If you'd like to get in some extra exam practice before sharpening your No. 2 pencil for the real deal, check out the resources at 4Tests.com. The website, which is partners with Barrons Education, features full-length practice exams for both the SAT and the ACT. If you're not interested in completing a full exam, you can customize the test by selecting the sections you wish to include. 4Tests.com also offers free tutorials on SAT-related areas, such as diction and speed reading.

Plan on taking an Advanced Placement test? Brush up on the essentials with 4Tests.com's practice versions of the biology, chemistry, and U.S. history AP tests. Considering graduate school? Choose from LSAT, MCAT, GMAT, or GRE practice tests. You can even study for your PSAT or your GED. Check out the website for the full library of tests and let us know in the comments about other free online resources you've come across!

For more test prep resources, check out the entire Exam Cram archive.

Wish that preparing for the SAT or ACT didn't require costly books and programs? Here are a few free options online: 

• MajorTests.com, which doesn't require sign-up (no usernames and passwords to remember!), features hundreds of practice questions and answer explanations. You won't be able to take a full-length test on the website, but you'll be able to perfect your strategy. Check out the especially helpful vocabulary lists which are downloadable.
• Test prep publishers also have some free online options. Peterson's offers full-length, timed practice tests, while Princeton Review sends out a "detailed score report analyzing your strengths and weaknesses" after you complete their online demo.
• Number2.com is a free test prep haven with a vocabulary builder, personal progress reports, and tutorials adjustable by skill level.

If you’ve ever dreamed of the SAT or ACT vanishing into thin air, you’ve got your wish . . . sort of. Many colleges and universities who believe that these standardized tests are not the best way to determine a student’s potential have voiced their opinions in a pretty big way: they are removing the SAT and ACT from their application requirements.

If you are a strong student but freak out when it comes to major tests, this is definitely a time to rejoice. In fact, you are the reason that more and more schools are moving towards making the SAT and ACT optional. These schools question the validity of standardized testing in assessing a student’s future success in college. When you think about it, it does make sense—how could a three-hour test possibly sum up all the skills you have learned during years of schooling? Critics of these tests also point out that standardized testing is prejudiced toward minority and economically disadvantaged students. Much has been said about establishing a test that will be a fairer assessment than what is currently in place with the College Board and the ACT.

Stop doing your happy dance for just a moment and check out this list of SAT-optional schools from Fair Test, an organization dedicated to creating fair and effective admissions standards. Pretty impressive, huh? There are dozens of small liberal arts colleges across the country that are shedding the SAT and abstaining from the ACT, but what’s really making people’s tongues wag is the fact that there are also more and more competitive schools that are appearing on the list, such as Bard College, College of the Holy Cross, and Bowdoin College.

Although the list of test-optional schools is getting longer each year, that doesn’t mean that you should burn your SAT or ACT practice books just yet. There are still plenty of schools—including the Ivies—that are not ready to budge on the testing issue. You may find that you’ll still have to take the SAT or ACT, but you’ll only have to submit scores to a few of the schools on your list. It’s enough to take a bit of the nervous edge away, now that you know there are colleges and universities out there that will look at you as a person and not just a verbal or math score.

You may resume your happy dance now.

 Image by dieselbug2007 and used under a Creative Commons license.

Everyone wants to do well on standardized tests, but what's considered a "good" test score can vary dramatically from person to person. If you're wondering, "What is a good score on my ACT or SAT?", there is no hard and fast answer to the question. The notion of good depends on what you want to accomplish and, in the case of college admissions, getting in to the college that is right for you is good.

A good score is pretty much defined as the score that puts you in the top 25 percent of the incoming class and a not-good score places you in the bottom 25 percent of the applicant pool. Remember, not all colleges rely on the score much (or at all) in deciding who gets in. College admissions counselor Todd Johnson recently wrote a great article addressing the question: “What is a good ACT score?” Here are a few points from his blog:

• Private colleges tend to take educational background into account when deciphering test score strength. Johnson says that kids from small rural high schools might have their scores viewed with a little more lenience than kids from top private schools whose privileged backgrounds give them an edge on the ACT in general.
• Public colleges tend to just evaluate the ACT scores without considering educational background.
• To find out how your test score fits within your top college choice’s admission range, Johnson recommends using College Navigator, a tool developed by the US Department of Education, to find the published ACT/SAT score ranges for the top 25 percent of enrolled students and the bottom 25 percent as well.

