Attention High School Sophomores! Sign Up Now for ACT/SAT Test Prep
What’s our best tip for mastering this SAT/ACT test season? Start early. In fact, we recommend starting your test prep the summer between sophomore and junior year (a low-key approach at this early stage is fine!). Most students will then go on to take the SAT or ACT (or both!) once during their junior year and once during the fall of their senior year. So what kind of test prep is best for you? Take a look at some of the most popular test prep methods for high school and graduate students alike:
Take a Practice Test
What would be your score if you showed up for the test today? To figure out how you’d measure up, take a practice test under conditions that mimic the real testing environment (for example: shut off your phone and use a timer). This score is your baseline. You can use your baseline score to help you make a study plan based on what you need to work on. Do you need to build up your vocabulary? Focus on math drills? Tame test day jitters? Practice tests also familiarize you with the different sections and directions of the test you plan to take so that there are no surprises.
When you take a free practice test with The Princeton Review, you’ll get a detailed score report that analyzes your strengths and weaknesses and gives you an action plan for increasing your score. Follow it up with one of our test prep books to keep practicing right up to test day.
Sign up for a Prep Class
If you find it hard to study on your Saturdays off, you might want to consider a class taught by an instructor who will hold you accountable. Complete with homework and plenty of in-class practice, a prep class will put you through your paces and keep you on track all semester long. Test prep classes can run the gamut from small group settings to larger classrooms taught by test experts or even teachers from your high school if you take a prep course through school. With a little research, you’ll find the environment that’s best for you. And, of course, we’ve got plenty of in-person and online prep options.
Prep Online
Many courses offer an online component in addition to in-class instruction. But super busy students may find it difficult to schedule a prep class between after-school jobs, volleyball, or violin. Online test prep lets you do all your drills and content review online so you can prep when and where it suits you best, repeat lessons, or skip ahead. This option is best for self-starters who won’t need regular deadlines and face-to-face time with an instructor to keep them motivated. Learn about our LiveOnline courses.
Get a Private Tutor
If you’re looking for a completely personalized approach, consider prepping with an SAT or ACT tutor. One-on-one tutoring sessions ensure you’ll get on-the-spot feedback and customized lessons to your needs and learning style. For example, if you’ve mastered sentence completion but need to work on geometry, your tutor will adjust your prep plan accordingly. This is also the most flexible method in terms of scheduling and great for students with limited availability or fast-approaching deadlines. Our Princeton Review tutors will meet you where and when it’s convenient for you.
Go to Camp
Usually held over the summer or December break, test prep camps or immersion courses are intensive with lots of hard work -- but students emerge with tons of practice under their belts and the assurance that they’ve covered every single aspect of the test. It’s a major time commitment, but a concentrated one. For example, our typical SAT Immersion camp meets 9-6pm, Monday through Friday, for two weeks. This method is great for students who are in a time crunch, need to focus on many areas of the test, or want to benefit from the discipline of a classroom experience.
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For more than 30 years, students and families have trusted The Princeton Review to help them get into their dream schools. We help students succeed in high school and beyond by giving them resources for better grades, better test scores, and stronger college applications.
Sign up for your Summer SAT Prep Class HERE
Sign up for your Summer ACT Prep Class HERE.