Khan Academy offers online SAT prep

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Photo credit: Nathan Lonczynski

By Michal Ruprecht, Staff Reporter

Students don’t have to worry about paying for SAT prep anymore. The College Board teamed up with online educator Khan Academy to offer free preparatory resources.

Junior Gina Peruzzi is one of many who can sign up on Khan Academy’s website SAT portal. Since the revised test will be administered starting this March, students will be able to prepare for the new version by completing practice tests and answering subject specific questions.

“I think that it’s a really good idea because the kids are able to know what to expect with the free tutoring, and they’re gonna learn how to approach different types of problems,” Peruzzi said. “All in all, they’ll feel more comfortable going into the test, and they’ll know more about it, so I think it’s a good idea.”

English teacher and ACT tutor Kristen Alles believes the the program is popular because kids use the Internet frequently. She also thinks the resources are a great opportunity because they are free.

“I think that students will get more opportunities through this type of prep,” she said via email. “It should help put all students on a more even playing field, and it should help students feel more supported and confident that everyone is receiving the same prep.”

Over ten million kids use Khan Academy. Sophomore Evan Nyquist plans on using the portal prior to taking the SAT. He thinks the resources present an affordable and convenient to achieve a higher score.

“I think I’ll probably use it to try and clarify something because I probably wouldn’t want to go out and spend $20 on a book when I could just sit at home and watch videos on the Internet,” Nyquist said.

Alles finds from tutoring that online materials are equally beneficial, as long as students are hardworking.

Nyquist agrees with Alles. He believes that  the program will only be beneficial for diligent and enthusiastic students.

“I think for the students that are kind of aimed and poised to try and take that kind of stuff on, that want to do it on their own time because it’s not just something that’s going to be hand fed to you,” Nyquist said. “As long as you kind of be consistent about doing it and have good work habit, I think those kinds of students will be the ones that benefit the most from it.”