SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips

So you’ve been staring at one math problem for what feels like forever, or maybe you’ve gone through your solve and none of the answer choices match what you found. Or maybe you just feel like somewhere along the way you made a huge mistake….

Well, never fear! Right now you might be stuck on a math problem, but we’ve all been there and there is always a way to recover. We’ll walk you through both how to recognize when you’re stuck (it’s not always obvious until too late) and what to do about it when it happens.

If you put to a vote whether the ACT Math test or the SAT Math test is easier, there's going to be heavy contention on both sides. Some will swear up and down (and sideways) that the SAT Math section is easier. Others will not be moved by any force in the world away from the position that the ACT Math section is the simpler one.

But which faction is right? And more importantly, which test should you take? We’ve broken down the ins and outs of each math test to tell you which is easier, depending on the type of test taker and math student you are.

Now that you’ve gathered together all your ACT math study materials, it’s time to put together a plan of attack. Having the right study materials is key, but understanding how to use them to their best effect is just as important. (What good is a tool wielded improperly, after all?)

We’ve put together a comprehensive plan on how to make use of your ACT math study materials and boost your math score. We’ll walk you through how to best use your math practice problems and how to make the best study plan possible to prepare yourself for test day.

If you thought the ACT was a big fan of circles, then brace yourself for its absolutely shameless love of triangles. In one breath, you may be expected to find the various dimensions of an obtuse triangle, and the next, an isosceles right triangle. ACT triangle problems will be as numerous as they are varied, so make sure you familiarize yourself with all the different types before test day.

This will be your complete guide to ACT triangles--the types of triangles that will show up on the ACT, the formulas you’ll need to know to solve them, and the strategies you’ll need to apply when approaching a triangle question. We’ll also break down real ACT math problems and give you the walk-throughs on how to most efficiently and effectively tackle any and all triangle problems you come up against.

If you’ve already tackled your single variable equations, then get ready for systems of equations. Multiple variables! Multiple equations! (Whoo!) Even better, systems of equations questions will always have multiple methods with which to solve them, depending on how you like to work best.

So let us look not only at how systems of equations work, but all the various options you have available to solve them.

This will be your complete guide to systems of equations questions—what they are, the many different ways for solving them, and how you’ll see them on the ACT.

Reflections, rotations, translations, oh my! Whether you’re dealing with points or complete shapes on the coordinate plane, you can spin 'em, flip 'em, or move 'em around to your heart’s content. And, often enough, you’ll be asked to do so on the ACT.

This will be your complete guide to rotations, reflections, and translations of points, shapes, and graphs on the ACT—what these terms mean, the types of questions you’ll see on the test, and the tips and formulas you’ll need to solve these questions in no time.

Statistics questions on the ACT are often simpler than the statistics questions you have seen in class. Most all of the statistics questions on the ACT boil down to finding or manipulating means, medians, and modes of a set of numbers.

If you are already familiar with these terms, you will have a good head-start on these types of problems. But even if you aren't familiar with these terms, most of ACT stats questions require that you understand and apply just a few key concepts (all of which we will go through in this guide).

This will be your complete guide to ACT means, medians, and modes—what they mean, how you'll see them on the test, and how to solve even the most complicated of ACT statistics questions.

One of the ACT’s absolute favorite shapes is the circle (or at least we assume so, given how often circles show up on the test). You will not be given any formulas on the ACT, so you’ll have to know and memorize the ins and outs of how circles work before test day. And, considering how often circles show up, mastering circle problems is definitely in your best interest.

This will be your complete guide to ACT circles, including areas, circumferences, degrees, arcs, and points on a circle. We’ll take you through what these terms mean, how to manipulate and solve for various aspects of a circle, and how to tackle the most difficult ACT circle questions you may see on test day.

You’ve dealt with the basics of coordinate geometry and points (and if you haven’t already, you may want to take a minute to refresh yourself) and now it’s time to look at the ins and outs of lines and slopes on the coordinate plane.

This will be your complete guide to lines and slopes--what slopes mean, how to find them, and how to solve the many types of slope and line equation questions you’ll see on the ACT.

Single variable equations are some of the most common types of problems on the ACT math section. You must know how to set up, use, and manipulate these kinds of equations, as they are a foundational element of mathematics upon which more complicated expressions (multiple variable, quadratics, etc.) are based.

