Here we go again. For the third time in less than 20 years, College Board is bringing to market, er, to students, a new version of its flagship exam, the SAT. This time, it’s digital. This is a long anticipated change, accelerated by (and perhaps given cover) by COVID-19, when 700,000 fewer students took the […]
Your SAT math score is composed of two sections: a 25-minute no-calculator section with 20 questions and a 55-minute section with 38 questions that allows the use of approved calculators. Together, these two sections make up half of your overall SAT score. While SAT math certainly presents a few hurdles, in both content and structure, […]
by John Jones with Ian Lekus and Natalie Lempert The Basics The SAT’s Writing & Language section is one of the four scored sections on the test. The point totals from this section are combined with those from the Reading section to give the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW) score. This score, which has a […]
If you are like many students, the Reading section of the SAT is your least favorite and, oftentimes, the most difficult one to improve. As for the first part, I don’t blame you. The SAT begins with a grueling 65-minute Reading section. When our tutors first took this version of the test in 2016, even […]
It’s been difficult lately to keep up with all the news about the SAT and ACT, and we do this professionally! You’re likely wondering what to make of so many colleges and universities going test optional and whether students are actually taking the tests. And, more importantly, whether you should look to take a test! […]
ACT Math Overview In many ways, the ACT Math section is the most straightforward section on the whole test — it’s the one with questions most like those you’ve encountered in school. In fact, your approach to the Math section is more influenced by what classes you’ve taken in school than is any other section. […]
Summer is officially over, and the leaves have begun to fall. That means that one of the great fall traditions, the PSAT, is almost upon us. This year, the PSAT is being offered on several dates: Wednesday, October 13; Saturday, October 16; or the alternate date of Tuesday, October 26. Check with your school’s guidance […]
In our English classes, our teachers have frequently told us to “go deeper” or to “go farther” or to “find our own analysis.” Those are great for English class. Don’t do that on the ACT. While the ability to read and mostly understand short passages is a prerequisite for the reading portion of the ACT, […]
There are a couple of good news items to share with you this month. While 2020-2021 may be a bit different than a typical school year, given our remote and masked classrooms, I have heard some good things about what is opening up for students this fall that I want to share with you. For […]
We get tons of questions from sophomores about when to start preparing for the SAT or ACT. In most years, we advise students to hold off on any test prep until sophomore year is in the books. Why? Well, the number one indicator of where you get to go to college is your grades, so […]