I’m new to the test prep concept and don’t know where to begin. I have taken the PSAT before and despise my score. (Would like to improve by 200 pints) I have read so many conflicting articles that my head is now spinning. Help! How have you raised your score? I want to study over the summer. Is that enough time to be effective? Did you use a book, a free online course, Princeton review self-paced course, or Princeton Review live course, or an expensive private tutor (that I can’t afford)? Which of these methods ACTUALLY works? I’m a self-motivated, hard worker but I am a little worried about spending a ton of time on a method that just doesn’t work. I want someone to help me learn the tips and tricks. Any advice will help. (I will be a Junior in HS next year, by the way. But I really don’t want to spend all of next year studying because my course load is huge) Thanks!
Hi there! I would recommend Khan Academy, but that takes practice and dedication every day (as with any test prep). That’s what I personally used for *years to study- I took the SAT once and got a 1550.
A tutor would be the best and fastest way to raise your score, and I know a great company that can help you for a good price. Please message me if you have questions!!
I’ve paid for the best local test prep company for all my kids and the the value is in the practice tests. Take as many practice tests as you can and take them exactly like you will on test day. Before you start gather all of the practice tests you can, so you know how many you have to work with it.
I’m curious, were your kids’ practice test scores similar to the test scores that they ultimately received on their tests? My son took a practice test on Khan Academy today and we were surprised he scored so high. Trying to maintain realistic expectations but also come up with a good game plan for him. He’ll be a sophomore this fall and will take the psat in October and SAT in the spring.
If you have commitment to self study, try a real released test under test conditions.
Then you should be able to see what kind of questions you need to focus preparation on.
No need to spend any money on books or test prep firms. I’ll second the idea of taking an old test. I think we found them through the CB website? Print one out, find a quiet space on a Saturday morning, 8 am, and take the test just like you would at a testing center.
(@2CollegeHoosiers This will be a better indicator than the Khan Academy practice test I think)
Then you will know where your gaps are, topics with biggest room for improvement. Focus on those. Khan Academy is a good place to start. Or borrow a test prep book from the library. Our local library has online test prep resources for SAT as well. After a month of practice, take another test, same as before. For those without as much time as you, take one every weekend. My son did this, was able to raise his score by a couple hundred points that month. After you’ve tackled the PSAT, try the ACT and see if the format suits you better or not.
Scores on the last practice test my kid took correlated really well with his actual score. The practice tests are key.
@goatgirl College Confidential covered this topic in an article that may help answer your question. Read more here: https://insights.collegeconfidential.com/5-pacing-tips-sat
For the first two kids it’s been decent score (1450ish) the first practice test with no prep, and then a steady climb to 1550+. One time my D had a bad test day and didn’t match her practice test scores, but she did better a month later.
They have taken 8-10 practice tests at a test prep location with everything being as similar to the real test as possible.
My S21 carefully did all the officially released SAT tests (I think 8-10 of them), plus as many of the QAS pdf tests that he could find through reddit. For the most part, only the reading sections, and maybe half the grammar sections (math was not a problem). No tutors or classes, only on his own.
1580 first try at the beginning of junior year, so I would say that method worked!
I think your strategy of doing the test prep over the summer is very wise. Test prep should not interfere with your coursework and ECs during the school year. My son used PrepScholar last summer in order to prep for the August SAT sitting and the October PSAT (his junior year). He spent 25 hours on the lessons, took 1 practice test, and raised his SAT score by about 150 points to a 1580. He missed 1 math question on the PSAT and is expected to be a National Merit Semifinalist.
For him, practice tests were boring. I tried mightily (and failed) to get him to take multiple practice tests. He much preferred to do the lessons which included skills quizzes. That method worked for him. The beauty of PrepScholar is that it didn’t require him to work through the entire curriculum. Instead it targeted only his weaker areas, which was more interesting for him (he is easily bored) and much more efficient.
His school offered a course over several weeks in the Fall semester by Princeton Review. It was time consuming, requiring 2 after school sessions per week. My son reports that his classmates thought it was a waste of time and money.
My younger son who is a rising sophomore is using Khan Academy SAT prep this summer for some early test prep and he doesn’t seem to like it as much as his older brother liked Prep Scholar. We plan to buy PrepScholar for him next summer when he will be a rising junior.
All that being said, the fact that you are doing any prep is far more important than which tool you choose. Think about your own learning style and go from there. You can start with free or cheap resources and see if you make progress, as measured by practice test scores. Good luck!
I second the suggestions to leverage practice tests, but be laser-focused on the questions you got wrong (or guessed at correctly.) When D got a problem wrong on her practice tests, we considered it a win - because she had pinpointed a topic/area that she didn’t understand. When she couldn’t figure it out on her own she even found videos on YouTube that reviewed the specific practice problem from the retired tests. We spent a total of $100 on a few hours of math tutoring where all they did is review the math questions she still felt shaky about.
I’m also a fan of the ACT Black Book - it is based on the actual released tests and doesn’t actually include the test questions. (Takes a minute to get used to.) It not only explains every question on the practice tests, but provides very specific strategies to tackle questions. I think this was particularly helpful with the reading/writing sections which can feel more subjective until you understand how the test is designed.
You can definitely boost your score substantially with smart, focused work and a few hours per week. Good luck! You’ve got this!!
Thanks for all of your valuable input and more importantly, your support. 