...scores a 1580 after studying for the SATs for a thousand hours or a kid who got a 1480 and used that time to make it to the Intel ISEF, I’ll take the latter.

There is a difference between studying the content of the standardized test (math, vocab, reading comprehension, etc.) and understanding the actual drivers of success on the standardized test (e.g., is it better to skip or guess, when is it right to guess, how long should I take on each question, etc.)

I suppose there is also the reality that studying is generally free, while test prep is generally not.

Test preparation is basically that: learning test taking techniques.