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How to Have an SAT-Ready Vocabulary
You've probably heard it before: "Improve your vocabulary if you want to pass your SAT!" That's your teacher's way of saying "study or fail." However, the SAT need not be stressful, if you have the vocabulary skills you need to succeed.

Time

Don't make the mistake of leaving this preparation all to the last minute, because you need to study regularly in order to be successful. Get organized, identify how you learn best, and practice your vocabulary skills systematically and persistently.
The nature and patterns of the SAT exams and the way they're written mean that memorizing whole word lists is useless. You need to master the words well in advance to be able to use that acquired knowledge effectively on the SAT. You need to know the words, naturally, but also how they're used.

Listen to your tutors

Teachers are not your enemies. Even if you spend your school years entirely ignoring them, you can still make amends and listen to their advice. Or go further, and actually take the initiative to ask for advice! Your teachers are good in their fields of expertise, so why not take advantage of it? Ask them about what you must learn, what to avoid, and how to make your studying more productive.

Read

Over the years you were regularly given what is called "additional reading material" in your classes. Even though your teachers never expected you to actually read those texts, you should. These reading opportunities can be amazingly beneficial for enriching your vocabulary with power words, essential for your SAT score.

Personal assistant, anyone?

If your budget allowed, you could hire a private tutor to guide you through the process of SAT preparation. However, this process can be done in a much more pocket-friendly manner, namely through technology.
Take advantage of the widespread availability of vocabulary software and invest in a good system - but not just the first one you come across. You need vocabulary building software which has specifically designed SAT features and activities to help you boost your SAT score.

Be selective

Admittedly, you can find a lot of resources online if you want to improve your vocabulary. Yes, you can find SAT word lists and quizzes, even past papers on the internet, but most of these are (to say the least) outdated and as such irrelevant to what you will face at your SAT.
Consequently, a good vocabulary improvement software system will not only help you chart your progress to success, but will be a boundless resource for exercises and vocabulary activities 24/7. Whenever you feel like reviewing or learning new words, just go to your vocabulary software.
With the right tools, mastering the SAT is definitely something you can accomplish.