March SAT Feedback and NTPA Meetup

Hello MJTP families!

It is officially Spring Break for me this week. As most of you know, I still teach full-time. I'm looking forward to a productive week of content creation and launching a few exciting products that I can't wait to tell you about. Stay tuned!

This past Saturday, I took the March 14 SAT. It's something I do regularly — not just to stay current on the test, but because there's no substitute for being in the room and understanding what my students are going through. Seeing the subtle nuances of the real test on test day are invaluable.

The same day, I attended an NTPA meetup in Tampa with fellow test prep professionals (See the photo above). We exchanged notes on what's working, what isn't, and how the test continues to evolve. I came away with a lot of useful perspective that I'll be sharing with my students.

What My Students Said: March SAT Debrief

Here's unfiltered feedback from students who walked out of the March 14 test.

Reading & Writing

One student noted the first RW module felt unusually difficult — "as hard as some second modules I've seen, especially questions 8–14" — while the second module was tough but not the hardest they'd encountered.

Several students flagged unconventional transition questions. Rather than standalone words like however or additionally, the transitions were embedded in full clauses: "Nevertheless, critics blah blah blah." One student described a question beginning with the word "contrast" that seemed to address the reader directly rather than function as a standard transition word — and called it "generally a weird test overall."

A few students found reading comprehension manageable, while others found grammar and rhetorical synthesis noticeably harder. One student felt the long passages were "not as tricky as I thought — which was slightly suspicious."

Math

The consensus: math was harder than expected, particularly Module 2. Several students noted that the more difficult questions appeared in the middle of Module 2 rather than at the end. One student reported feeling confident about a 780–790 on math. Another found Module 1 solid but said Module 2 felt rushed.

Usual content

Students reported a heavy mix of science passages, a question involving semiotic language and linear semantic patterns, and one question about an IRS form. The College Board continues to draw from unexpected corners — but strategy travels regardless of subject matter.

Vocabulary — and why our quiz work paid off

This stood out. Multiple students specifically recognized words from our Official SAT Vocab quizzes:

"Ubiquitous, eschew, and evince showed up again, throughout the test, as expected. I also got iconoclasm and multifariousness — both of which I was able to select based on roots and knowing the meaning of iconoclast."

When a student sees ubiquitous on test day and thinks "I know that one" — that's not luck. That's preparation. If you haven't worked through the Official SAT Vocab quizzes yet, start now. These words keep showing up because the College Board keeps using them.

Don't Let Off the Gas — School-Day SATs Are Happening Now

The Spring 2026 school-day SAT window runs March 2 through April 30. Many students are sitting for the SAT at their own schools during this window, and those scores count just as much as any weekend test.

One of my students is already registered for the April 22 school-day SAT at their school. If yours is administering the test this spring, treat it seriously. This is not the time to coast.

A Growing Trend: Some SAT Students Do Better on the ACT

I've been noticing this more and more — students who prepared for the SAT are discovering that the ACT is actually a better fit for them. The two tests have different structures, timing pressures, and question styles, and some students simply perform better on one than the other.

If your student has taken the SAT and isn't seeing the scores they're hoping for, or if they've never tried the ACT, it may be worth exploring. You can find upcoming ACT test dates and register at act.org.

Upcoming SAT Test Dates — 2026

Seats fill up. Don't wait.

Source: College Board. Late deadlines for August–December are estimated from historical patterns — always confirm at collegeboard.org.

Sample SAT Question: The Ides of March

Yesterday was March 15 — the Ides of March — the date Julius Caesar was assassinated in 44 BCE. It turns out the SAT has used this exact moment from history as the basis for a Reading & Writing question. The passage below is from Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, and the question is a real example of the kind of Text Structure and Purpose question that appears in the harder range of Module 2.

Try it yourself before revealing the answer.

Scores from March 14 are expected back in a few weeks. I'm looking forward to seeing how well we did! In the meantime, if you have questions about the May SAT, a school-day test, or whether the ACT might be worth exploring — reach out.

Keep working.

— Mr. John