SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips

If you’ve heard the news that the SAT is transitioning to a totally digital format by 2024, you might be wondering how that will affect other exams, like the PSAT. Is the PSAT on paper or computer these days? Will the PSAT format change this year? 

In 2023, the PSAT format will change over from a paper exam to a fully digital test. To help you get a handle on what those changes mean for you, we’ll cover the following in this article: 

• How the PSAT format will change from paper to digital
• Five ways that the digital PSAT will be different from the paper exam
• Three tips for preparing for the new digital PSAT
  
  

Let’s get started!

The next Earth Science Regents exam will be held on Friday, June 16, 2023, at 9:15 AM. Will you be prepared?

In this guide, we explain everything you need to know about the Earth Science Regents exam, from what format the test will follow to which topics it'll cover. We also include official sample questions of every question type you'll see on this exam and break down exactly what your answers to each of them should include.

If you took the SAT in between 2016 and 2020, you might be wondering what percentile your score is in. Is a 700 on Math in 2016 the same as a 700 in Math in 2020? How much do percentile scores change from year to year?

In this article, I'll explain what new SAT percentile scores are and how they've changed over time. I'll also provide percentiles for SAT combined and section scores for 2016 through 2020.

You're in an IB Diploma Programme or a few IB classes, and you've tirelessly worked all year (or two years) studying for your SLs and HLs. You sat for the exams, where you probably developed carpal tunnel syndrome. And you can relate a little too well to this video, but you're hoping you did a bit better on your IB exams.

So when do you get your IB exam scores? How do you get your scores? What does your score mean? I will answer all these questions and more in this article.

CTY, or Center for Talented Youth, at Johns Hopkins University (JHU) offers an assortment of resources to gifted students. These resources include summer programs and courses, written resources, community awards/recognition, and college counseling.

The first step to many of the CTY programs is registering for the Talent Search. Even the programs that are open to everyone give priority to students who participated in the Talent Search. For your convenience, we've compiled everything you need to know about CTY into one magnificent blog entry guide. I recommend reading it all the way through, but if you only want to read one particular section, you can pick it out from the Table of Contents.

I'll start off by going in depth into the Talent Search and then mention other programs along with links if you want more information than I give in this article.

Are you a student at a public high school in New York State? Then you must pass a math Regents exam in order to graduate and get your diploma. One of these exams is Algebra 1 Regents, which tests your understanding of an array of algebra-related concepts and laws, from exponents and equations to functions and probability.

The next NYS Algebra regents exam will be held on Thursday, June 15, 2023 at 1:15 pm.

Read on to learn exactly what the Algebra 1 Regents exam entails, what kinds of questions you can expect, what topics you should know, and how you can ensure you pass it.

Some states in the U.S. require students to take and pass a standardized test in order to graduate from high school with a diploma. If you live in the state of New York, you'll have to take and pass a standardized test called the Regents Exam in order to earn your high school diploma.

There are several individual Regents Exams, each covering a different subject area. If you want to get a high school diploma in the state of New York (called a Regents Diploma), you'll have to take and pass at least one science Regents exam.

The Living Environment Regents Exam is one of four science exams offered, and we're here to help you learn everything you need to know to help you decide if taking the Living Environment Regents exam is the best choice for you.

In our full guide to this exam, we'll cover the following:

• What the Living Environment Regents Exam is
• Who should take the Living Environment Regents Exam
• Important information about the exam for quick reference
• The format of the exam
• Sample questions from the exam
• The topics and subtopics covered by the exam sections

There's a lot to cover here, so let's get going!

The PSAT is an important test on the road to college. Your scores predict how you'll do on the SAT. Plus, top scorers can earn distinctions and scholarships from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.

So how do you know whether your PSAT scores are good? While what counts as a good score varies depending on your personal goals, we can give a more objective answer to this question by considering PSAT score percentiles. But first, let's review how the PSAT is scored.

Every student who takes the SAT will access the exam using a digital app called Bluebook starting in 2024. But what is the Bluebook app? How do you set it up and how does it work?

We’ll answer all of these questions and more to help you learn the ins and outs of using Bluebook before exam day. As a bonus, we’ll also walk you through what’s included in the Bluebook app, the SAT prep materials provided through Bluebook, and give you three tips for practicing for the digital SAT.

So, let’s get started!

Some people really prefer mechanical pencils to regular pencils. If you are one of those people, you may wonder if you can use a mechanical pencil on the SAT or the ACT.

The short answer is no, but the long answer is a much more convoluted “Maybe, but I don’t recommend it.” Read on for a breakdown of the official policies for each exam, why this rule exists, the actual reality of mechanical pencils on the exam, my recommendation, and some other important administrative regulations to remember for test day. 

When the College Board rolled out its new digital SAT format in spring 2023 for international students and in March 2024 for U.S. students, it was one of the most significant changes the company has made to the standardized test in its 97-year history. This major transition is intended to make the exam more equitable and to reduce test-taking anxiety by aligning the format with how students are already learning online.

But what precisely is changing? There’s much to know beyond the move from analog to digital. In this article, we’ll provide everything you need to know about the new SAT format so you can prepare effectively.

The College Board has released a new, digital SAT. The College Board has said that one of the reasons it developed the digital SAT was to introduce adaptive testing. Adaptive testing allows exams to change in real time based on how well, or how poorly, a student is performing.

If adaptive testing is unfamiliar to you, don’t panic! We’re here to walk you through the ins and outs of adaptive testing so you’ll be fully prepared for the digital SAT. In this guide, we’ll cover: 

• What the SAT adaptive test is
• How adaptive testing works
• How to create a test prep strategy for SAT adaptive testing
• Three tips for preparing for adaptive testing
  
  

Let’s dive in!

If you've applied or are currently applying to Ivy League schools, you've likely heard the phrase "Ivy Day." Ivy Day, or Ivy Admissions Day, is when all the Ivy League schools announce their admissions decisions for regular decision first-year applicants. This year, Ivy Day is March 26, 2025. 

Keep reading to learn more about what to expect on Ivy Day, how to predict future Ivy Day dates, and what to do with your admissions decision(s) once Ivy Day is over.

With the digital SAT, students will take the exam in a totally new format. The days of the pencil-and-paper SAT booklet are gone…which means you probably have some questions!

You know, like…how does the digital SAT work?

Spoiler alert: one of the biggest changes about the digital SAT is that you’ll have to take in on some kind of digital device. But what are the digital SAT approved devices? And how can you access them if you don’t already have one?

In this guide, we’ll explain how taking the digital SAT works to help you get ready for the new format. We’ll cover:

• How the digital SAT works
• How you’ll take the digital SAT, including answering the question, “What devices can I use on the SAT?”
• What to do if you don’t have an approved device
• What happens if you have technical issues during the exam

Are you ready? Let’s get started!

In 2022, the College Board announced that the SAT would soon be administered digitally. The new digital format of the standardized exam began in March 2023 for international students; U.S. students begin taking the digital SAT in March 2024. After the transition, pencil-and-paper tests will no longer be offered.

The change is a welcome one for many test takers, but how will the new format affect your test prep? One strategy is clear: As you’re planning to take the digital SAT, you’ll want to make sure you’re taking the right kind of practice exams. Let’s take a deep dive into digital SAT practice tests so you’ll be prepared for the online version of the exam.