Most colleges use standardized test scores as a key component in the college applications process. Though this can be a stressful point for many students, the good news is that SAT® practice can significantly raise a score. The College Board® and Khan Academy have released data linking Official Digital SAT Prep on Khan Academy to substantial score gains from the PSAT/NMSQT® to the SAT. The extensive analysis included nearly 250,000 students from the graduating class of 2017 who took the PSAT/NMSQT and the SAT in the past year. Students who practiced 20 hours on Official SAT Practice achieved an average 115-point score gain on the SAT – nearly double the average gain among students who didn’t use Khan Academy.
Shorter periods of practice also correlate with meaningful score gains. For example, 6-8 hours of practice on Official SAT Practice is associated with an average 90-point increase. And even more encouraging, score improvement gains were consistent across gender, family income levels, race and ethnicity, and parental education.
Official SAT Practice is helping to level the playing field. More than 4 million unique users have signed up since the tool’s launch in 2015. As with score improvement, adoption has been consistent across demographics.
Students can link their SAT Suite of Assessment scores to their Khan Academy accounts to receive a free, personalized study plan built just for them and access to thousands of interactive questions with instant feedback, video lessons, full-length practice tests, and more. Students, educators, and parents can all visit khanacademy.org/digital-sat for resources and to get started.
Jenny Caccavale joined the College Board in 2012 and supports districts in Massachusetts and Vermont in reaching their college and career readiness goals. Prior to joining the College Board, Jenny was the director of college counseling at a high school in Massachusetts and previously was a Teach for America Corps member in Washington, D.C.
