Sara Laszlo, Author at 91 /blog/author/oidcuser__857794/ Prep for Success Wed, 20 May 2026 16:48:31 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://assets.testinnovators.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/cropped-TI-favicon_512x512-32x32.png Sara Laszlo, Author at 91 /blog/author/oidcuser__857794/ 32 32 How to Study for the ACT and SAT /blog/how-to-study-for-the-act-and-sat/ Thu, 30 Apr 2026 20:38:38 +0000 /?p=19700 Whether your test date is three weeks away or still months out on the horizon, a good study plan makes a real difference. This post walks you through the full process: how to choose between the ACT and SAT, how to build a study schedule based on how much time you have, and what to […]

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Whether your test date is three weeks away or still months out on the horizon, a good study plan makes a real difference. This post walks you through the full process: how to choose between the ACT and SAT, how to build a study schedule based on how much time you have, and what to focus on as test day approaches.

Should I Take the ACT, SAT, or Both?

If you haven’t already decided which test to take, try taking an ACT practice test and an SAT practice test to see if you have a preference. The two tests cover similar content but have meaningfully different formats. The SAT is digital and adaptive. Each section is divided into two modules, and the difficulty of your second module adjusts based on how you do on the first. The ACT is offered both on paper and on the computer, with a fixed format and optional Science and Writing sections.

Some students have a clear preference or find they do better on one test over the other. Others end up taking both. It isn’t necessary to take both tests, but some students find having options reduces stress and anxiety. For a quick side-by-side overview, check out our SAT vs ACT infographic.

What Is the Best Way to Study for the ACT and SAT?

We’ve helped over half a million students prepare for admissions tests, and we’ve found that the following process works very well no matter which test you’re studying for: take a practice test, review your results carefully, and then do targeted practice on your weak areas. Repeat this cycle until test day.

Step 1: Take a Practice Test

Before you do anything else, take a full-length practice test under test-day conditions. That means timed, in one sitting, and without your phone or other distractions. The goal is to find an honest baseline so that you learn what you need to improve in order to reach your goal.

Step 2: Review Your Results

Going through a completed practice test carefully is one of the most valuable parts of test prep, and well worth your time. Don’t just look at your score. Look at your results by content area, by question type, and by timing. Which sections cost you the most points? Which question types tripped you up repeatedly? Where did you run out of time?

Flag three categories of questions to review: ones you missed, ones you skipped, and ones you guessed on even if you got them right. A lucky guess may not repeat itself on test day.

Read our full guide on how to learn from your practice test mistakes for a step-by-step walkthrough of this process.

Step 3: Do Targeted Practice

Once you know what to work on, focus your practice sessions there. Targeted practice can involve reviewing content, practicing sets of questions similar to the ones you missed on your practice test, or practicing test-taking skills like pacing and endurance.


Then take another practice test and repeat the cycle.

Study Plans by Timeline

How you structure your prep depends on how much time you have. Here’s what we recommend based on when you’re starting.

6+ Month ACT and SAT Study Plan

Six or more months is the ideal runway to prepare for the ACT or SAT. It gives you plenty of time to build your test-taking skills, address content gaps, and still have room to adjust your approach as you get closer to test day.

Start by building a consistent study schedule and stick to it. Make ACT and SAT prep part of your routine. Use the first few weeks to familiarize yourself with the test format, identify your weakest areas, and build strong study habits. Spacing out your sessions over time promotes long-term retention, which means you’ll actually remember what you learned on test day.

Practice tests: One full-length test every three to four weeks, gradually increasing to every one to two weeks as you approach your test date

Targeted practice: 30 to 45 minutes, two to three times per week

2 to 5 Month ACT and SAT Study Plan

Two to five months is enough time to make meaningful gains across multiple areas without feeling rushed. If you’re just getting started, you’re in a good position.

As you continue to take practice tests, make note of what’s improved and what you still need to work on. Adjust where you focus your targeted practice sessions accordingly.

Practice tests: One full-length test every one to two weeks 

Targeted practice: 30 to 45 minutes, three to four times per week

1 Month ACT and SAT Study Plan

One month is still enough time to improve your score, but only if you’re strategic about it. Read our dedicated guide: How to Study for the SAT in One Month.

