If you are a high school junior, you are probably starting to think about standardized tests. For most students, the acronyms ACT or SAT will send shivers down their spines. One of the biggest misnomers about standardized test prep is that students need to spend tons of money on pricey tutors and classes in order to succeed. While tutors can be helpful, they are certainly not necessary. In fact, there are a number of great resources that students can utilize for free!
Khan Academy
You can find a free, official SAT practice test on Khan Academy’s website as well as free preparation for the exam. The Khan Academy resources are also highly effective:
If you just put the time into using the Khan Academy tools, you are very likely to see a pretty significant increase in your SAT score. The other great thing about the Khan Academy platform is that students can import their PSAT scores, which means that they can start to work on their individual strengths and weaknesses right away.
ACT
While not as extensive as the Khan Academy and College Board partnership, the ACT has some free resources available for students. It should be noted that the ACT will be debuting the ACT Academy during the spring, which will give students more in-depth test prep with video lessons, interactive practice questions, and full-length tests. Similar to Khan Academy, the ACT Academy will allow students to customize their prep based on their ACT results (including the pre-ACT, a practice exam, or the official ACT).
If you are a high school junior, we recommend that you take at least one official ACT or SAT by the end of the school year. You can also check out this post if you have questions about putting together your testing plan!