SAT® and ACT® Prep
An important fact to remember about preparation for these exams is that they aren’t aligned with curriculum in the way many expect. It’s essential to understand the construction of the exams. Learning this, combined with a thorough study of the fundamentals of Math and Standard Written English, will help students to achieve the target score.
Helpful Links
The Exams
ACT®-SAT® Concordance Developed jointly by the College Board® and ACT®, this document provides guidance on the equivalent scores between the two exams.
The SAT® This page on the massive College Board® site is the starting point for those interested in taking the SAT®. Once you've created an account, it provides tools for registering for the exam and viewing your score report.
The ACT® Exam This exam, once dominant mainly between the Rockies and the Mississippi River, is now accepted by virtually all schools. Each student should consider whether this exam or the SAT® provides a greater advantage in the admissions process. Through the use of advanced analytical tools, I can help you with that decision.
Test-Optional Schools This list is maintained by FairTest. By its nature, this page will not be up-to-the-minute, so if you don't see a school here, it's worth it to follow up directly with that institution.
Digital SAT® Frequently Asked Questions The College Board® announced a switch to digital administration of the SAT®. Most notable is that the change does not take place in the U.S. until the Fall of 2023 for the PSAT®, and Spring of 2024 for the SAT®. Linked above, you can find some useful information about the transition. Missing is specificity about changes to the types of information presented and the style of questions.
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Bluebook App The College Board® has made created and distributed only four official practice tests. They are available exclusively via their app. This page provides the links to the appropriate app stores to download and install.
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Desmos The Desmos calculator is built into the experience for the PSAT® and the Digital SAT®. Students who learn how to use this fluidly will have a significant advantage on test day.
Essay Scoring Rubrics
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The SAT® no longer includes an essay option for Saturday and Sunday administrations. If you are taking SAT® School Day, you can expand the rubric by clicking "see more" after landing on the College Board® page linked above.
Make Sure That Your Calculator Is Permitted!
Scoring for College Board® "Official" Book Exams
In typically unhelpful fashion, the College Board® has removed the guide for scoring the exams from the "official" book. To ensure they were even less helpful, they numbered the practice exams and placed them in the book in the following order. The information is tucked away in a hard-to-find corner of their mammoth site. Despite the College Board's® best efforts to complicate matters, I hope these links prove helpful.
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Again, the scoring guides are listed below in the order they appear in the official study guide.