursework. Now is the time to start timing yourself on practice sets. You should be familiar enough with the test and your abilities on each section to begin placing yourself in testlike conditions.

If you’re using one of the other books in this Power Tactics series, take the online posttests to see how much progress you’ve made since you established your baseline score. Also get your hands on some additional real SATs and take them one section at a time to hone your set- and section-level Bombing Run capabilities.

Make sure to take at least one full-length test in a timed, testlike situation—especially if you haven’t taken one since the initial one you took to get your baseline score. Also make sure to compose at least one essay in a timed, testlike situation. You can find several prompts in the essay book in this series.

Begin getting up early on weekends if you don’t normally do so. Get your body in that habit—it helps. As far as specific foods go, the simple truth of nutrition is to eat balanced meals. Don’t alter your food intake radically unless you eat only junk food. Get your gut used to a nutritious morning meal.