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SAT, ACT & AP® Test Prep Blog

Strategy, tips, and exam guides for the SAT, ACT, and AP® exams — from a Barron's author with 20+ years of experience.

AP Business with Personal Finance Key Terms: 125 Concepts by Unit

The most important AP Business with Personal Finance key terms, organized by the College Board's five units, with clear, scenario-based definitions and a free practice drill for each unit.

Why More Selective Colleges Are Requiring the SAT or ACT Again

For a few years, the message to high school students was that the SAT no longer mattered much. Apply without a score, the thinking went, and you would be judged on your grades, your essays, and who you were beyond…

Do You Actually Need a Tutor for the SAT or ACT?

I tutor for a living, and even I won't tell you every student needs one. Whether your kid actually needs an SAT or ACT tutor usually comes down to a few plain questions. Here's how to work through them, and how to avoid paying for help that doesn't fit the problem.

ACT and SAT Recommended Reading List: Books and Magazines That Build Real Comprehension

A useful reading list for the ACT® and SAT® shouldn't be just a stack of classic novels. Both tests pull passages from a wide range: fiction, science, history, social issues, essays, and opinion writing. Students who can move comfortably across…

ACT Pulls Spring 2026 Online Scores for Rescoring: What Students and Families Need to Know

I got a handful of emails and texts from worried students and parents this week, all with the same problem: the ACT score that was supposed to be in MyACT had just vanished. If that's you, here's the situation. This…

What the April 2026 ACT Form Tells Us

ACT’s My Answer Key materials give students access to a post-test packet for eligible administrations, which means tutors can finally look at recent forms with some specificity. I had a chance to review the April 2026 ACT form, and a…

How to Manage Test Anxiety: Practical Techniques for the AP Exams, SAT, ACT, and Other High-Stakes Tests

Test anxiety is more common than students realize, and it can be managed with the right tools. Here are practical techniques you can use during prep and on test day for the SAT, ACT, AP exams, and other high-stakes tests — from breathing strategies to free-response tactics.

The Desmos Time Trap: 9 SAT Math Problems That Are Faster By Hand

Desmos is built into the Digital SAT, but defaulting to it on every problem is one of the biggest time-sinks I see in students prepping for the test. Here are 9 specific problem types where doing the work by hand is faster, plus the rule I drill into every student about when to put the calculator down.

10 Advanced Desmos Techniques for the Digital SAT Math Section

Once you've worked through the foundational Desmos techniques (linear regression, sliders, graphing systems, the percent and fraction shortcuts), you've got the core toolkit most students rely on. (If you haven't yet, start with the free Ten Tips for Desmos on…

AP English Language Key Terms: The 60 AP Lang Concepts That Matter Most

By Brian Stewart, Barron’s SAT, ACT & PSAT Author & Perfect SAT/ACT Scorer AP® English Language and Composition is one of the most widely taken AP exams, and also one of the most misunderstood. Students often walk into the course…