SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips

Samantha Lindsay

Samantha is a blog content writer for PrepScholar. Her goal is to help students adopt a less stressful view of standardized testing and other academic challenges through her articles. Samantha is also passionate about art and graduated with honors from Dartmouth College as a Studio Art major in 2014. In high school, she earned a 2400 on the SAT, 5's on all seven of her AP tests, and was named a National Merit Scholar.

Recent Posts

Do ACT Scores Predict Success?

Many students make judgments about their potential for future success based on how well they do on the ACT or SAT. Though earning high scores on these tests will help you to get into a selective college, the scores don't always have an impact on your future beyond that.

In this article, I'll go through whether or not ACT scores can be used as a means of predicting academic success, career success, and overall happiness later in life.

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Is AP Chemistry Hard? 5 Key Factors Considered

AP Chemistry is an intimidating subject if you're not familiar with the material. There are all these weird formulas with superscripts and subscripts to remember, and it involves what some students view as an unpleasant amount of math. But is AP Chemistry as hard as it sounds?

In this article, I'll examine five different factors to reach a conclusion regarding the true difficulty level of AP Chemistry in comparison with other high-level classes.

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What Is AP Seminar? Should You Take It?

If your school offers AP Seminar, you might be wondering what it's all about. This AP class is great for students who want to challenge themselves and learn more about the independent research process before starting college.

In this guide, I'll give you an overview of what AP Seminar entails, a sample course outline, advice on whether you should take the course, and some tips on how to do well in it.

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What Is AP Research? Should You Take It?

AP Research is a class introduced by the College Board as a part of its new AP Capstone program. But what does it really involve? How can you do well?

In this article, I'll provide an overview of AP Research and give you some more information about whether you should take it and how you can be successful in the class.

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What Are AP Exams and Tests?

AP Tests may seem like intimidating obstacles, but if you've done well in the corresponding AP classes, you shouldn't have too much trouble earning a high score. Good AP Test scores can help you in the college admissions process and may even earn you college credits.

In this article, I'll give you an overview of what AP exams are, why they matter, and how scoring works across a variety of different tests and subject areas.

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College Classes in High School: Is AP or Community College Better?

If your high school has AP classes, you probably know a bit about which ones are offered and what they're like. AP classes are designed to be the equivalent of introductory-level college courses.

However, you may also have the opportunity to take a real college class at your local community college as a high school student. Which option should you choose?

Both community college classes and APs can be valuable additions to your transcript, but you might decide that one or the other is a better fit depending on your needs. I'll go through the advantages of each and give you the information you need to decide between them.

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AP World History Review: 5-Step Study Plan

It's difficult to know where to start when studying for the AP World History test. The few months you have to study for the exam are dwarfed by the nearly 1,000 years of history covered by the curriculum. The good news is that this AP exam mainly asks you to look at long-term trends rather than minute details, so it's not as daunting to review for as you might think.

In this guide, we'll give you a brief overview of the test content, lay out a template for a successful AP World History review plan, and introduce some essential study strategies for making the most of your prep time.

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The Complete Guide to the AP World History Exam

Before you start studying for the AP World History exam, you should get the inside scoop on its format and content. The types of questions you'll see might differ from your expectations. It's especially smart to practice writing essay outlines based on past questions before you're faced with fresh prompts on test day.

In this article, we'll go through the structure, content, and question types on the AP World History exam and provide some helpful tips for acing it!

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The Best AP US Government Notes to Study With

As a high schooler, you're on the verge of participating in the democratic process. It's a great time to learn more about the structure and history of our government and how politics actually work. This is why so many students take the AP US Government and Politics class and test.

You've probably been taking notes in your AP US Gov class based on your teacher's lectures and what's written in your textbook, but it can be nice to have all the info you need in one place. This article will give you links to notes on every topic in the AP US Government curriculum along with a few tips on how to study effectively.

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The Complete Guide to AP US Government FRQs

Free-response questions, or FRQs, on the AP US Government exam are more straightforward than those on some other AP tests, but they can still be tough if you're not ready for them. In this guide, we will lay out a simple step-by-step method for answering AP Government FRQs, go through a real example, and tell you where you can find additional practice resources.

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Is the College Board Mismanaging the AP Program?

The College Board AP program is commonly viewed as the gold standard of curriculum for high school students. An AP class is meant to replicate the experience of an introductory college course, and high scores on AP exams can potentially lead to college credit. Students often take AP classes to impress colleges with their academic prowess in high school. But how is the program doing overall? Are students really benefiting that much?

In this article, I'll discuss the College Board's management of the AP program over time and how its positive and negative aspects affect students nationwide.

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AP Chemistry Syllabus: What Does It Cover?

What does an AP Chemistry syllabus look like? How many labs do you have to do? And what skills are you expected to learn before the test?

In this article, I'll take an in-depth look at the components of a successful AP Chemistry syllabus, including content coverage, lab work, and overall curriculum requirements. I'll also give an example of a full syllabus (based on a sample from the College Board) and provide some helpful tips for both students and teachers!

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How to Ace Your AP Chemistry Labs

Labs play a significant role in AP Chemistry, and knowledge of experimental procedures is critical for the final exam. If you're an AP Chemistry student (or are considering becoming one), this guide will help you understand what to expect from the lab components of the course.

I'll provide an overview of the types of AP Chemistry labs you'll see, the amount of time you'll spend on them, and what a real lab procedure looks like. You'll also learn how lab reports are structured and what you can do during the lab to ensure that you're getting the most out of your experience!

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What Is AP International Diploma? Do You Need One?

The College Board’s AP program is recognized by colleges around the world. In addition to taking individual AP classes, students who are interested in attending school in another country can potentially earn the AP International Diploma. In this article, I’ll tell you what the AP Diploma is, how you can get it, and whether it’s worthwhile for you!

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What's in an AP Biology Syllabus? Guide and Examples

A great syllabus is the backbone of any AP course, but it can be challenging to create one that fits all the requirements and is easy for students to follow. In this article, I'll give you the ingredients you need for a solid AP Biology syllabus, including all the concepts and curricular requirements of the course.

I'll also provide a sample syllabus so you can get an idea of what a syllabus for this class might look like (if you're a student) or how you might structure your version of AP Biology (if you're a teacher). Finally, the end of this article is devoted to a few quick tips for teachers and students on how to successfully teach and learn the material.

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