SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips

Ashley Robinson

Ashley Sufflé Robinson has a Ph.D. in 19th Century English Literature. As a content writer for PrepScholar, Ashley is passionate about giving college-bound students the in-depth information they need to get into the school of their dreams.

Recent Posts

Who Is Zeus? 6 Key Myths About the King of the Greek Gods

Zeus: Greek god of thunder, king of all men, hurler of lightning bolts. You know this guy, right? Kind of? Or maybe not?

Zeus is the king of the Greek gods, which makes him one of the most important members of the Greek Pantheon. Not only is he the god of thunder and the sky, he’s also the subject of many famous Greek myths. So if you want to understand Greek mythology, you should start by getting to know Zeus.

So let’s dive in and learn all that there is to know about Zeus, Greek god of all Greek gods.

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The 8 Types of Sonnets and How to Tell Them Apart

You’ve probably heard of the Shakespearean sonnet, or maybe even the Petrarchan sonnet. But those are just two types of sonnets. There are actually many other forms! 

As new poets have tinkered with more traditional approaches to the sonnet over time, they’ve come up with their own approaches to writing sonnets, too. In this article, we’re going to help you learn about all of the major types of sonnets by:

  • Briefly introducing you to the sonnet
  • Breaking down different types of sonnets, including an example and analysis of each type
  • Explaining nine poetic terms you need to know in order to successfully analyze the different types of sonnets

Are you ready? Let’s check out some sonnets!

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What Is Mitosis? A Complete Guide to Mitotic Cell Division

If you’re studying biology, the concept of mitosis is pretty unavoidable. Mitosis is part of the cell cycle, and studying how cells work makes up a huge portion of any biology class. It’s safe to say you’re going to need some working knowledge of mitosis if you’re looking to breeze through any biology-related course or exam. 

Here’s what we’re going to cover in this article so you’re up to speed on the purpose of mitosis, how the process of mitosis works, and why mitosis is important to know about. We will:

  • Answer the question, “What is the purpose of mitosis?” (definition and explanation of the importance of mitosis included)
  • Description of the 4 phases of mitosis
  • Review the similarities and differences between mitosis and meiosis
  • Our top three tips for studying and memorizing the stages of mitosis, and
  • Three resources for further learning about mitosis!

And, now, let our journey through the world of mitosis begin!

 

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The 10 Best Spelling Games to Improve Your Word Skills

In case you haven’t heard, according to Taylor Swift, spelling is fun! But if Taylor’s word isn’t enough to convince you, we’ve come up with a list of ways that playing spelling games can actually improve your spelling, including examples of 10 spelling games that are excellent options for kids, adults, or anyone who wants to improve their spelling skills! (Don’t worry: the possibilities for spelling games go way beyond Scrabble.)

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10 Famous Sonnet Examples, Explained

You've probably heard about sonnets in your English class, so you already know that sonnets are an important poetic form. But it can be tough to understand what they're saying!

The good news is that everyone can learn to understand poetry. It just takes practice! That's why we've picked the top 10 famous sonnets of all time and explained them. Reading the sonnet alongside an expert explanation will help you not only understand what the sonnet's about, but it will help you test your own analytical skills, too. 

To help you master the sonnet, our guide is going to do the following:

  • Define the term “sonnet”
  • List and analyze the top ten sonnets of all time
  • List our top five resources for learning more about sonnets

Now, without further delay, let’s check out some sonnets and sonnet examples!

 

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Your Complete Crash Course to Romantic Poetry

The Romantic Era is famous for its poetry--in fact, Romanticism is one of the most influential periods in the history of English poetry.

It’s a pretty safe bet that you’ll have to tackle Romantic poetry at some point, whether it’s in your English classes or on the AP Literature and Language exam. That’s why we’ve whipped up a crash course on the Romantic Era for you! We’ll explain the following in our crash course:

  • Answer the question, “What is Romanticism?” by providing a Romanticism definition and describing the historical context of the era
  • Explain Romanticism characteristics that are unique to the period’s philosophy and literature
  • Give an overview of the key traits of Romanticism literature and poetry, including Romanticism examples
  • List the six most important Romantic poets you need to know
  • List five books for further reading if you want to learn more about the Romantic Era!

There’s a lot to cover about Romanticism, so let’s get started!

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Fast Online Degrees: How to Find the Perfect Program

The traditional four-year bachelor’s degree program isn’t for everyone. People from all walks of life have benefitted from earning an accelerated bachelor’s degree, online and in person, for years.

But, like with most things, you need to know a few things before you enroll in one of these programs. Not only do you need to understand what fast online degrees require, you need to know how they look on a resume and how to find the accelerated degree program that’s right for you.   

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The 12 Best Time Management Tips, Skills, and Strategies

When you hear successful people talk about the secret to their success, time management often comes up. But what is this vague and elusive “time management” they’re talking about? What does time management look like in practice, and how do you make it happen when you’re already stretched thin and overwhelmed?

It’s important for anyone who’s busy, over-committed, or stressed to have an arsenal of concrete, effective time management skills to lean on when things get tough...and when things are easy too! Our expert time management tips will help you make decisions about how to implement time management skills and techniques to organize and guide your daily life, through the good times and bad.

