College Board used to say that you couldn't prepare for the S.A.T. Then it noticed the abundance of S.A.T. prep books on the market and the hundreds of thousands of students who take prep courses and give testimonials stating that their scores improved....often by hundreds of points! So College Board gave up on the myth that you couldn't prepare and published its own book, "The Official SAT Study Guide," which is actually the very best prep book on the market (and is available on Amazon for less than $12.00).
You don't have to be a genius to do well on the S.A.T., but you do have to be smart enough to prepare in advance! It's not a secret what's on the test. If you prepare yourself using College Board's book, or take a prep course that uses only College Board material, such as the courses offered by S.A.T. Smart (view schedule at www.satsmart.com you are sure to maximize your score. The Math on the S.A.T., for example, is much easier than the Math studied by most high school juniors and seniors. It's simply Algebra I, Geometry and Basic Problem Solving, with a few Algebra II questions. There is no Trigonometry, Pre-Calculus or Calculus. Likewise, the format for the Critical Reading sections is very predictable. There will be some long and tedious passages. But the questions always go in sequence as to how the material appears in the passage. So the best strategy is to read the first paragraph of the passage, and start answering the questions. Continue on, reading the passage one paragraph at a time, answering the questions as you move through the passage. Then, if you run out of time, as least you have most of the questions answered. It's also so much easier to stay focused on one paragraph at a time, rather than read the entire passage and find that your mind was wandering and you're not even sure what you read!
So basically, learn the strategies and practice on College Board sample tests. They mirror exactly what you will face on your actual PSAT and SAT exams. You don't need to be a genius to do well on the SAT.....just well prepared!
