Strategy, tips, and exam guides for the SAT, ACT, and AP® exams — from a Barron's author with 20+ years of experience.
By Brian Stewart, Barron’s SAT, ACT & PSAT Author & Perfect SAT/ACT Scorer Most students preparing for the AP® African American Studies exam focus almost entirely on content — memorizing names, dates, and events across the four units. That’s understandable, but it…
The ACT gives you no formula sheet. Every formula you need — from the quadratic formula to the Law of Cosines — has to be in your head before you sit down. That's a problem for a lot of students,…
By Brian Stewart, Barron’s SAT, ACT & PSAT Author & Perfect SAT/ACT Scorer The ACT Science section is now optional — and at most colleges, you are free to skip it. But a handful of schools do require it in…
By Brian Stewart, Barron’s SAT, ACT & PSAT Author & Perfect SAT/ACT Scorer Most students who struggle on the AP® Calculus AB exam don’t struggle because they skipped content. They struggle because they prepared for a different test than the…
A unit-by-unit AP Precalculus study guide covering all three tested units, the four free-response task types, and the three mathematical practices — with links to all 30 free practice drills organized by topic.
Most ACT study guides underestimate the test — especially its time pressure. This guide, built on how experienced tutors actually prepare students, walks you through every step: diagnosing your weaknesses, prioritizing your three core sections, deciding whether to add optional Science, managing pacing, and building the real skills the ACT rewards.
After 20+ years of SAT tutoring, I've watched students waste months preparing the wrong topics. This guide breaks down the 10 most frequently tested SAT Math topics, explains what each one actually requires, and links to free practice drills — plus a score-range prioritization framework so you know exactly where to start.
The PSAT and SAT test the same skills, use the same digital adaptive format, and are the same length — but they serve very different purposes. In this guide, a 20-year SAT/PSAT tutor and Barron's author breaks down the key differences, explains how the National Merit Scholarship Program works, and tells you exactly when PSAT prep is worth your time.
Most students who struggle on AP® Biology don't have a content problem — they have a study method problem. This post gives you a unit-by-unit study plan built around the six science practices the exam actually rewards, with free practice drills for every unit.
By Brian Stewart, Barron’s SAT, ACT & PSAT Author & Perfect SAT/ACT Scorer Most students who struggle on AP® World History: Modern don’t struggle because they didn’t read the textbook. They struggle because they studied the wrong way — memorizing…