I took Johnson’s advice about using College Navigator to find the score ranges from my alma mater.

Here is how you can find out too:

1. Go to College Navigator.

2. Type in the name of the college that you are considering.

3. Click on the college title link in the results.

4. Find "Admissions" in the options.

Under “Admissions Considerations”, you will find the 25th percentile scores which are the average scores for the top 25 percent of the freshman enrollments. You will also find the 75th percentile that reflects the score averages for the bottom 25 percent of enrolled students.

So, what is a good ACT or SAT test score? If your scores are the same or higher than the 25th percentile, then you have favorable odds of getting in. If your scores are comparable or lower than the 75th percentile, then you have a lower chance of being accepted to a college that relies heavily on test scores to determine admissions. Keep in mind, however, that it all depends on how much individual institutions emphasize test scores.

Getting ready for the ACT and SAT test can be stressful and there are a lot of differing opinions floating around the internet about how to get ready and the best strategies for scoring high on the tests. My advice: start with the basic flaw that is the worst score killer of all: wasting time.

Think of time as "life credits" that you have to budget to make it all the way through the test while giving yourself enough time to work through the tough questions/exercises. 

*Don't drive yourself crazy by rushing through the sections or torture yourself mulling over an answer that may never come to you.

*You need to put your watch to work for you way before the big test by timing yourself during practice tests (do practice tests all the time- they are like fire drills) .

*Start preparing as early as possible: a steady prep process will calm your nerves whereas last minute cramming is only going to intensify stress and make it harder to focus!

*Take advantage of practice tests and learn how to manage your minutes for the timed sections; clock yourself! 

*Use tools specifically designed to get ready for the ACT  and SAT Tests: These tests are put together by independent organizations, not by your teacher or from your curriculum publisher, and may ask questions and phrase answers in a way that you are not used to seeing.

Kids from coast to coast take the ACT and/or the SAT so it tends to be sort of "one size fits all": Use SAT and ACT test tools, instead of just relying on your high school books/lesson notes, to help you learn more about the knowledge and skill sets that are going to pop-up. they are not as much measures of what you know as they are of your ability to choose the best answer.

"Must-do" list for getting ready for the SAT and/or ACT:

• Taking the PLAN (prep for ACT) and/or the PSAT (prep for SAT) during your sophomore year of high school is a great opportunity to work on your test-taking strategies and troubleshoot areas for improvement.
• Get a personal tutor who specializes in ACT or SAT preparation. They can help you master your weaker subject areas and learn time management.
• Take prep-courses, such as those offered at Kaplan; they will give you sample tests and help you ace the types of questions that trouble you.
• Buy ACT and SAT study books at the bookstore, which are full of practice tests and study tips.
• Keep up with the My College Options® Blog and resource center for the latest articles on the SAT and ACT.
• Play “Zero Hour Threat”, an ACT/SAT prep video game, to help you build your skills while having fun at the same time. Beat the game, beat the test!
• Use an ACT or SAT test preparation booklet (My College Options offers preparation for the exams in two books—The Essential Guide to the SAT and The Essential Guide to the ACT).

Relieving Anxiety on the Day of the Test 

• Bring a watch. Time management is up to you! The proctors tell you how much time you have for each section, when to start, when to stop, and when you have five minutes left. You should pay attention to how long you are taking on the questions and pace yourself during the test.
• Manage your time.  Move through each section calmly. Answer the questions that come easiest to you first and return to the “stumpers” as you work toward the end.
• Use the process of elimination. You can usually narrow your choices down to two possible correct answers. That will give you a 50% chance of answering the questions correctly.