1. Mediterranean and Baltic almost aren’t even worth buying.

It takes money to make money. It’s great to study for the SAT, but only studying a few minutes each day is barely even worth your time. The SAT’s an all-or-nothing deal. Go for the most expensive properties possible (spend as much time studying as possible) in order to reap the biggest reward (a high SAT score).

Similarly, it’s great to buy SAT materials (properties), but if you don’t study intensively (build houses or hotels on your properties), their value will always be limited. The best SAT prep books increase in value to you when you “upgrade” them by learning what they contain.

2. The more railroads you buy, the better a return you collect from each one.

Studying for the Reading Section will help you with the Writing Section, and vice-versa. The more studying you do, the more it increases the benefit of your previous studying. Things start to click.

3. Everyone begins Monopoly with the same $1500. It’s how you use that money that makes all the difference.

Sure, there are a few rolls of the dice on the SAT too – you might get sick or have a noisy test center. However, everyone has the same amount of time on the SAT. It’s how you use your time that makes all the difference, and you need a refined strategy in order to succeed. The time you devote to studying, the strategies you use, and your familiarity with the SAT determine how you’ll do on test day.