Test Preparation
Before you invest in your child’s education and all the steps it takes to achieve your goals, it’s important to prepare. Here are some important resources that will help you know what to expect when it comes to standardized testing.
PSAT
- As explained on our Standardized Testing Page, your child will have the opportunity to take the PSAT in high school. A couple weeks after the test, your child will receive a score report – exactly the same as the report they’ll receive after they take the real SAT, minus the writing section. You can use this information to assess which areas you might need to focus on. Here’s what the score report will tell you.
- Total Score – The SAT/PSAT is scored out of 1600. This is the sum of your score on both sections. When looking at statistics for schools, their average SAT score of admitted students will be based on total scores.
- Section Scores – Both big sections (reading & writing and math) are scored out of 800. Those bigger sections are broken down into reading, writing and language, and math – scored out of 40. From there, there are even smaller sub-scores out of 15, which tell you how you’ve done on specific skills like algebra and problem solving.
- Percentiles – This will show you how you’ve scored on a national scale compared to other students in your grade – both against students who typically take the test and students who don’t.
- These two educational non-profits have partnered up to bring the public free SAT prep for both educators, students, and parents which can be tailored to each student’s specific needs.
- Khan Academy is also a free tutoring website – that provides help in lots of subjects. It’s a great resource to make sure students get the best grades possible.
- This is free resource for ACT preparation, running as a division of the XAP corporation. All you need to do is make an account and enroll.
The Princeton Review
- While most of the products offered on this site are for purchase, they do provide free practice tests – both online and in person for the SAT and ACT.
Not a great test taker?
- Although we recommend giving each test your best effort after serious preparation, we understand that standardized testing is difficult and it is not the only way to demonstrate intelligence or skill. If you would like to investigate options for schools that do not require standardized test scores for admittance, visit FairTest.