As for prepping, I figured I'd have him do a sample test to identify any weak areas so we could work on that before the test. I figure if I'm digging up stuff to keep him challenged, it might as well be something to build up weak spots. I'm looking at the Explore as something to identify strength's and weaknesses, not a goal to achieve.
Actually, now that you mention it, maybe I did a little more prep than I remembered. From the reading portion of the practice ACT, I could tell that DS had no stamina for reading non-fiction. He doesn't choose non-fiction much on his own. So I started making him read Smithsonian articles once a week. He found he really liked them and now reads them on his own. So the ACT practice did uncover a gap, which was easily filled once I knew it was there. I'm not sure if I would call it test prep, but the test prep helped me focus his afterschooling. And that couldn't have hurt him when test time came around!
