SAT & ACT Test Prep
Taking the SAT or ACT (or both!) is part of the college admissions process. Like everything, though, there are great resources out there to help you succeed. Listed below are a number of the ones I've found helpful. Many are free, but some do require a fee. Before you begin, you should read "How to Prepare for the SAT or ACT."
- Khan Academy (Free, SAT) - Khan Academy is an amazing site that offers tutorials and videos in just about any subject. Their Test Prep section has help for the SAT (unfortunately not the ACT), as well as the CAHSEE for those of you who are still working on that.
- College Board SAT Practice - If you want to go to the source for your preparation, this is where to begin. College Board puts out the SAT each year, so check out their practice questions and problem of the day. Note that they are teamed up with Kahn Academy (bullet point above), so their videos will redirect you there.
- Number2.com (Free, SAT and ACT) - Number2.com has been around for a long time, so even though the site is fairly free of bells and whistles, it's still helpful for the basics of the SAT and ACT tests.
- McGraw-Hill Test Prep (Free, SAT and ACT) - I stumbled across this and appreciated that there are videos for both the SAT and ACT questions. There are also plenty of practice questions.
- MajorTests.com (Free, SAT) - Another good source for the SAT, MajorTests offers tons of practice questions and mini practice tests. I suggest printing out the 8 week prep plan!
- SparkNotes (Free, SAT) - That's right, I mentioned SparkNotes! Although this is often used by students to get by in their literature classes, the Test Prep component is basically everything a prep book offers but without the cost. This offers test prep for the SAT, as well as other standardized tests, but not the ACT. I suggest checking out this list of 92 words and creating flashcards to increase your vocabulary.
- SAT Up (Mobile App, Free and Paid Versions, SAT) - Created by Score Beyond, this is an entirely mobile app source made to help students improve their SAT score all at the touch of their fingertips. It works on iPhones and iPads and offers a daily "workout" made for the student, vocabulary flashcards, and more. The paid version offers more vocabulary words at a time and more extensive workouts. There is also an option for paid tutoring.
- ACT Up (Mobile App, Free and Paid Versions, ACT) - Created by Score Beyond, this is an entirely mobile app source made to help students improve their ACT score all at the touch of their fingertips. It works on iPhones and iPads and offers a daily "workout" made for the student, vocabulary flashcards, and more. The paid version offers more vocabulary words at a time and more extensive workouts. There is also an option for paid tutoring.
- ePrep (Paid, SAT and ACT) - ePrep is a fee-based program that has experts teaching concepts through videos. They follow a methodology of test, grade, review, and repeat. We have used with students and have seen improvements in scores, but the cost means a student needs to be serious about using it.