There are a variety of free ways that students can prepare for the PSAT and SAT. Although not all students can afford to hire an SAT tutor, there are free ways to prepare for the exam.
Considering SATs will be coming up on Apr. 10 and 11, it is ideal for students to take advantage of the variety of options available.
Free SAT prep opportunities can vary from websites to textbooks; by setting aside time to study, students can increase their chances of getting the score they want to receive on the SAT. Commonly used sites include College Board, Khan Academy, and The Princeton Review.
“I have a lot of different ways I have been preparing for SATs. The source I use most is Khan Academy because it individually picks out what I need to work on and shows me what I am struggling with,” said junior Mariah Rosales.
During the OH AVID elective classes, students will have SAT practice mixed into their assignments. Math teacher Tiffany Murphy, who also teaches the SAT Prep class, explained that students can prepare for the state test by taking three SAT practice tests in reading, writing, and math. These students also practice content and test taking skills on Khan Academy with multiple choice questions.
“Some colleges are going away from the SAT score entrance to get in, however, some SAT scores can get you a scholarship. If you score higher on the SAT, the college that you’re trying to get into will give you more money in scholarship for you to go there,” said Murphy. “Some colleges are reverting back to the SAT scores, so the SAT score really depends on what colleges you’re trying to get into.”
“We have to have 95% of our students or higher that take it have to take this test. That takes a lot of coordination because we have a lot of students and we have to assign staff to proctor and room monitors, so it is pretty big planning. It starts pretty early in the summer,” said Parker.
Parker added that the test will be proctored digitally this spring. In the fall, students took a practice SAT digitally. Overall, Parker said this fall experience was a success. According to Parker, taking the test digitally was faster, and the test is more responsive than the previously used pencil-and-paper format.
The spring digital test will be held in the same format. Students take the first section, and then, depending on where they score on that section, the test will either adapt students to higher or lower questions. While the questions include the same concepts, questions may be posed in more complex (or easier) patterns.
According to Parker, the “SAT is in the Spring for 11th graders and any senior who might have missed it their junior year who needs to take it for graduation. All students in grades 10 will take the PSAT 10 and all students in grade nine will take the PSAT 9 [[…]] this is a state requirement.”
Students able to take this test will have opportunities that will set them up for success, and studying can increase those chances. With earlier preparation, students could receive more college scholarships, and skip placement tests.
According to the national advocacy group FairTest, a record 1,900 four-year U.S. colleges and universities are test-optional for fall 2024 applications.
There have been well-documented racial disparities in testing outcomes, which can widen college access gaps. According to the Brookings Institute, the class of 2020 included nearly 60% of white students and 80% of Asian students hit the college readiness benchmark in math, while less than 25% of Black students and 33% of Hispanic or Latino students did the same, the nonprofit Brookings Institute reported.
The SAT is a standardized test widely used for high school college admissions in the United States to graduate in 1926. The name of the test has, however, changed throughout the years. The SAT comprises three sections: math, evidence-based reading, and English. This test is time-based, usually between three and a half hours to four hours.
