Admissions & Testing Blog

Worrier or Warrior? Why Some Students Perform Better Under Pressure

Posted on October 30, 2026

PrepMatters founder Ned Johnson on the brain chemistry that makes one student fall apart under stress while another does their…

Does Sleep Affect Learning? Why More Sleep Means Less Studying

Posted on September 29, 2026

PrepMatters founder Ned Johnson on what happens to learning overnight, and why a well-rested student doesn’t need as many study…

Do Grades Matter in Middle School?

Posted on August 26, 2026

PrepMatters founder Ned Johnson on why middle school report cards fade, and why the brain built during those years does…

How Does Too Much Stress Affect Test Performance?

Posted on July 10, 2026

PrepMatters founder Ned Johnson on what stress does to the test-taking brain and the simple shift that helps you think…

The ACT Science Section: Just Do It

Posted on February 19, 2026

The ACT Science section is now optional. And like most policy changes, this one is causing confusion. We’ve been having…

A Year with the Digital SAT: What did we learn?

Posted by: Aaron Golumbfskie on June 18, 2025

We made quite a few predictions in the last year as the digital SAT made its debut,…

DSAT vs Paper SAT : What you need to know

Posted by: Ned Johnson on June 6, 2025

Goodbye, Scantron sheets and #2 pencils. Hello, test-taking tablets, adaptive testing, and graphing calculators. After nearly a century as a paper-and-pencil…

When to Start Preparing for the SAT Tests | SAT Study Guide

Posted by: Ned Johnson on May 29, 2025

Renowned French scientist Louis Pasteur observed that “Fortune favors the prepared mind.” There’s not only a what and a how…

Spring SAT and ACT Prep: Am I Taking the Wrong Test?

Posted by: Aaron Golumbfskie on April 16, 2025

That’s a common enough refrain this time of year for any junior not yet fortunate enough to be done with…

How to Manage Your Working Memory and Ace the SAT

Posted by: Ned Johnson on February 27, 2025

As we noted in our last blog, the new SAT reading and math sections both place a greater demand…

The SAT Goes Digital: What I Learned from Taking the New SAT

Posted by: Ned Johnson on February 10, 2025

The Digital SAT has finally arrived! While I am kind of an analog guy, the SAT, like many things in…

ACT “Enhancements” Explained: Should You Take the New ACT?

Posted by: Aaron Golumbfskie on February 4, 2025

The ACT “Enhancements” that were announced last year will begin on a small scale in April and for all students…