SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips

As a high school student, I took both the SAT and the ACT. I’d been taking the SAT every couple of years since I was in middle school, so I planned to focus primarily on it. However, as a public school student in Colorado, I was required to take the ACT by my school. My scores on the two tests were relatively similar and I ended up submitting both.

Taking both tests, whether because of school requirements or personal preference, has become an increasingly common choice for students, especially those applying to top colleges. Though it isn’t necessary to take both the ACT and SAT, doing so might be the right plan for you. This guide will walk you through the pro and cons of taking both tests.

Here at PrepScholar, we understand how important it is to pick the right ACT test date. Choose a date that's too early and you won't have enough time to study. However, choose a date that's too late and you may not be able to retake the exam, if needed, or get your scores to colleges by their deadlines. 

To help make choosing the best ACT test date easier, we constantly review data to keep you up-to-date on new ACT testing dates. When you know future ACT registration and exam dates, you can stay organized so you can focus on studying for the test with less stress.

In this article, we go over the confirmed ACT test dates for 2021-2022 and explain the steps to take to pick the best ACT test date for you.

The ACT is the second-most popular college admissions standardized test in the US, with nearly as many test-takers each year as the SAT.

But what does ACT actually stand for, and why does this actually matter? We answer all your questions in this guide.

Future ACT dates are only officially confirmed about a year or year and a half in advance. However, here at PrepScholar we've researched patterns from previous testing years to predict future ACT test dates and help you plan your exam schedule. Having an idea of when future ACT test dates will be can help you organize your schedule and know when to register and begin studying for the test.

In this article, we discuss the anticipated ACT test dates for 2022-2023 and explain how you can use them to be well-prepared for the date you decide is best for you.

The ACT is a nerve-wracking test considering the impact scores can have on college admissions prospects. But how hard is the ACT, really? It's intimidating, sure, but it's not as difficult as it seems. The material on the ACT becomes much less challenging if you're familiar with the structure of the test and the way questions are asked.

In this article, I'll go over a few aspects of the ACT that tend to make it more or less difficult and provide essential tips on how to get past some of these obstacles and end up with a great score!

I spent four years as a test-prep tutor, working with students on all aspects of the ACT and SAT. When I started out, I knew how to take the tests, but I wasn't that good at teaching them. Over the years, however, I've learned a lot about how to be an effective teacher, and it's largely not about the kinds of tips and tricks you might expect.

Standardized testing isn't most people's idea of fun—quite the opposite actually. Why take the ACT, then? And is it a better choice than the SAT? You may have heard that many colleges have become test optional (either temporarily or permanently) because of the coronavirus pandemic and are wondering if it's still worth it to take the ACT. Read this article to help you decide if taking the ACT is the right choice for you.

Standardized test scores are an important part of college admissions, but they also have value beyond that: taking the ACT can earn you tens of thousands of dollars in financial aid or help you get a job! Below are the five key reasons why to take the ACT.

If you're planning on going to college, is the ACT required? The rise of different university testing policies has made the question more complicated to answer in recent years. Read this article to learn if the ACT is required for college, what different college testing policies mean, and why your ACT scores--even for colleges that don't require them--can still be the factor that gets you accepted.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, many institutions have gone to a test-optional admissions model, where students won’t be penalized for not submitting test scores as part of their application. And over recent years, some universities have adopted a permanent test optional policy. 

So if many colleges aren’t requiring test scores…do SAT scores matter? Do ACT scores matter? And should you take a standardized test at all? 

The good news is that this article will help you understand the general importance of SAT/ACT scores and whether you should take the SAT or ACT. We’ll go over:  

• What test-flexible, test-optional, and test blind admissions policies are
• Why schools care about standardized tests...and why they can be controversial
• Four tips to decide whether you should take the SAT and ACT

There’s a lot to cover, so let’s get started!

For many high school students, taking standardized tests has been one of the key requirements of applying to colleges. However, with the rise of test-optional schools and other ways of evaluating college applicants, do you have to take the ACT?

This guide will answer that question by explaining circumstances when the ACT is required, why fewer students need to take the ACT these days, and how you can decide what to do. By the end of this guide, you'll be able to know for sure whether or not you should take the ACT.

As an ACT tutor, I often fielded questions about whether the test would be looked down on by admissions officers, especially those at Ivy League schools. Because the SAT was the dominant college admissions test for so long, many students and parents worry that—at least in the Northeast—schools still prefer the SAT over the ACT. However, that time has definitely passed, and schools will now accept either test equally.

Read on for a more in-depth explanation of how Ivy League schools view the ACT today, and learn the differences in testing policies that might affect your decision to take the ACT or SAT.

For those currently taking the ACT or who took it in 2011-2015, you might wonder: how does your percentile compare with students who got the same score in other years? In this guide, I'll explain what percentiles are, how they work for the ACT, and why they matter. I'll also give you ACT percentile charts for 2011-2015 so you can see how your scores stack up against historical ones.

The Official ACT Subject Guides are a series of test prep books designed to help students improve their scores on each subject test on the ACT. While there are lots of ACT prep books out there, the official guides are the only ones put together by the makers of the ACT exam! 

In this article, we’re going to go over each of the Official ACT Subject Guides for Math, Reading, English, and Science. In each review, we’ll explain what each study book includes, what each book is good for, and what each book isn’t helpful for. We’ll also give you three tips for how to incorporate the official ACT subject guides into your study routine. 

So let’s check them out. 

If you’re looking for ACT prep that provides questions that are just like the real exam, look no further than ACT Academy, a (free!) test prep resource created by the makers of the ACT.

If you’ve heard of ACT Academy but aren’t exactly sure how to use it or who it’s a good fit for, this overview of ACT Academy test prep is for you. In this article, we’ll cover all of the following info about ACT Academy:

• How to use ACT Academy test prep
• Four things that ACT Academy is good for in terms of test prep
• Four things that ACT Academy isn’t good for in terms of test prep
• Five tips for getting the most out of ACT Academy test prep.

Let’s begin!

Albert Einstein, who's generally considered a pretty smart guy, said, "It's not that I'm so smart. It's just that I stay with problems longer." That type of commitment, as anyone who's studying for the ACT knows, is its own form of intelligence, and it's what will help you accomplish your long-term goals.

This book guide is meant for students looking to "stay with problems longer" and study intensively, like 100 or more hours, to maximize their scores on the ACT. If you're a student who wants to leave no stone unturned as you prep for the ACT, then these are the books for you.

Before delving into the ACT prep book list, a word about what perspective I'm coming from in my recommendations.