Focus first on the areas where you can improve the fastest. For example, reviewing grammar and punctuation rules can have a big impact on your SAT Reading & Writing and ACT English scores.

Practice tests: One full-length test per week 

Targeted practice: 45 to 60 minutes, three to four times per week

The Week Before the ACT or SAT

One week is not a lot of time to prepare for the ACT or SAT. If you haven’t started studying yet, the most valuable thing you can do right now is familiarize yourself with the test format. Knowing what to expect on test day (the structure, the timing, the question types) can make a real difference. However, it’s unlikely you’ll see dramatic score improvements. Instead, focus on doing your best for where you are right now. Read our guide: How to Study for the SAT With One Week Left.

If you’ve been preparing consistently, now is the time to pull back on new material and focus on review. Identify one or two areas that are still costing you points and concentrate your energy there. Read our guide on what to do in the final week before the SAT for a day-by-day breakdown.

Practice tests: One full-length test early in the week

Targeted practice: 30 to 45 minutes, two to three times per week; keep sessions short and focused

The Day Before the ACT or SAT

If your test is tomorrow, put down your books, shut off your computer, and get some rest. Trust the work you’ve put in and don’t try to cram. Pack your bag, plan your morning, and eat a good dinner. Read our full guide: What to Do the Night Before the SAT or ACT.

A Few Things to Keep in Mind as You Study

Consistency beats intensity. Short, regular study sessions are more effective than marathon cramming. An hour three times a week will outperform three hours the night before every practice test.

More practice tests aren’t always better. Taking a practice test without reviewing it carefully is a missed opportunity. The review is where most of the learning happens.

Nerves are normal. It’s completely normal to feel anxious about the ACT or SAT. If test anxiety is affecting your performance, check out our test anxiety resources for practical strategies.

You can retake the test. Most students take the ACT or SAT more than once. Knowing you have another chance can take some pressure off, and it’s worth planning your test schedule to allow for a retake if you need one.

More ACT and SAT Resources

Understanding the Tests

Study Plans

Test-Taking Skills

Test Day

Start Practicing Today

91 has everything you need to prepare for the ACT and SAT, including full-length practice tests, detailed score reports, and thousands of targeted practice questions.

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Sara Laszlo

Sara Laszlo has nearly ten years of experience in private tutoring. An opera singer by training, Sara is especially interested in exploring better ways to practice and improve skills, whether musical or test-related. She holds a B.A. in Classical Civilization from Duke University and a Certificate of Merit in Voice from the New England Conservatory of Music.

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]]> Learning from Your Mistakes: How to Get the Most Out of Your Practice Tests /blog/learning-from-practice-test-mistakes/ Tue, 28 Apr 2026 20:11:38 +0000 /?p=19649 You’ve just finished a practice test. Now what? At 91, we talk about test prep in three steps: (1) take a practice test, (2) review your results, and (3) do targeted practice. This post is about step two. Going through a completed practice test carefully is one of the most valuable but overlooked parts […]

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You’ve just finished a practice test. Now what?

At 91, we talk about test prep in three steps: (1) take a practice test, (2) review your results, and (3) do targeted practice. This post is about step two.

Going through a completed practice test carefully is one of the most valuable but overlooked parts of test prep. This post walks you through how to review your results step by step, and while we’ll point to some tools inside 91 along the way, this process works no matter what materials you’re using to prepare.

Start With the Big Picture, Then Zoom In

Before you dive into individual questions, take a step back and look at your results from the top down.

Start with your overall scores. How did you do on the test as a whole? Which section was your strongest? Which needs the most work? 

Then look at each section individually to see how you did by content area. Once again, make note of both your strengths and your weaknesses. Knowing what you’re already doing well is just as useful as knowing where you need to improve.

91 SAT Score Report Module Summary
91 breaks down each section or module by difficulty level, content area, and time.

Once you have your bearings, it’s time to dive in and go question by question. As you do, you’re looking for three categories of questions to review:

  • Questions you missed
  • Questions you skipped
  • Questions you flagged, even if you ended up getting them right

That last category is easy to overlook. You may have ultimately guessed correctly, but that doesn’t mean you’d actually know how to solve a similar question on the real test. Those questions belong in your review too.

