SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips

Are you concerned that, as a result of the novel coronavirus, you won't be able to take an SAT or ACT this fall? Multiple spring and summer exam dates have already been cancelled as a result of COVID-19, and there's no guarantee that in-person exams will be safe to hold in the fall. What does that mean if you were planning to take one of those tests, especially if you're a high school senior who needs standardized test scores to apply to college?

In this article we go over everything we know about potential online SATs and ACTs, as well as our expert opinion on what online standardized tests will be like, how they'll be viewed by colleges, and if this means the exams will move online permanently.

COVID-19 (also known as the coronavirus) has upended events across the world, and that includes upcoming SAT test dates. Some SAT test dates have been cancelled while the future of other test dates is up in the air, and it makes for a stressful situation for students who need to take the SAT to apply to college. Use this guide to learn the latest information on COVID-19 SAT cancellations, what you should do if you were registered for a cancelled exam, what steps the College Board is taking as a result of the cancellations, and what you should do while you're waiting to take the SAT.

You’ve taken the SAT/ACT and are ready to send your scores to colleges. But did you know that not all colleges require official score reports? That's right—many colleges are now letting applicants self-report their scores directly on their applications (and only requiring an official score report if they choose to enroll).

But what does self-reporting test scores mean? We answer this critical question here and also give you a list of popular colleges that allow self-reporting. Additionally, we'll go over how to self-report scores using the Common Application and Coalition Application.

If you’re applying to colleges, you need to know the upcoming SAT test dates for 2019 - 2020! Knowing these dates in advance, even if you’re not quite ready to take it yet, gives you all the more time to prepare and prep for your test, and in the SATs, prep is everything.

This article covers the SAT dates for 2019 and 2020, throughout the 2019 to 2020 school year. You can find the previous year’s test dates here, or dates for the future here!

Here at PrepScholar, we use the best data to inform you about what the testing schedule, registration deadlines, and score release dates will look like in the future. When choosing your test date, you should consider a number of factors — knowing exactly when the test will happen is vital for your planning. (If you're looking for something more recent, here's the information for previous years and for this school year.)

In this article, I’ll give you the 2018-2019 SAT test dates and go over some factors to think about when picking your test date.

You registered for the SAT, but as test day draws near, you find that you don’t want to take the test anymore! You may want to take the ACT instead, or maybe you decided to opt out of the SAT altogether and apply to colleges that don’t require you to report SAT scores. But what can you do?

Well, first, don't panic!

We at PrepScholar noticed how hard it was to find this information online, so we put it all together for you in one place.

Here are some things you need to consider:

1. Can you cancel the SAT test?
2. Can you get your money back?
3. Will this go on your permanent record?
4. Do you need to cancel your SAT to change your test date?

After months of planning and prepping, test day is finally upon you! What exactly do you need to bring to the SAT—and what should you just leave home?

We’ll talk about what to bring to the SAT for certain and some not so obvious things that might come in handy. Make sure your bag is packed and ready to go so you can focus on performing your best—and not on tracking down a pencil sharpener!

If you’re preparing for the SAT, you may know how important it is to take a diagnostic test early on in your studying. An SAT diagnostic test will give you a baseline score you can use to develop an individualized study plan that’ll target your weaknesses and help you reach your target SAT score.

In this guide, we’ll explain what an SAT diagnostic test is, where you can find the best free SAT diagnostic tests, and exactly how you can use every piece of information you get from the diagnostic test to create the best SAT study plan for you.

Understanding how the SAT scoring system works is an important part of preparing for the test. After all, how else are you supposed to measure your progress and set goals?

The SAT underwent some big format changes in 2016, which means that the scoring system most people were familiar with was radically overhauled. Here, I’ll cover how the scoring system has changed on the SAT, how this has affected the highest possible SAT score, and what this means for test takers.

You don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great. — Zig Ziglar

It can be hard to decide when to take the SAT for the first time. Should you wait until junior year? Is the fall better than the spring? Should you only take it if you've studied geometry or read the top 100 classics in English literature?

Since everyone's different, there's no blanket answer to the question, "When should I take the SAT for the first time?" Let's consider the most important factors in this decision so you can determine when to sign up for your initial test. First, what do most students do?

In 2016, the SAT changed drastically from the old SAT. In terms of content, no other SAT changes in the past few decades have been this dramatic. If you're familiar with the old SAT, here's what you must know to do well on the current version of the SAT.

You've just taken the SAT. Congratulations! Once you get some rest, you'll probably start to wonder when your scores will come out and how to access them on the College Board website. In this post, we tell you exactly what time of day scores appear and how to check your SAT scores online.

NOTE: Have you been out of high school for more than a year and not taken the SAT in that time? Then you should read our article on how to get old SAT scores instead!

We present information about SAT test dates for the 2015-2016 school year here.  We also link to our top articles that you must read before deciding on a test date.

What should you do when you’ve already registered for an SAT test date, but you have a schedule conflict or just aren’t ready to take the SAT yet? Never fear! SAT rescheduling is an option!

If you’re wondering how you can reschedule your SAT, this guide has all the answers you need about SAT change date procedures. We’ll explain what it means to reschedule SAT test dates, how late you can reschedule, how much it will cost, and we’ll walk you through each step of how to change SAT test dates.

It may seem like there's not a lot you can do, besides studying, to improve your mental state on the day of the SAT. But there are a few key things that can make a huge difference, and one of them is where you take the test.

Why does what SAT test center you choose matter so much? Well, your brain can only focus on math, reading, and writing when everything else is out of the way, and a lot of things that can get in the way have to do with logistics and environment.

In this article, we'll discuss the two ways of finding convenient locations for taking the SAT.