Here are some tips to get you started:

1. Get the "official" prep materials written by the test makers. These are the books with questions from real tests and they have the word "official" in their titles. There's one for the SAT and one for the ACT. The test makers like to brag about how their book is the number one best seller. This is amusing. The test makers have a monopoly on the real questions so you are forced to buy their book if you are going to take their test. If you don't practice with real questions, you are at a severe disadvantage.

2. When you do a section from the "official" book, time yourself carefully and score the section out of 800 (SAT) or 36 (ACT). The books have a section that explains the scoring. Keep a record of your scores. Once you've done a section on the clock, go back over it carefully.

3. After you do a timed section, categorize every question. Your goal is to make the test seem predictable. A math question might be a ratio problem or a graphing problem etc. A reading question might be a main idea question or an interpretation question etc. A grammar question might be testing parallel structure or active vs. passive voice etc. The more you categorize the better you'll know the test.

4. If you get a question wrong, write down next to it WHY you got it wrong. Was it a dumb mistake? Did you fall for a trick? Did you overthink it? Did you not think about it enough? How could you have gotten it right without taking too much time?

5. Make sure you know all of the math they will ask on the test. If there is some little thing you didn't learn in school, learn it now. Also make sure things like the area formulas and the square root of two and common right triangles are right at the tip of your tongue. Don't overuse the calculator. This is speed test so quick calculations and memorized formulas matter.

6. Practice rephrasing the reading comprehension passages. After you do a practice section, rewrite the reading comprehension passages using simple, informal language. Your rewrite should contain enough information to answer all the questions and should be a lot shorter than the original passage. After a while, rephrasing will happen naturally as you read. A variant of this technique is useful for the fill-ins. Click the rephrasing link on the home page for examples.

7. Make a list of important, interesting, memorable, thought-provoking events in your life and from history. Write a short paragraph about each one. These are the building blocks of your essay. Many of the most interesting pieces of your knowledge and experience will be relevant to many different kinds of essay questions. If you've thought them through before you sit down to write a timed essay, you'll be able to put together an impressive essay loaded with interesting examples.

8. The whole test is about balancing speed and accuracy. Some questions should not be attempted simply because they will take too long. Look for these questions and skip them as quickly as possible. If a question is easy and quick, spend a few extra seconds making sure you have it right. You MUST get all the easy questions right and you MUST skip the time-consuming questions or at least leave them for when you have finished the rest of the section.

If you can implement the above tips on your own or with your friends or with the help of your teachers, then you don't need a prep course. If you would like some help, find a tutor (like Matt!) to help you. Whether you use Matt or someone else, your money is better spent on a private tutor than on a commercial course that will cost the same. -- CTT