The growing use of AI tools is transforming how students study, but educators caution that their reliability and usefulness are limited.
NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, July 1, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Students preparing for standardized tests such as the SAT, ACT and GRE are increasingly incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) tools into their study routines, using them to generate practice questions, check answers, and review explanations. While these tools introduce easily accessible practice material, educators emphasize that they come with risks and their role should remain limited within a structured preparation process.
AI as a Practice Tool
AI is commonly used for additional practice and immediate feedback, allowing students to check answers quickly and continue working without interruption. However, platforms have been found to generate questions that are too easy, outside the scope of a test, or riddled with errors.
“AI is not yet advanced enough for its output to be used directly for practice,” says Eric Gutman, Founder and CEO of The Best Test Prep, a boutique based in New York. “Hopefully, that will be different in five years, but at present, the questions it generates are useful only as a starting point—they need to be reviewed by a human team, edited, improved, and when they’re nonsensical, thrown out altogether. Every company we spoke to has experienced the same thing.”
Inefficient or Erroneous Explanations
Despite its tempting ease of use, AI does not always provide high quality explanations. Even when they’re correct, multi-step responses may lack clarity, omit critical steps, or not provide the quickest and easiest path to an answer, which is key on standardized tests taken under time pressure. As a result, students may obtain answers while taking too much time or without fully understanding the underlying process.
“We found AI-generated explanations to be too long and overly academic,” Gutman warns, shaking his head. “Students need clear, succinct, and repeatable methods they can rely on to answer questions correctly, quickly, and easily.”
Progress Tracking but Limits in Skill Development
AI’s strength is in tracking students’ progress over time, including with specific material and question types. “That’s a major way test prep firms use AI,” Gutman nods. “But the underlying skill development that fuels such progress, it’s not yet adept at.”
Practicing for a standardized test involves more than arriving at answers. Students must develop effective methods, fix mechanical errors, and convert knowledge into points under timed conditions. Even when AI tools provide correct answers, they are weak at evaluating how a student approaches a problem and improving inefficient processes.
“Preparation isn’t only about getting the right answer,” Gutman adds. “It’s about using the right method so the student achieves a high score every time on the actual test.”
Role in Instruction
Some education companies have attempted to use AI to actually provide instruction to students, with mixed results. “This is one area,” Gutman concludes with a laugh, “where AI will lag behind human ability for many years. Machine-learning just can’t compete with a charismatic, empathetic instructor who connects with students.”
Conclusion—A Balanced Approach
AI can be a beneficial addition to standardized test preparation when used as a supplementary tool rather than a primary preparation medium. Combined with a human-taught, method-based approach, it can provide useful progress tracking over time.
The Best Test Prep continues to emphasize structured preparation, delivered by top instructors, and clear, effective methods designed to support stellar performance on Test Day.
About The Best Test Prep
Founded by Eric Gutman, formerly the highest student-ranked instructor at the largest test preparation company in the nation’s biggest market, The Best Test Prep is a New York City–based boutique firm. Since 2014, the company has prepared students for the SAT, ACT, GRE, GMAT, LSAT, ISEE, SSAT, and SHSAT using methods developed through extensive experience working with thousands of students. These methods are designed to be practical, reliable, and effective on Test Day.
The firm employs experienced, full-time instructors with demonstrated client satisfaction and focuses on helping students achieve admission to their top-choice schools, including opportunities for scholarships.
Contact
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(844) 672-PREP
Info@TheBestTestPrep.com
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