SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips

If you just got your ACT scores back, you’re probably wondering about the process of score reporting for college. "Score Choice" is technically more associated with the SAT Score Choice program, but the ACT has a similar policy for its own test score reporting. It will allow you to feel much less stressed about results from individual test dates and instead focus on how to improve in the future.

In this article, I’ll go over what Score Choice is and what it means for your ACT testing strategy.

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.

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.

The SAT and the ACT are both hard pills to swallow, but one might be easier for you than the other. If you're still trying to decide which test to take, these charts will give you direct comparisons between them in terms of format, timing, and content. Then you can figure out which one sounds like the right fit for you!

Want to prep for the ACT on you own? Chances are you’ve ordered a prep book to help you study.

One of the most popular prep books around is The Real ACT Prep Guide. But how can you make sure you get your money’s worth out of the book – and make sure you actually study well enough to improve your ACT composite? Read our guide to using The Real ACT Prep Guide to find out.

How do homeschooled students register for the ACT, and what is the ACT homeschool code? What important considerations should you keep in mind? Find out here.

If you don’t have much time left before the ACT, you may be wondering how you can maximize your scores with a short term study plan. If you’re looking for a big score improvement and you only have a few days before the test, you might not be able to reach your goal this time, but you can get a good head start towards it (and you’ll be better prepared to study harder before your next test session).

But if you only need to improve by one or two points, really intense studying for a few hours could get you where you want to be, if you have some clear weaknesses you didn't know about!

In this article I'll show how to create a last minute ACT study program and give last minute ACT tips to boost your score.

If you took the ACT recently, you’re probably eager to see how you did so you can send your scores to colleges or prepare for the next test date. But how do you get your score report, and what’s the best way to interpret your scores?

In this article, I’ll go through how and when you can get your report, what’s on it, and how to get the most out of the information you’re given.

Do you receive your education at home or outside the formal setting of a public or private school? If you're a homeschooled student aiming to go to a 4-year college, then you're probably planning to take the ACT (or its equivalent, the SAT).

This guide will go over how you can prep for the ACT as a homeschooled student, come up with a solid test plan, and be strategic in your approach to taking this important test. The first step is asking yourself about your strengths and weaknesses as a student.

On Saturday, June 6th, I sat alongside high school students to take the SAT at George Washington Prep High School in South Los Angeles. I knew what to expect. I’d taken the test back in 2009 in South Florida when I was beginning my own college application process.

I could never have imagined how different my experience would be this time. My SAT Testing center, located in a poor area of Los Angeles, had HUGE flaws that resulted in extremely unfair testing conditions for the students. When I shared these experiences with my co-workers, they were flabbergasted. But others shared experiences that were just as deplorable.

I wish I were joking. I wish this were satire.

But this isn't Saturday Night Live, and there were serious problems that ruined the experience for the other test-takers, many of whom were taking it for the first time and using vouchers. This is undoubtedly happening across the country and crippling the scores and futures of thousands of students. 

Unfortunately, as in my experience, these problems may be especially prevalent in lower income areas where students aren't as well prepared for how the test SHOULD go, and incompetent proctors may be overlooked.

Read this and make sure this doesn't happen to you.

No one likes to be a tattletale. Okay, most people don’t like to be a tattletale. However, when your future dream college is at stake, which it is when you take the SAT/ACT as it accounts for 30-50% of your college application, you NEED to be a tattletale when there are testing issues.

It's the week or the day before your big ACT test date, and you want to have the best chance possible at raising your score. At PrepScholar we've written hundreds of free guides to help you succeed on the test, but some guides are especially helpful right before your test.

Did you know it’s possible to totally delete a set of ACT scores you don’t like? Poof - just like that. A bad set of ACT scores can vanish.

This isn't a well known fact, and in fact we were surprised to discover it ourselves. But it has big implications for how you test, especially if you're afraid of taking the test too many times because it'll look bad to colleges.

We will explain how to delete ACT scores and discuss in which circumstances it might make sense. Read on for an exclusive guide to getting rid of bad ACT scores.

Not sure whether it’s a good idea to register for the next SAT or ACT test date? You should consider how many times you've taken the test before, how busy your schedule is right now, and how much you've prepared for the test before making a decision. We'll explain why.

Here are a few questions you need to ask yourself before signing up for the next date.