SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips

Colleges generally say that they don’t have strict ACT score requirements. However, if you get a low ACT score, your chances of gaining admission to a selective college could be slim to none. There is no specific ACT score requirement to be admitted to the school of your dreams, but your ACT score will increase or decrease your likelihood of getting in.

In this article, I will discuss ACT requirements for college and how to determine your target ACT score to help you reach your college goals.

As stressful as the ACT can be, you shouldn’t take it too seriously. It’s an important test, sure, but just a test all the same.

Here are five weird facts about the ACT to help you feel less overwhelmed by studying.

Not on our watch.

To do well on the SAT/ACT, you need to commit to a certain amount of study hours. The higher the score you want, or the more points you need to improve, the more hours you need to put in. (Read more about how long exactly you need to study for the SAT or ACT here.)

If total hours is your main goal for studying, then procrastination is what you need to defeat to be successful. So we’ll talk a bit about why procrastination happens, and then give actionable advice for fighting it.

Read in to conquer procrastination once and for all!

If you are taking the ACT, you are following in the footsteps of a lot of other smart people! Universities use ACT scores as an indication of smarts and preparedness for college, but smart people do not always score high on the ACT test. In this article, I divulge the ACT scores of some reputedly smart people, politicians, CEOs, authors, etc.

How much can an ACT score drop by? How likely is it your ACT score will decrease if you retake the test? Or are you wondering why your ACT score went down on a recent retake?

Find out how likely an ACT decrease is, how big that ACT score decrease could be, and how to make sure your score goes up, not down! Read on if you have a retake in store.

Do you have questions about applying to community college? I have answers!

For starters, most community colleges do not require ACT scores. In fact, the vast majority are open enrollment: as long as you meet a few basic requirements (the main one is generally having a high school diploma or GED), you’re in.

The exception to this rule is if you're interested in more selective programs in science or law enforcement or if you're planning to transfer to a four-year university. In these cases, you may need to take the SAT or ACT.

In this post, I’ll explain the application process for community colleges in more depth and what steps you’ll need to take to apply.

The ACT is getting more popular each year, though it still might not be as popular as the Plastics.

Wondering if having the ACT required in states increases its overall popularity nationwide? And is requiring the ACT the best policy for students?

We’ll discuss the statewide ACT policies and how effective they are nationwide. Also, we’ll tell you how to approach the ACT, whether you’re living in an ACT-required state or not!

Unless a 4-year college has a test flexible policy, it requires the ACT or SAT from all its applicants. Since the ACT is meant to measure your academic skills for college classes that will be taught in English, there's no option for ACT dual language or ACT instructions in another language.

ESL and bilingual students have to take the ACT for many colleges. In a lot of cases, they have to take the TOEFL or IELTS, as well, to demonstrate their English language proficiency. The ACT is a tough test for all students, and its time and verbal demands make it especially challenging for English language learners.

Luckily, prepping for the ACT, once you have sufficient English language skills, can go a long way toward improving your scores. Let's go over what the ACT is all about and what you can do to get ready.

Students with documented disabilities who would like extended time on the ACT can request one of two options: National Extended Time, which entails 50% additional time, or Special Testing, which varies by student, includes more than time and a half, and tends to take place over multiple testing days.

This guide will take a deeper look at the options for extended time on the ACT, and how long the test-taking experience is for students with these accommodations. To begin, who qualifies for extra time?

Your SAT/ACT score isn't a one-trick pony.

Wondering why your SAT/ACT scores are important? They're used for more than just college admissions.

Get a list here of who uses SAT/ACT scores, and why. You may be surprised how late into life your SAT/ACT scores can follow you!

The ACT has a straightforward test format, but that doesn’t mean it’s an easy test. You’re going to need to know how it’s structured and what kinds of questions to expect on each section in order to do well. In this article, I’ve listed 20 essential ACT tips, broken down by section, that will help you conquer the most difficult aspects of the test.

Is the ACT of today the same test that was given years ago? According to students and test experts, the ACT has gradually been getting harder over the years, both in the level of its questions and its fast pace.

So what does the ACT have to say about these claims? Is the ACT hard now more than ever before? And what exactly do people think is getting more difficult on this already challenging test? 

If you’re planning on taking the ACT, you’re probably wondering what you can expect in terms of scores. In this article, I’ll take you through the basics of how the test is scored, show you where your scores fall in relation to other students, and give you a few tips on how to plan your studying to meet your goals.

What exactly are the instructions on the ACT? Do they really matter?

We will go over the complete ACT directions, including the main directions and the specific directions for each section. We’ll show how they reveal tips for how to do well on the test. You may be surprised by how many hints there are in the ACT directions!

Furthermore, knowing these directions before test day can save you time and stress – so you can just focus on the questions! So read on to be as prepared as possible for the ACT.

Many colleges now use Superscoring for ACT scores as well as SAT scores. It’s important to know whether the schools where you’re planning to apply use Superscoring and how you can take advantage of this policy to demonstrate your best performance on the ACT.

In this article I’ll give a brief overview of Superscoring and tell you what it means for you in terms of your testing plan.