SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips

We've written at length about the June 6 SAT misprint snafu and SAT testing center problems. Our SAT experts who took the SAT on June 6th noted major problems in how the test was administered, leading to potential imbalances in test performance and equality.

Only have a couple days left before the SAT? There’s still time to improve your scores! A few hours of focused prep can make a big difference in your test performance, especially if you have obvious mistakes that you haven't noticed.

Here are some guidelines that will help you design a last minute SAT study plan that works for you. I'll also give you a bunch of last minute SAT tips to raise your score.

The Code

The universal SAT Home School Code, needed to register for the SAT and applicable anywhere in the USA, is 970000.

When you use this, it means that the score results will be sent directly to your home. Using this code simply indicates, for the sake of data gathering, that you are a home schooled student. Home schooled students, on average, score higher on the SAT than their public school counterparts. This code is the College Board's way of tracking the results accurately. Also, the SAT compares you to the local average, but as a home schooled student, you won't provide an accurate representation of the local district scores.

However, if you want to, you can use the local high school's code as well.

What registration code to you use to register for the SAT as a homeschooled student, and what considerations should you remember? Read our guide to get the details.

So you just took the SAT, and you’re eager (or terrified) to see your scores. Especially if this is your first time taking the test, the score report can be confusing. But reading it correctly will help you to identify weak spots and do better on the test next time and get real SAT results.

I’ll go over how to get your SAT score report and read it so you’re getting the most out of the information the College Board gives you.

We go through exact SAT test dates for 2015 and 2016 for freshman, sophomores, juniors, and seniors, and tell you the advantage of each testing date.

I’ll break it down date-by-date and class-by-class so you can easily figure out the best time for you to take the test.

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.

How do you learn new words, especially big ones like "obstreperous" and "percipient" that you don't often hear in daily conversation? Do you pore over long lists, make flash cards, or focus on one or two at a time? 

For those playing the long game, SAT Word of the Day sites and email lists can be useful resources for gradually building your vocabulary over time. This guide will point you to the best sources of SAT Word of the Day and give you some strategies for how to use them effectively. First, why might you want to study vocabulary this way?

Are you applying to a military academy like West Point, Naval Academy, or Air Force Academy? While military academy applications are relatively complex (what with having to get nominated by a Congressperson), their requirements for SAT/ACT scores are straightforward. Your challenge is to achieve the SAT/ACT scores you need to stand out among the fierce competition.

This article reviews the SAT/ACT requirements for future cadets and how you can gain the scores you need to attend a training academy in the "Five-Pointed Star." First, let's quickly go over your options.

According to a recent report by the U.S. Department of Education, about 1.7 million students are homeschooled. If you're part of this 3.4% of the population and are planning to apply to a 4-year college, then you'll probably be taking the SAT (or ACT).

This guide will go over the best preparation strategies for succeeding on the SAT, while keeping in mind the unique strengths you bring to the table as a homeschooled student. Before delving into specifics of the SAT, let's consider the advantages that your homeschooled education has afforded you.

If you took the SAT on June 6th, 2015, you may have noticed something different about the test. And now the College Board is dealing with a controversy that is affecting test-takers across the country.

It's the week or the day before your big SAT 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.

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.

What can you do if you took the SAT already but you decide you want to cancel your test scores?

First, stop and take a step back. Ask yourself if you’re sure. Once you cancel your test scores, there's no going back.

Second, figure out - can you still cancel your scores? CollegeBoard has a very strict deadline about this and if you miss that deadline, then they won't budge.

So what can you do? Well, I'm here to help you 1) assess whether you should cancel; 2) know what steps you need to take to cancel; and 3) know what to do if you miss the deadline to cancel, but still need to deal with a poor score.