We review the 2 Best SAT Preparation Courses you can find online. Also, you will find out how the SAT exam is scored and what mean results are.
SAT is a standardized test widely used for college admissions in the United States. Originally it was called Scholastic Aptitude Test, later the Scholastic Assessment Test and now it’s called just SAT.
The SAT exam is owned and managed by the College Board, a private, non-profit organization in the United States. SAT test assesses student’s readiness for college.
SAT exam takes three hours to finish, plus 50 minutes for the SAT with an essay. The SAT exam costs $47.50 ($64.50 with the optional essay), plus additional fees if testing outside the United States. The College Board makes fee waivers available for low-income students.
The SAT exam has four sections:
- Reading
- Writing and Language
- Math (no calculator)
- Math (calculator allowed)
The test taker may optionally write an essay which is the fifth test section.
Scores on the SAT range from 400 to 1600, combining test results from two 200-800-point sections: Reading and Writing, and Mathematics.
The SAT exam can be taken seven times a year in the United States: in August, October, November, December, March, May, and June. For international students, the SAT is offered four times a year out of the USA: in October, December, March, and May.
Candidates who take the test can register online at the College Board’s website or by mail at least three weeks before the test date.
As it’s one of the popular standardized exams for college admissions, there are many online SAT preparation courses and classes available.
But how do you choose the best ones?
We have collected the list of best 3 SAT Preparation Courses online. Here they are:
SAT Preparation Courses by Magoosh
Magoosh is a well-known online test preparation company based in Berkeley, California. Their online platform teaches students via audio, video lessons and practice tests.
This is one of the best courses to prepare for the SAT exams. Thousands of students have used it to pass the exam with their desired score.
Course Materials
Magoosh SAT preparation courses come with 1,750+ carefully selected and edited practice questions. Each question comes with a video, explaining the underlying ideas, strategies and common mistakes.
The course includes over 200 video lessons, which will teach you everything from anything from simple geometry to passage deconstruction for SAT exams.
The platform has a simple design and is intuitive for a student. Also, it’s worth mentioning Magoosh has very good support, who will help you with any query or question you may have about exam preparation.
Score Guarantee (+100 points!)
In case you have already taken the SAT exam within the last 5 years, Magoosh offers a money-back guarantee if you will not improve your score by at least +100 points. See their terms for details.
You will have to email your old score to them once you sign up. If you did the exam before, we highly recommend to use this option and provide your score report.
Magoosh is offering 3 plans for SAT prep: 1 month, 3 months and 12 months.
Student Review
“THE SAT REALLY REQUIRES PERSISTENCE AND A LOT OF DETERMINATION IF YOU WANT A HIGH SCORE. I FORCED MYSELF TO STAY POSITIVE AND FOCUS (ONE OF MY BIGGEST PROBLEMS). I RAISED 230 POINTS IN ALMOST 2 MONTHS. I PRACTICED WITH THE MAGOOSH ONE-MONTH STUDY GUIDE AND IT WAS INCREDIBLY HELPFUL. I WAS PERSISTENTLY DOING THE PRACTICE QUESTIONS EVERY SINGLE DAY AND KEEPING TRACK OF MY IMPROVEMENT DATA. I’M TELLING YOU: IT WAS DIFFICULT BUT I DID IT. “
Duration: 1 month, 3-months and 12-months options available.
Free / Paid: Paid (Check for plans)
Course: Register Here
PrepScholar SAT Preparation Courses
This is one of the most effective exam preparation courses available. PrepScholar was launched in 2013 in Cambridge, MA, and is led by PhDs from Harvard and MIT.
PrepScholar offers a customized program that includes a collection of more than 100 hours of lessons and 7,000+ practice questions. This high-quality content created by top SAT instructors ensures the fresh, extensive study for the real SAT exam.
The courses cover all three SAT subsections (Reading, Writing and Language, and Math), plus the essay.
Once you will apply, your program will be continuously updated. After every lesson, your skill will be re-estimated and your study plan will be adjusted accordingly.
For example, if you complete a beginner Math: Algebra lesson, you’ll be upgraded immediately to the Advanced lesson. Likewise, if you need extra work on Writing idioms, it will be rescheduled into your study plan.
PrepScholar Courses come with exact step-by-step instructions on what and how to study. It provides schedules for your interactive study plan.
Student Review
“I came in only needing Reading and Writing help. PrepScholar was perfect in finding my weaknesses and focusing me on what I needed the most help in. Your program made me familiar with 99% of the SAT problems and gave me amazing strategies to succeed. I improved by 150 points.”
160+ Point Guarantee
In case you have already taken the SAT exam within the last 4 years, PrepScholar offers a money-back guarantee if you will not improve your score by at least +160 points. See their terms for details.
Duration: 1 Year Access
Free / Paid: Paid
Course: Register Here
Understanding SAT Scores
Students receive their online score reports from two to three weeks after the test administration. It takes longer for mailed paper scores.
You will receive the total score (the sum of the two section scores, with each section graded on a scale of 200–800) and three sub-scores (in reading, writing, and analysis, each on a scale of 2–8) for the optional essay. Other score verification services are also available for the additional fee.
Most questions on the SAT exam, except for the optional essay and the grid-in math responses, are multiple-choice. All multiple-choice questions have four answer choices, with one being correct.
Thirteen of the questions on the math portion of the SAT (around 22% of all the mathematics exam questions) are not multiple choice. They require the test taker to bubble in a number in a four-column grid.
| Section | Average Score 2019 (200 – 800) | Time (Minutes) | Content |
| Math | 528 | 25+55=80 | Number and operations, algebra and functions, geometry, statistics, probability, and data analysis |
| Reading and Writing | 531 | 65+35=100 | Vocabulary, Critical reading, sentence-level reading, Grammar, usage, and diction. |
Mean SAT Scores for recent years (each section maximum score is 800).
| Year | Reading/Verbal Score | Math Score |
| 2015 | 495 | 511 |
| 2016 | 494 | 508 |
| 2017 | 533 | 527 |
| 2018 | 536 | 531 |
| 2019 | 531 | 528 |
See SAT Percentiles for Total Scores for 2019.
| Score at 400-1600 scale | SAT User | Nationally Representative Sample |
| 1600 | 99+ | 99+ |
| 1550 | 99+ | 99+ |
| 1500 | 98 | 99 |
| 1450 | 96 | 99 |
| 1400 | 94 | 97 |
| 1350 | 91 | 94 |
| 1300 | 86 | 91 |
| 1250 | 81 | 86 |
| 1200 | 74 | 81 |
| 1150 | 67 | 74 |
| 1100 | 58 | 67 |
| 1050 | 49 | 58 |
| 1000 | 40 | 48 |
| 950 | 31 | 38 |
| 900 | 23 | 29 |
| 850 | 16 | 21 |
| 800 | 10 | 14 |
| 750 | 5 | 8 |
| 700 | 2 | 4 |
| 650 | 1 | 1 |
| 640-400 | 1- | 1- |
You can see the full list and more details on the College Board website.
This was our list of 3 best SAT preparation courses online. We hope you’ll choose the course that will suit your budget and learning habits. The most important factor is to challenge yourself and build a routine for SAT exam preparation.
Good Luck!
Here’s The Next Step
Which of the classes above are you going to try?
Or maybe you have a question.
Let us know by leaving a comment below.
