How to Find a Comfortable Seat During the SAT

Imagine spending hours studying for the SAT, only to get to your assigned testing room, getting started on the test, and finding yourself unable to focus. This is a nightmare for most students, but there are ways to help minimize the chance that it will happen to you. One of those is making sure your seat is as comfortable as possible. There isnt usually a wide range of seating choices in testing rooms. Most of the time youll be met by a sea of these: Look familiar? Youve probably spent hours slumped in one just like it. The day of the SAT, however, is no time for slouching! Even if you cant expect the comfiest chair for the test, you can take steps to make sure your seat only helps you. Clothes What you wear can actually have a significant effect on how comfortable you are during the test. Don’t wear anything too restricting. Tight pants or a stiff jacket can grow increasingly uncomfortable and distracting over the three to four hours you’ll be taking the test. However, you shouldn’t show up in pajamas, either. You want your brain to be in thinking mode, not napping mode! Lastly, consider dressing in layers. The temperature controls in the testing room are unpredictable, so having an extra layer you can add or remove might make a huge difference to your comfort. Posture It is incredibly tempting to slouch back in your chair or hunch over your test, but these habits aren’t doing you any favors. Research suggests that sitting up straight helps people answer questions more confidently, even when they are unsure of the answer. We can’t promise you’ll feel completely sure of all your answers on the test, but adopting good posture can make you feel more alert and makes it easier to concentrate. Location Where you sit in the room might also be something you should consider. Some rooms might assign you seats alphabetically, but if you have a choice, consider where you might feel more comfortable. The back of the room might feel safer, but everyone else will be in front of you, which might be distracting. Some people prefer being in the middle of the room because they feel part of the group and are energized by the fact that everyone around them is also testing, but this might also be distracting for some. The front row eliminates the potential for being distracted by people in front of you, but can also feel like being in the spotlight. Think about which appeals to you most, then try to sit there on test day. Recap Testing rooms are not designed to be comfortable. You can only do so much, but by paying attention to your posture and choosing your outfit and seat mindfully, you can take control of your personal comfort and limit potential environmental distractions on test day.