Is Test Prep Required for the ACT or SAT?

For high school students who plan to apply to college, standardized tests are crucial.

Despite perennial questions about whether the ACT or SAT can accurately predict a student's academic potential; even in this era of test-optional admissions and self-reported scores; most colleges and universities require applicants to submit ACT or SAT scores and weight them heavily in admissions decisions.

On test day, the stakes are high, and so are students' anxiety levels. A multiple choice exam administered over several hours is likely an unfamiliar experience. While the SAT and ACT are both intended to cover subjects and skills from high school classes, the broad range of material is intimidating. And students know that when it's all over, they'll get a score that can feel like a judgment of their intelligence and will define their future opportunities.

Students can maximize their score potential and minimize test-day anxiety with preparation.

While the test makers have long claimed their tests are not "coachable," we've been helping students achieve their goal scores with proven strategies for over 35 years. We weren't surprised when the College Board reversed its position on test prep by releasing a study that showed students who prep earn higher scores on the SAT than those who don't.

Fortunately, there are many free and affordable test prep tools available to students. Both the College Board and ACT, Inc. provide free resources to help students get familiar with test material and formats. A quick web search for "SAT practice questions" or "ACT practice questions" will return thousands of hits. With all that content available for free, why pay for test prep?

A comprehensive, personalized prep plan, based on 35 years of test prep expertise, can help ensure your student's success.

• Set target test dates and goal scores and monitor progress
• Get lesson recommendations optimized based on student performance and goal scores
• See proven strategies to improve pacing and reduce blind guessing
• Learn concepts from 280+ videos with expert instructors
• Demonstrate retention and mastery of material with interactive (and fun!) tools
• 370+ practice drills
• 3,200+ practice questions
• In-depth score reports to help analyze performance 

Free practice helps students get comfortable with the test format. Personalized prep helps students get the scores they need to craft competitive applications for their top choice colleges. And it's only $99.    Learn More