SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips

The ACT Science section, more than any other, is about strategy over knowledge. Because every graduating high school senior has a varied level of science education, the only way to make a "fair" or "standardized" test is to test very basic concepts. If the ACT Science tested basic concepts in an easy way everyone would get a 36, so instead, the ACT tests these basic concepts in new and confusing ways.

In order to get the best score, you need to use a strategy to attack this strange test and practice the strategy on several ACT Science practice tests. For information about practice tests, check out our other article. You only have 35 minutes to answer 40 questions (or 52.5 seconds per question) and each question has the same point value, so you also need a strategy that helps you answer as many questions as possible in the shortest amount of time.

If you've noticed that the SAT Writing section seems to be confusing, that's because it's intentionally designed to be that way.

But we're going to let you in on something that the College Board doesn't want you to know: there are a few key secrets that will help you understand this part of the SAT, and knowing them makes it much easier to crack. Read on to learn how to take this section of the SAT into your own hands.

Author technique is a specific type of reading comprehension question that appears frequently on the ACT English section. Author technique questions require you to analyze a specific sentence and determine if it fulfills an author's stated purpose.

Read this article for a thorough explanation of author technique and guidance on how to figure out author technique questions.

Lots of colleges "superscore" your SAT scores, or take your highest section scores across all your test dates. Besides making your application stronger, this policy can also be valuable for how you approach the SAT. How does it accomplish all this?

Read on to learn how SAT superscoring affects your overall testing strategy. First, what are the major benefits of SAT superscore?

You may recall the good ol’ days of elementary school when you learned about adjectives and adverbs. If you had realized that you would have to know about these parts of speech for the ACT, perhaps you would have paid better attention instead of daydreaming about Nickelodeon and The Disney Channel. Don’t worry. If you’ve forgotten or never learned about these parts of speech, I’ll teach you everything you need to know about them for the ACT English section.

You may know that the SAT offers both Superscoring and Score Choice, but do you know what separates the two? Much like a pair of dissimilarly flavored but equally delicious ice cream cones, each one benefits you, but in slightly different ways.

How did the ACT get started? And how did it become the test it is today? Read on to learn more about ACT history, its successes and failures, and how things might change for it in the future.

Three little letters, one big test.

Wondering what the letters ACT actually stand for? The answer reveals a lot about the history of the test as well as its goals. Read on to learn about the name of the ACT and why that matters.

Shockingly, catchy slogans were not a part of the original Scholastic Achievement Test. 

If you're a high school student trying to get into college, you've definitely heard of the SAT, and might already be studying for it. But have you ever wondered what "SAT" itself actually stands for? And does it reveal anything about what the SAT claims to measure?

Well, it turns out the SAT has gone through many name changes, which reveal changes in the test's design and purpose. Read on for the full story behind the SAT's name.

Few things in life are free – especially when it comes to college admissions. You have to shell out for prep books, test fees, application fees, and more. It adds up quickly! So doesn’t it make sense to save money where you can, like on those four free score reports that come with your SAT registration?

Maybe – or maybe not. We will examine the issue in depth and help you learn how to save your money and also maximize your college admission chances.

Parallel structure is a grammar rule that is often referenced yet often misunderstood. After reading this article, you’ll comprehend parallel structure and be able to correctly answer ACT English questions that test your knowledge of parallel structure.

Because you will most likely see parallel structure questions on the ACT, let’s learn this rule and raise your ACT English score.

What are SAT Prep Summer Programs and should you use them?

There are a lot of variations in SAT summer programs and the hours of study they offer. Other than time, the greatest variation in SAT summer programs is through price. There are commercial and noncommercial options and they vary by price and hours offered, as well as the material used. No matter the course, a good program will offer at least once a week test.

Imagine you take the SAT in the fall of junior year and get an awesome Reading score. Your math, unfortunately, is not so great. To bring it up, you study for the next few months and retake the SAT in the spring. Your math score shoots way up, but your Reading actually decreases from what you got in the fall. What do you do?!

Luckily, most colleges have a policy of "superscoring" the SAT, or taking your highest section scores across all dates you took the SAT. Let's break down exactly what superscoring is, why schools do it, and what this means for your SAT game plan.

The College Board is going to allow students who were affected by the mistake on the June 6, 2015 administration of the SAT to re-take the test for free in October. Read on for more information and to see what your options are.

As a high school student, you’re probably wondering whether you should take the SAT or the ACT. Which one will give you a better score? Is one easier than the other?

The answer is not as straightforward as you might think. Everyone has different test-taking strengths and learning styles. Based on these factors, it might be to your advantage to take one test over the other.

In this article I’ll go through a list of different strengths and weaknesses you might have as a test-taker and student and let you know which test you should take based on those qualities.