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Summer and fall are the perfect time to prepare for standardized aptitude tests. Prepping through summer will help you be ready for a fall exam, giving you enough time to retake for a higher score it in the spring, if needed, or you can prep through fall and target that spring test. Even if you studied all summer, fall is the ideal time to review and cram down to the last minute. And no matter how you tend to learn, an app can probably help. Here are some of the best ones available on iOS and Android (some are available on a browser, too).
Try Khan Academy if you’re a long-term learner
Credit: Khan Academy
Khan Academy, a nonprofit organization and partner of the College Board, has become synonymous with test prep. They have free courses in various AP classes, a variety of subjects, and, of course, standardized tests like the SAT and LSAT—which means if you start with Khan while you prepare for the SAT, you can stick with it all the way through wherever your educational journey takes you.
Beyond having a deep selection of study materials, Khan Academy serves up information in video form, with clips that go through practice problems similar to the ones you could face on your exam. For real-deal practice questions, you’ll need to use the desktop version of the site, but the app-based videos are great to take on the go.
What I like about Khan is that some of the videos and articles are informational. For instance, you can read about calculator policies for the SAT or watch a quick clip that gives you an overview of what the test is and what to expect. Studying material is one thing, but being prepared for the experience is another, and this app is well-rounded there.
Use Magoosh’s SAT app for customized prep
Credit: Magoosh
Magoosh flashcards and practice quizzes go over English and math concepts you should know for your test. Out of all the apps, the Practice & Prep offering is unique because it’s dedicated purely to the SAT, but it is customizable. The first time you log in, you’re prompted to share when your test is so the app can configure what you should study between now and then. There will be a difference in how you approach it if you have one month or one year to get ready and Magoosh’s app knows that.
Like Khan Academy, this platform gives you information on the test itself, too, offering up a landing page of articles on how to prepare. Beyond that, you get practice questions, videos on the reading and writing sections, and practice tests. While flashcards and study games are useful, practice quizzes are pretty crucial, too, because they give you a better sense of how you’ll perform when you’re facing down a large volume of content.
Bear in mind there are two apps from this company: I like the Practice & Prep, obviously, because it’s so customizable and helpful with the quizzes, but there is a separate flashcard app available if you learn better that way and want to double up on the methods you use for studying.
Use Varsity Tutors’ SAT: Practice, Prep, Flashcards if you want the most variety
Credit: Varsity Tutors
Varsity Tutors is another well-known name in the studying space, and the company’s SAT app is thorough. When you log in, you have the option to take a diagnostic test to see where you’re struggling, run through a practice test, or complete flashcards and other study methods designated by concept.
What do you think so far?
The underlying goal of Varsity Tutors’ app is to funnel you into working with a paid tutor, so be advised there, but the tests you can take to prepare for English and math are robust. You get a breakdown of your correct and incorrect answers, plus details on how long it took you to answer questions compared to others studying the same thing.
Use Brainscape for a trusted resource
Credit: Brainscape
I love the Brainscape app and use it to study for certification exams or just to learn new things. The beauty of Brainscape is that while it’s a flashcard app and those are a dime a dozen, it has some legitimacy attached to it because the company works directly with the governing bodies that oversee tests when it creates flashcard decks. AP tests, certification exams, and the SAT are just a few of the options you can study with the knowledge that the questions you’re reviewing are actually relevant to the test. Like other apps, Brainscape has an option for reviewing user-generated flashcard decks, too, and that’s great—but start with the deck that’s been created with the SAT organization itself.
Crucially, Brainscape uses a version of the Leitner method to quiz you. When you finish answering a flashcard, you indicate how well you knew the answer on a scale of one to five. That determines how often that same card is shown to you, with the lesser-known cards cropping up more frequently and the better-mastered cards popping up less often— it forces you to study more effectively, which is a winning strategy.
Use NotebookLM to shake things up
Credit: Google
Finally, if you’re a student or learner of any kind, not just an SAT-prepper, I recommend Google’s NotebookLM AI tool. It’s like any other AI chatbot except that it doesn’t pull its responses from the Internet. Instead, it relies only on information you feed it. If you have SAT prep tests or study materials from school, a tutor, a guidance counselor, or online, you can upload them into NotebookLM and ask the software to generate a practice quiz, flashcards, summary, or even a “podcast” that features two voices discussing the content. No matter how you learn best, NotebookLM has a feature to support you.
Importantly, it only uses the materials you upload, like I said. This means you won’t get any random or incorrect content from the far reaches of the Internet; you’ll only get information you select and input. ChatGPT gets things wrong all the time (and I have seen it generate complete nonsense when dealing with people I tutor in writing), so this is a welcome resource if you like using AI but are worried about being misled. It’s available on iOS, Android, and your desktop browser.
