SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips

If you’re a sophomore or junior in high school, it's about time to start exercising your standardized testing muscles. This is especially true if you're hoping to get into very selective colleges or improve significantly from your PSAT scores.

Read on for advice on how to create an effective study plan for the SAT or ACT starting in sophomore and junior year.

While you're doing a lot to prepare for the SAT, you probably haven't given that much thought to the physical location of your test. However, that location could definitely affect your performance.

Think about it – have you ever had to take a test in a cramped classroom or in room without air conditioning? It probably didn’t exactly help your performance. So why would you take the SAT in sub-optimal conditions?

Read our guide to choosing the best possible test location so you can do as well as possible.

Image via College Board.

The SAT was revamped in March 2016 in an effort to make it more modern and accessible. If you’re a current high school student, you’ve probably heard about this change.

If you’re a current senior (Class of 2017) or junior (Class of 2018) this raises some questions. What if you took the SAT before it changed last spring? Will colleges still accept scores from the "old" SAT? Or will they require you to take the new SAT? This has big implications for how you prep, when you take the tests, and possibly even whether you should switch to the ACT.

In this exclusive, first of its kind breakdown, we personally spoke to admissions counselors from dozens of colleges to get some real answers on how they will handle the transition. 

Can’t make the test date you signed up for on the SAT? You're in luck! It’s possible to arrange an alternate test date for the following week, although it’s often easier to just switch to the next official test date.

In this article you'll learn what constitutes an alternate test date, the criteria for requesting one, and how to submit your request. 

Being successful on the SAT and ACT is all about the preparation you put into it. While you probably know it's a myth to think you can't study for these tests, you might not realize that the reverse is true - studying is exceptionally important for doing well on the SAT or ACT.

That's why it's a really smart idea to prep for the SAT/ACT as a sophomore. Let's talk about why prep is so important for these tests, what you can do in 10th grade, and what your most helpful study schedule should look like over the school year and beyond.

First, when will you be taking the SAT or ACT?

Not again! Allegations of cheating swirl around the latest administration of the SAT on May 2. While recent scandals have sprung from Asian countries like China and South Korea, this one is centered on the U.S.-based test, which hundreds of thousands of students took at the beginning of May.

It seems that communication technology and time zone differences around the world have punched holes in the SAT's security. Let's take a look at what's unfolded in this investigation so far.

Did you make a weird error in filling out your multiple choice answer sheet that led to a dramatically reduced score? Was your essay scanned incorrectly? Hand Score Verification is a way for you to address and correct these mistakes without having to retake the test.

In this guide, I'll describe what SAT Hand Score Verification is, how it can help you, and how it might hurt.

"Writing, to me, is simply thinking through my fingers."

If Isaac Asimov were talking about the SAT Writing and Language section, he would probably add that he would have to think through his fingers fast. With 35 minutes for 44 multiple choice questions, you have to work quickly and efficiently to achieve a high score.

UPDATE: The Digital SAT no longer has a separate writing section. Get details on what to expect from the combined Reading and Writing in our complete guide.

Let's go over the Writing and Language section in detail so you know exactly what to expect.

Historical test dates for the SAT are important for many accurate records. However, the College Board at this point doesn't maintain an easy database of SAT dates for 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, and so forth. We at PrepScholar have done the hard work to dig up the old records. See below!

All these tips apply equally to the SAT and the ACT, though for simplicity I'll mostly use the SAT for specific examples in this guide.

While the vast majority of articles on our blog are about immediate tips for the SAT/ACT test, from time to time we also feature some latest products we at PrepScholar are coming out with.  This time, we're announcing our new PrepScholar Tutor service.  It combines the affordability and customization of PrepScholar Automated Prep with varying levels of premium tutoring, giving you many advantages of each.

What are the best books for the SAT critical reading section (which used to be called the verbal section)?  Here we review a few of the top books that we feel helps students the most.  We discuss which skills you should be learning from books, and which you should instead be learning from flashcards or practice.  You can get these books online, or better yet from the library.

Math problems come in all shapes and sizes on the SAT, but only a few of them test geometry. If you've never taken a geometry class or feel it's not your strong suit, it may still be possible for you to get a high SAT math score.

This article will let you know how much geometry appears on the SAT and how well you can score with little or no previous knowledge of the subject. First, just how many of the math questions are going to ask you about shapes and angles? 

Did you recently get your SAT scores back and do, well, amazing? If you got above a 2200, you should proud – you’re in the top 2% of test scorers. In fact, you’re in the top 1% with a score of 2220 and up. (For the New SAT, any score higher than 1480 is likely to put you in the top 1%, but we will have to wait a few months for percentile data.)

But if you’re a perfectionist, you might be wondering, "Since I did so well, shouldn't I try to retake the SAT for a perfect 1600?" We will help you decide if an SAT retake is right for you.

Both the ACT and the SAT let you rush your score for an extra fee.  When is it worth it and when is it a waste of money?