I work better under pressure, can I cram for the exams?

No, you can’t cram for ANY exam, let alone the required standardized testing. These tests assess a broad range of skills which are only attained through consistent practice over time. While last-minute review sessions may help refresh certain concepts, real improvement comes from long-term preparation. Cramming can and will lead to unnecessary stress, limiting your ability to answer even the most basic of questions.

How early should I start preparing for the exams?

For any required standardized test, it’s best to give yourself ample time to prepare, so at least 3-6 months before the test date. Early preparation gives you the advantage of planning ahead and outlining how to balance your time between school, exam prep, and your own interests. However, 3-6 is also a “sweetspot” since setting your test date any further can actually be detrimental. Giving yourself a year may sound like enough time, but the sense of urgency is lost, and you can easily lose focus on your tasks.

How many hours should I study for standardized tests while keeping up with school?

It depends on your available time, but generally 2-3 hours on the weekdays and 3-4 hours on the weekends. This gives you at least 16 hours of exam prep for each week. The key takeaway here is consistency. It’s better to study in short, focused sessions than to overload yourself and risk burnout. Of course, when the test date is nearing, you can adjust your schedule as needed, putting a few more hours dedicated to exam prep. Always remember never to go overboard and always prioritize your well-being. Again, a healthy body leads to a healthy mind!

I have trouble keeping myself motivated, what should I do?

With so much pressure on your shoulders, we understand that motivation can sometimes last far shorter than what we expect. However, to stay motivated, a common way is to have a reward system. Reward systems are very effective since they essentially “trick” your brain into liking the tedious work. By pairing study sessions and task completion with rewards, your brain starts viewing these tasks in a more positive light. This helps you stay motivated and makes it easier to stay on track with both schoolwork and exam preparation.

How to Balance Schoolwork and Test Prep: Time Management Tips for Students

You’ve just scheduled your standardized test months from now, thinking you’ll have enough time for your SAT prep or ACT prep. But then you realize you have your finals in the coming months! How can you balance school while preparing for 100-item exams? Don’t worry. We’ve got your back. Talking to our expert tutors and consultants, we’ve curated a set of tips to help you stay on top of school while you study for any standardized test!

How to Outline Your Workload and Prioritize Tasks

First things first, you need to outline every upcoming task you’ll be doing in the months to come. Doing so helps you get a good sense of the things that might slow down your progress and thus adjust accordingly. Let’s go over some tips on how you can do this:

List All Assignments, Tests, and Projects
List down every task you need to do, as well as the deadline for each task. Teachers are often transparent about the academic calendar, or you can simply ask! The beauty of this is, of course, having a clear grasp on what you should prioritize and what task is the most urgent. This leads us to the next tip:

Eisenhower Matrix: Identify Which Tasks are Urgent and Important
For this, you can use an Eisenhower Matrix. This matrix is used to categorize a task’s level of urgency based on importance. By using the matrix, students can effectively balance out the many tasks like projects and assignments, focus on the most urgent and important tasks first, and dismiss anything that can be considered a waste of time. With the matrix, students can manage their time more efficiently and with a purpose. Below is a sample of a priority matrix you can use to neatly distinguish each task!

Break Large Tasks Into Smaller Steps to Increase Productivity
A big research paper or an exam with multiple topics can feel overwhelming. One way to minimize stress while making progress is to divide them into smaller steps that you can fit into your schedule. For example, if you have a research paper due in a month, set deadlines for:

- Choosing a topic (Week 1)
- Research and outlining (Week 2)
- Writing and editing (Week 3)
- Finalizing (Week 4)

You should always identify which projects require more time and start working on them periodically.

Be Flexible and Adapt to Sudden Changes!
Tasks can come up as quickly as you finish them. With school, unexpected projects may pop up here and there, but it’s important not to be fazed by unexpected changes. Again, use the previous tips and handle these new tasks depending on their importance and urgency.

