With the SAT and PSAT coming in April, students may be stressed about how they will do on the test. But the best way to prepare for any test is not to worry; instead, spend this next month learning and practicing for the SAT and PSAT with some valuable and easy to use resources! Some of them are free and very much worth the time if it will boost scores to the desired levels.

1. Khan Academy – Khan Academy is completely free and offers personalized practice that serves questions based on what students struggle with, and has a few full length tests that can be taken as well that are approved by the College Board. Practice is available for free at any time at www.khanacademy.org/sat
2. College Board – The College Board links directly to Khan Academy for online practice. However, if students prefer to print and take a paper exam similar to the real thing, the College Board has a few online exams that can be printed on their website. This way students can take the test with all distractions turned off, and even time themselves similarly to the proper test environment. Download them and print them from https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat/practice/full-length-practice-tests (for the SAT) and https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/psat-nmsqt-psat-10/practice (for the PSAT) for free.
3. Practice Books and Guides – If students are willing to pay money for a physical book or borrow one from a teacher, they can be great for combining both test taking tips and practice into one place. The College Board offers an updated official SAT paperback study guide with practice tests available on Amazon and at major bookstores like Barnes and Noble. Additionally, one can never go wrong with trusted names like Princeton when it comes to test preparation material.

Regardless of what preparation methods used, what really matters is that students take some time out to practice test taking strategies. Furthermore, try not to stress! All the SAT does is attempt to measure proficiency in basic high school math and English, and colleges use that score to help predict how well students will perform in a college setting. It is not the only factor in college admissions, and in no way should a test score define one’s life, but it certainly helps relieve stress and improve chances of a higher score through regular, small amounts of practice and study leading to it. Find a nice quiet environment, perhaps grab a favorite beverage, and get studying!