Example of a incorrect question from 91' SAT Practice Test #1
For each question, 91 shows your answer, the correct answer, a full explanation, and a follow-up exercise to practice similar questions.

Reread the Question and Figure Out Why You Missed It

Start by rereading the question. Do you remember what tripped you up? Do you see how to solve it now that the pressure of the test is over? Or is it still giving you trouble?

It helps to think about missed questions in two broad categories:

Execution Errors

Execution errors are mistakes that have nothing to do with your understanding of the content. Perhaps you misread the question. Or you meant to bubble in C but filled in D instead. Or you ran out of time and had to guess randomly. Or you skipped a line on your answer sheet and threw off everything that followed. These happen to everyone, and they’re frustrating precisely because you know the material.

Knowledge Gaps

On admissions tests, you may run into questions where you genuinely aren’t sure how to approach the problem. Perhaps you haven’t studied the material in school yet, or it has been a while and you need to refresh your memory.

To determine whether a question is a knowledge gap or execution error ask yourself: “would I have known how to solve this with no time pressure and no stakes?” Better yet, try it now. Cover the answer and work through the question again from scratch. If you can get there on your own, it was likely an execution error. If you still can’t, you have a knowledge gap.

As you go, jot down what you think went wrong for each question. If you identify a knowledge gap, note the specific topic (e.g. right triangles, comma splices, reading inference questions, etc). That list will help you determine where to focus your targeted practice.

91 lets you hide the answers when you review a practice test.
Use the Hide Answer toggle to cover the correct answer and try the question again on your own.

Read the Answer Explanation

Once you’ve thought through why you missed the question, read the answer explanation. Does the solution make sense to you now? If so, great. You’ve got a clearer picture of what happened and you’re ready to move on to targeted practice.

If the explanation doesn’t fully click, that’s useful information too.

91 has detailed answer explanations.
91 has detailed answer explanations.

Talk Through the Problem if You're Still Stuck

If you’re still stuck after reading the explanation, try working through the problem out loud with a tutor, parent/guardian, or a study partner. Explaining your reasoning forces you to slow down and can help you identify exactly where your thinking breaks down.

If you’re using 91, you can also try Wild Zebra, an AI study buddy, by clicking the zebra icon in the lower left corner of the screen. Wild Zebra uses Socratic conversation to guide your reasoning, asking questions and checking your understanding rather than just handing you the answer. Working through a problem this way can either help the solution click or confirm that there’s a knowledge gap that needs some dedicated study time. All 91 accounts include 10 free Wild Zebra conversations.

Wild Zebra helps students think through problems.
Wild Zebra helps students think through problems.

Do Targeted Practice

Now that you know where to focus, it’s time for step three: targeted practice.

For execution errors, or any question where the explanation made the problem click, go straight to similar practice problems. The goal is to apply what you just learned while it’s fresh to new questions. That will help reinforce the material and build confidence that you’re ready for similar problems on the real test.

If you’re using 91, you’ll notice that every question has a recommended follow-up exercise. Click the link and you’ll get a set of similar practice questions to work through right away.

For knowledge gaps, study the underlying content first, then come back and do the practice problems. Drilling practice questions on a concept you haven’t learned yet isn’t the best use of your time.

Every 91 practice test question is linked to a follow-up exercise for additional targeted practice.
Every 91 practice test question is linked to a follow-up exercise for additional targeted practice.

One More Thing: Missing Questions Is Part of the Process

It’s easy to feel discouraged when you see mistakes on a practice test. But we’d invite you to think about it differently: the questions you miss are problems you caught before they mattered. If you discover a knowledge gap now, you have time to fill it. If you find out you have a habit of misreading questions under pressure, you can work on it. And if you bubbled in an entire section offset by one line, you can be sure you’ll double-check your answer sheet on test day.

Mistakes show you how to be better, and that’s what practice is for.

Take Your Next Practice Test

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Sara Laszlo

Sara Laszlo has nearly ten years of experience in private tutoring. An opera singer by training, Sara is especially interested in exploring better ways to practice and improve skills, whether musical or test-related. She holds a B.A. in Classical Civilization from Duke University and a Certificate of Merit in Voice from the New England Conservatory of Music.

The post Learning from Your Mistakes: How to Get the Most Out of Your Practice Tests appeared first on 91.

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