After reading our guide to time management, you’ll be prepared to design a personalized time management strategy based on the skills and techniques you learn about here. In this guide, we’re going to cover the following info for you:

  • What is time management, and why is it useful?
  • Top time management tips for reducing stress and increasing success
  • Best tools to support your time management strategies

So take some deep, calming breaths and settle in to discover some effective time management techniques!

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3 Key Tips for How to Write an Argumentative Essay

If there’s one writing skill you need to have in your toolkit for standardized tests, AP exams, and college-level writing, it’s the ability to make a persuasive argument. Effectively arguing for a position on a topic or issue isn’t just for the debate team—it’s for anyone who wants to ace the essay portion of an exam or make As in college courses.

To give you everything you need to know about how to write an argumentative essay, we’re going to answer the following questions for you:

  • What is an argumentative essay?
  • How should an argumentative essay be structured?
  • How do I write a strong argument?
  • What’s an example of a strong argumentative essay?
  • What are the top takeaways for writing argumentative papers?

By the end of this article, you’ll be prepped and ready to write a great argumentative essay yourself!

Now, let’s break this down.

 

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How Checks and Balances Work in the US Government

 

If you’ve tuned into the news lately, you’ve seen the checks and balances system of government at work. Whether it’s courts striking down executive orders or governors vetoing legislation, checks and balances are constantly working to keep the United States government functioning.

But what are checks and balances, exactly? And how do they help make democracy work?

Although it’s important for everyone to understand the checks and balances system, it’s especially critical for you to understand if you’re taking a government course. Additionally, since a system of checks and balances plays an essential role in the U.S. federal government, the concept will also be a heavy contender for an AP exam free response question.

That’s a lot to cover, huh? Not to worry, though! By the end of this guide, you’ll have all the information you need to

  • Answer the question, “What are checks and balances?”
  • Write your own checks and balances definition
  • Identify pros and cons of a checks and balances government
  • Explain various checks and balances examples
  • Analyze real-life examples of checks and balances

Let’s get going!

 

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The 9 Literary Elements You'll Find In Every Story

The AP Literature exam is designed to test your ability to analyze literature. That means you'll have to know how to use analytical tools, like literary elements, to uncover the meaning of a text.

Because literary elements are present in every piece of literature (really!), they're a good place to start when it comes to developing your analytical toolbox. In this article, we'll give you the literary element definition, explain how a literary element is different from a literary device, and look at the top nine literary elements you need to know before taking the AP Literature exam.

So let's get started!

 

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How Does the Executive Branch Check the Judicial Branch?

Understanding how the United States government works is critical to succeeding on the AP United States Government and Politics exam. That includes having a solid understanding about how each piece of the federal government works together.

One of the key components of this is the checks and balances system, which is where each branch of government checks--or limits--the power of the others. And unfortunately, understanding how those checks work can be a little confusing.

That’s where this article comes in. Today, we’re going to investigate how the executive branch of the U.S. government checks the judicial branch. To do this, we’ll:

  • Define the three branches of government
  • Examine how the judicial and executive branches operate
  • Answer the question, “How does the executive branch check the judicial branch?”

So let’s get started!

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The 9 Most Inspirational Spanish Quotes About Life

One of the best ways to practice a language is to read it. It’s even better when you read idiomatic phrases that don’t always translate directly into English. That helps you learn more than just vocabulary--it teaches you to unlock the meaning behind the words, too. It’s definitely a skill you’ll definitely need to ace your AP Spanish Language exam or your AP Spanish Literature exam!

Today, we’re going to introduce you to 9 of the best inspirational Spanish quotes about life. Reading through these will help you practice your advanced reading and comprehension skills...and it might just give you some food for thought, too. For each quote, we’re going to give you:

  • The Spanish quote
  • The English translation of the quote
  • A short discussion of why the quote is inspirational

¿Listos? ¡Bien, empecemos!

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How Many Cups Is 4 Quarts? A Conversion Guide

 

One of the types of questions you’ll see on both the SAT exam and the ACT exam are word problems. You know, situations where you’re given real-world scenarios, and you have to figure out the answer to a particular question based on the data you’re given.

It’s common to see conversions in word problems. Conversions ask you to change a value from one form of measurement into another. In today’s article, we’re going to cover one specific type of measurement conversion: imperial volume conversion.

Specifically, we’re going to show you how to figure out how many cups are in 4 quarts. (Spoiler alert: 16 cups are in 4 quarts!)

We’ll teach you:

  • The math formula for converting cups to quarts
  • How to figure out how many cups is 4 quarts by figuring out the cups to quarts conversion
  • How to read a chart that explains different imperial volume conversions

Ready? Let’s dive in!

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The 5 Best Schools to Earn a Human Resources Degree + What You Can Do With It

When you hear the term “human resources” or “HR,” what do you think of? You’ve probably heard it quite a few times, whether that’s from your business courses, the news, or even as you’ve researched potential majors.

One of our favorite examples of someone who works in human resources is the character Toby from The Office. Toby’s job was to keep Michael Scott, Dunder Mifflin’s off-the-wall regional manager, in check. (If you’ve ever seen The Office, you know that was an impossible order!)

And if you remember Toby, you’ll also recollect that he was also considered a wet blanket and no fun.

But despite its portrayal in The Office, working in human resources is actually an excellent fit for anyone who enjoys working with people and shaping a company’s policies. This article will not only introduce you to the human resources degree, it will also give you a peek at the doors it can open for you.

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