So make sure you are prepared to tackle the ins and outs of single variable equations (no matter how they are presented on the ACT), before you take on some of the more complicated elements of ACT math.

This guide will be your complete walk-through of single variable equations for the ACT--what they are, how you’ll see them on the test, and how to set up and solve them.

Fractions and ratios (and by extension rational numbers) are all around us and, knowingly or not, we use them every day. If you wanted to brag over the fact that you ate half a pizza by yourself (and why not?) or you needed to know how many parts water to rice you need when making rice on the stove (two parts water to one part rice), then you need to communicate this using fractions and ratios.

In essence, fractions and ratios represent pieces of a whole by comparing those pieces either to each other or to the whole itself. Don’t worry if that sentence makes no sense right now. We’ll break down all the rules and workings of these concepts throughout this guide--both how these mathematical concepts work in general and how they will be presented to you on the ACT.

Whether you are an old hat at dealing with fractions, ratios, and rationals, or a novice, this guide is for you. This guide will break down what these terms mean, how to manipulate these kinds of problems, and how to answer the most difficult fraction, ratio, and rational number questions on the ACT.

As we mentioned in our math strategy article on plugging in answers, neither the SAT nor the ACT measures how you arrived at your answer. On standardized tests, all that matters is whether your answer is correct or not. There is no such thing as partial credit on a standardized test and no one is looking over your shoulder to see if you solved the question the “proper” way.

This means that finding the right answer—no matter the process—is the only thing that matters. And there are plenty of short-cut techniques you can use to find that correct answer without the need to create and solve complex equations. This guide will take you through the strategy of plugging in your own numbers, one of simplest processes for working out the answers to several different kinds of standardized math questions.

In this guide, we’ll give you a complete walk through on the strategy of plugging your own numbers (PIN) for math questions. We’ll go through the whys, hows, and, most importantly,  whens of using PIN your standardized test(s), as well as take you through several real SAT and ACT practice problems. The other best strategy for working around problems—plugging in the answers—is covered in a separate guide.  

The benefits to standardized testing are two-fold: almost all of the questions are multiple choice, and you do not have to show your work. Why are these benefits to you? Unlike in your math classes, where it is crucial to show your work in order to prove that you know how to solve problems, neither the SAT nor the ACT cares about how you got to your solution. All standardized tests measure is whether or not you have the correct answer.

This means that finding the right answer—no matter the process—is your only goal. There is no such thing as partial credit on standardized testing, but there are plenty of workarounds that can help you to find the correct answer without making you do overly complicated math. This guide will take you through one of simplest processes for working out the answers to several different kinds of standardized math questions—plugging in the answer choices.

In this guide, we'll give you a complete walk through on the strategy of plugging in the answers (PIA)—why use it, how to use it, and when to use it on your standardized test(s). The other best strategy for working around problems—plugging in your own numbers—is covered in a separate guide.

Geometry is the branch of mathematics that deals with points, lines, shapes, and angles. ACT geometry questions will test your knowledge of the shapes, sizes, and volumes of different figures, as well as their positions in space. 33% of ACT math problems (about 18 questions total) will involve geometry, depending on the particular test.

Because geometry as a whole covers so many different mathematical concepts, there are several different subsections of geometry (including planar, solid, and coordinate). We will cover each branch of geometry in separate guides, complete with a step-by-step approach to questions and sample problems. 

This article will be your comprehensive guide to solid geometry on the ACT. We’ll take you through the meaning of solid geometry, the formulas and understandings you’ll need to know, and how to tackle some of the most difficult solid geometry questions on the ACT math section.

Because the ACT is designed to be taken by every high school student in the country, it can only test math concepts that every student has experience with. The way the creators of the test make it hard is by giving you questions on a wide range of subjects and sub-topics, presenting them in strange ways, and by putting you on a strict time crunch. 

Maybe you’ve taken the ACT before--whether practice or real--and found yourself only half way or three quarters of the way through the math section before your time was up. Maybe you just think it would be downright impossible to finish so many questions on time. Rest assured--you are not alone. And it is not impossible.

In this guide, I'll walk you through the timing of the test and teach you how to beat the clock and maximize your time on the ACT.