Testing Season

While seniors are anxiously awaiting letters in response to their college applications and continuing to look for scholarships, juniors are just getting into the thick of the college search / application process; researching colleges, taking or preparing for SAT or ACT tests, and wondering if it will ever end.  Sophomores - I suggest you read this, too; it's not too early to start preparing for your college entrance exams!


So which test should you take - the SAT or the ACT?  And how to best prepare?  It can be mind boggling.  The first step is to find out which test is required or preferred by the schools you are applying to.  Most schools will accept either test; in that case it comes down to your own personal preferences.  The SAT includes only math and language arts, while the ACT includes science.  The SAT emphasizes vocabulary more.  The questions on the ACT tend to be more straightforward. On the SAT, there is a penalty for wrong answers (to discourage guessing), while the ACT has no such penalty. My advice is to learn all you can about each of the tests, work out some practice problems, then make a decision.  The following resources should be helpful in this process:


College Board
ACT Student
Princeton Review Article comparing the ACT and SAT


Once you've decided, use the resources on the SAT or ACT page to develop a study plan.


In addition to registration and basic information about the SAT test itself, the College Board website provides a huge list of resources to help prepare.  Check out the SAT question of the day – they’ll email a question to you every day so you can practice.  The site will also help you to set up a study plan for the SAT, and you can even take a full-length practice test – free!  The College Board site also has a wealth of information on college planning in general. For more information, visit the College Board website: http://sat.collegeboard.org/practice


While they won't email it to you, the ACT website also has a question of the day (posted on the site), access to practice questions, and test-taking tips.  You can also order test prep materials through the website, find testing sites and register to take the test.  Although less extensive, the ACT site also provides information on financial aid as well as college and career planning.  For more information, visit the ACT website: http://www.actstudent.org/testprep/index.html


If you like to hedge your bets, you may even decide to take both tests and see which one gives a better score.  Whatever you decide, develop a plan, take the time to prepare, and good luck!