Create A Study Schedule for The Standardized Tests

So far, we’ve only discussed schoolwork, and this is because these types of tasks often vary from one another and require different skills to complete. Preparing for tests, however, requires only consistency and dedication. To ensure you’re consistent and dedicated, you can create a study schedule or daily routine to prepare for the exams.

Sample Study Schedule

Let’s say you’re a 12th grader preparing for the SAT or ACT. You decide to take the exam within three months, and your only free time from school and your extracurricular activities is from 4:30 PM to 7:00 PM on weekdays and 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM on weekends. Your schedule would most likely look like this:

Day	Time Block	Activity
Monday–Friday	4:30 PM – 5:30 PM	Review one subject (e.g., SAT reading or ACT math).
	5:30 PM – 5:45 PM	Take a short break.
	5:45 PM – 6:30 PM	Practice questions (e.g., SAT practice or ACT math).
	6:30 PM – 7:00 PM	Review mistakes and write down key takeaways.
Saturday–Sunday	9:00 AM – 12:00 PM	Take a full-length SAT or ACT practice test or focus on time-bound practice.
	12:00 PM – 1:00 PM	Lunch break.
	1:00 PM – 2:00 PM	Review incorrect answers from the practice test.
	2:00 PM – 3:00 PM	Focus on weak areas or practice-specific sections.
	3:00 PM – 3:30 PM	Take a break and relax!

In the final month of prepping, you can adjust the schedule and take practice tests weekly to refine pacing and build endurance. Focus on reviewing errors from these tests and reinforcing weak areas to ensure steady improvement.

Download our Sample Study Schedule Here!

Maintain Work-Life Balance and Reduce Stress

Okay, this is easier said than done. Even the most dedicated and hardworking students should always prioritize their mental health over everything. So here are a few tips for ensuring your well-being during this stressful period in your life:

SMART Goals: Set Realistic Goals!
Don’t try to set goals you know you can’t meet. Doing so will only make you stressed out and on edge! Instead, set achievable goals that align with your schedule and never overload yourself with tasks. One way to effectively do this is by setting (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) SMART goals.
SMART goals are important for students because they provide a clear, structured approach to setting and achieving objectives, helping them stay focused, organized, and motivated. By doing so, students can effectively manage their time, track progress, and maintain a balance between academics and personal commitments. Here are some sample SMART goals to get you started:

Specific – “I’ll finish all my homework and assignments by 8 PM on school nights and set aside 1.5 hours for SAT/ACT prep on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, focusing on practice questions, test strategies, and full-length exams.”
Measurable – “I’ll study for the SAT/ACT for 5 hours a week, take one full-length practice test per month, and keep my grades at a B+ or higher in all my classes.”
Achievable – “I’ll break my study time into four 75-minute sessions each week so I don’t burn out, and I’ll use weekends to review mistakes and take practice exams.”
Relevant – “Keeping up with schoolwork while prepping for the SAT/ACT will help me boost my test score and GPA, making it easier to get into my top college choices.”
Time-bound – “I’ll stick to this plan for the next three months before my test date and adjust it if I need to based on practice test scores and schoolwork.”

Take Breaks and Avoid Overstudying
A short break is good, especially when you feel like you’re fizzling out. The ideal time for a break depends on the length of study time and schoolwork. Maybe a 20 minute break from studying non-stop, or a whole day to yourself after a week-long grind. Overstudying can actually be detrimental to your progress, as having to absorb information when you’re at your limit can make you confused and mix up topics you’ve already studied. Getting a quick power nap or even just taking a “me-day” can work wonders for your mental health.
A 10-30 minute power nap can help you recharge, stay sharp, and improve memory without making you groggy. It’s a great way to reset when juggling school, test prep, and extracurriculars, helping you avoid burnout. Meanwhile, a me-day is a chance to step away from school stress and reset. Constant pressure can lead to burnout and make it harder to focus, so taking a day to relax, spend time with family, exercise, or do something you enjoy can help! This break boosts creativity, improves motivation, and lets you return to studying with a fresh mindset.

