Test Prep guides
Digital SAT, ACT, PSAT/National Merit, test-optional strategy, study timelines, prep methods.
7 guides.
- 01
Test Prep: Foundations
Standardized tests answer one question that nothing else on a college application can answer cleanly: how does this student's academic ability compare to a…
44 min read
- 02
Test Prep: Digital SAT Deep Dive
The Digital SAT runs 2 hours and 14 minutes of testing time (plus check-in and break, so plan on roughly 3 hours at the test center).
59 min read
- 03
Test Prep: Enhanced ACT Deep Dive
The Enhanced ACT, taken without optional sections, runs 2 hours and 5 minutes of testing time across three core sections — English, Math, and Reading — for a…
59 min read
- 04
Test Prep: SAT vs. ACT Decision Framework
The single most common waste of effort in standardized test planning is families relying on the belief that selective colleges secretly prefer the SAT over…
53 min read
- 05
Test Prep: PSAT And National Merit
The College Board administers a series of related tests it calls the "SAT Suite of Assessments." This includes the SAT itself plus three preliminary tests at…
61 min read
- 06
Test Prep: Prep Timeline And Strategy
For a typical college-bound student, the optimal SAT or ACT testing arc covers about 18 months, from the start of junior year through the early fall of…
57 min read
- 07
Test Prep: Prep Methods And Resources
Test prep methods sort cleanly into four tiers, each with characteristic strengths, costs, and best-fit student profiles.
65 min read