Prep for standardized testing is not necessarily an easy task. It’s not like taking a test in the classroom where you have a time frame and a study guide of the specific items that an instructor will be including on a test. Standardized tests such as the SAT and ACT test a lot of general knowledge, so you have to be selective in how you approach them.
A lot of my prepping comes from my work in the classroom. I have maxed out on my math options at my high school as I am currently in Calculus II. So I have taken a math class every year while I am in high school, and because I plan to study engineering I have chosen to take the most challenging math courses even though there were some easier options that I could have considered. When it comes to standardized tests, my accelerated math track has had its pros and its cons. I have adequately developed my math skills, but since SAT and ACT really mostly test your algebra and geometry knowledge, the farther you get from having had actual seat time in those classes (which for me was my 7th and 8th grade years), the less precise those concepts are in your memory. So prior to taking standardized tests, I have to refresh my memory of those basic math skills.
I do that by using the hard copy study guides put out by those entities, as well as their online study guides. Our high school created a “study hall” that is essentially used as standardized test prep. The teacher of the class has us sync our PSAT scores with the Khan Academy on College Board, and we utilize the unique online study guides that are produced as a result of that. My school also has the Plato system that students can have a free account created for them and it has online study practice for these tests as well. In addition, I am a Math Academic Bowl team competitor, so through that process, I’m continually working with my team to prepare for those competitions and that keeps my mind sharp.
I definitely encourage students to take the SAT and/or the ACT as close to the time that they are taking or finishing up their Alg. and Geometry classes. If you wait too long, those skills may diminish making it harder to earn a high score on those tests. My scores were pretty decent because I am a strong math student. I however didn’t take my first SAT until it was part of the school day test my junior year. Because that was a whole 2 or 3 years after I had actually taken my Alg. and Geometry classes, I feel I could have potentially scored higher if I had taken that either as a freshman or sophomore.