As the end of the school year approaches, testing season gradually creeps up on juniors. Keeping that in mind, it is important for students, especially juniors, to have an idea of what test they are going to take.
As a form of preparation for your chosen test, practice SATs and ACTs are available to freshmen and sophomores; free of cost. While these practice tests take place in school, “Bluebook” offers a less expensive alternative for SAT and/or ACT preparation. The practice tests are untimed. Students should take as much time as needed to read and work through problems during this practice exam. However, students must keep in mind that the actual exam will be timed. To practice more efficiently, students should time themselves in order to practice time management.
The most important factor when making this decision is knowing your academic strengths and weaknesses. Though taking both of these exams is allowed, most students choose not to as they already have an idea of their strengths and what test they’ll be taking. The SAT has 3 sections; Reading, writing and math. The ACT covers four different topics. English, math, reading and science.
Scoring for these tests differs, as the highest score you are able to score on the SAT is 1600, and the highest score you can receive on the ACT is 36. Don’t be fooled by this scoring scale, though. While the SAT does have less questions than the ACT, the ACT multiple-choice questions tend to be seen as less complex. The SAT lasts 2 hours and 14 minutes, whereas the ACT lasts 2 hours and 55 minutes.
While the SAT is able to be taken digitally everywhere, the ACT tends to only be given on paper, due to limited availability of the digital test.
“The SAT being moved to fully online with a different format was another factor in me choosing the ACT,” Marcella Mugno, senior, said.
If you are unsatisfied with either your ACT or SAT score, you are encouraged to do a retake.
In order to do a retake, students must go through a registration process located on College Board; similar to the registration process when initially signing up to take the SAT/ACT.
As a junior, it is important to learn how to balance test prep with extra curricular activities and school work.
“Usually, I plan out a part of my day that I dedicate to study time,” Grayce Zakarian, junior, said. “If it’s a Tuesday or Thursday, which are rehearsal days for me, I’ll usually plan my study time to be in the evening.”
Whether you choose the SAT or ACT, preparation is a must.
“Some advice I’d have would be to make sure you are well rested and to not put so much pressure on yourself,” Mugno said. “It’s just an exam, and this isn’t your only shot.”