Commit to a Healthy Lifestyle
As they say, a healthy body leads to a healthy mind. Thus, maintaining a healthy body is one of the most important aspects you should do. For instance, getting eight full hours of sleep is crucial for memory retention and cognitive function, yet many students sacrifice sleep for extra study hours. Spending all night studying is equivalent to not studying at all! That’s why the schedule exists, so you don’t have to pull all-nighters. It’s also important to maintain a balanced diet and stay hydrated to keep your energy up. Exercising is also a plus as it can reduce stress and take your mind off of the many tasks that await you.

Make Time for Hobbies and Social Life
Spending time on hobbies or socializing helps refresh the mind and prevent academic burnout. In fact, you can use hobbies as a sort of healthy reward system. After spending the whole day focused on schoolwork or exam prepping, you can lay back and spend time doing what you love! Always make time for your loved ones; they are your support system and the people who will be by your side at the end of the day.

Need Help? Cardinal Education Can Lend a Hand!

Balancing schoolwork with exam prep is no easy feat. Here at Cardinal Education, we understand what students go through, so we offer help by giving you the necessary skills to excel both in your academics and standardized tests. With academic coaching and test prep, we ensure students are in their best shape to tackle any tasks! Available resources include SAT practice tests as well as ACT practice tests. We also have experts that if you’re looking for an SAT tutor or an ACT tutor!

Like what you see here? We are happy to permit you to use our material as long as you link back! Please refer to us as the Cardinal Education Blog.

Understanding the STAR Reading and Math Assessment

Comparing the SSAT and ISEE: Which Test is Right for Your Child?

SSAT & ISEE Prep: The Power of Mock Tests

Boosting your SAT/ACT Scores: Test Prep Tips and Academic Tutoring Resources

Top Study Tips for High School Students: Preparing for Exams and College

Best Study Strategies for the SSAT and ISEE

Developing Effective Study Habits for Middle Schoolers Preparing for College

Frequently Asked Questions

I work better under pressure, can I cram for the exams?
No, you can’t cram for ANY exam, let alone the required standardized testing. These tests assess a broad range of skills which are only attained through consistent practice over time. While last-minute review sessions may help refresh certain concepts, real improvement comes from long-term preparation. Cramming can and will lead to unnecessary stress, limiting your ability to answer even the most basic of questions.
How early should I start preparing for the exams?
For any required standardized test, it’s best to give yourself ample time to prepare, so at least 3-6 months before the test date. Early preparation gives you the advantage of planning ahead and outlining how to balance your time between school, exam prep, and your own interests. However, 3-6 is also a “sweetspot” since setting your test date any further can actually be detrimental. Giving yourself a year may sound like enough time, but the sense of urgency is lost, and you can easily lose focus on your tasks.
How many hours should I study for standardized tests while keeping up with school?
It depends on your available time, but generally 2-3 hours on the weekdays and 3-4 hours on the weekends. This gives you at least 16 hours of exam prep for each week. The key takeaway here is consistency. It’s better to study in short, focused sessions than to overload yourself and risk burnout. Of course, when the test date is nearing, you can adjust your schedule as needed, putting a few more hours dedicated to exam prep. Always remember never to go overboard and always prioritize your well-being. Again, a healthy body leads to a healthy mind!
I have trouble keeping myself motivated, what should I do?
With so much pressure on your shoulders, we understand that motivation can sometimes last far shorter than what we expect. However, to stay motivated, a common way is to have a reward system. Reward systems are very effective since they essentially “trick” your brain into liking the tedious work. By pairing study sessions and task completion with rewards, your brain starts viewing these tasks in a more positive light. This helps you stay motivated and makes it easier to stay on track with both schoolwork and exam preparation.