The Jordan Harbinger Show 1288: Test Prep | Skeptical Sunday
Feb 22, 2026
Jessica Wynn, writer and researcher who co-hosts Skeptical Sunday, digs into the test prep industry and who profits. She traces its rise, corporate conflicts of interest, and how prep widens inequality. Jessica discusses social media-fueled anxiety, when prep truly helps (and when it harms), and evidence-based study methods students can actually use.
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Wealth Skews Test Outcomes
- Wealth, not aptitude, largely predicts higher standardized-test scores because money buys tutors, time, and quiet study environments.
- Wynn cites stark admission odds: top 1% kids have 1-in-4 chance at elite schools versus 1-in-300 for bottom 20%.
COVID's Real-World Test Experiment
- COVID forced many colleges to go test-optional and admissions still worked, challenging the tests' claimed necessity.
- Schools found grades and other measures sufficed to identify qualified students during the disruption.
Begin With Official Practice Tests
- Start with official practice tests to understand format and realistic questions before buying multiple products.
- One good resource used properly beats five expensive ones you never open, Jessica recommends.