Planning for College and Preparing for College Admission Testing
Taking the SAT or ACT for the First Time
Read time:12 minutes
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Part I: Which Test Should I Take and When?
Taking the SAT when I was junior in high school, I thought, how well will I do? Will I arrive on time? What if I do poorly? Should I have taken the ACT instead? Isn’t it easier?
The year before, I had taken the PSAT and later appalled at my math scores. I took the SAT twice, once as a junior and once again as a senior: one score increased while another decreased, but my overall score did improve. In fact, I reached target score, which in 2005, was a 1200.
In the twenty years since, I have worked with the ACT and SAT almost every year of my professional career as an educator. College admissions testing has changed, but one aspect remains the same: the questions that students ask, year after year
Which test should I take it?
When should I take it?
How many times should I take it?
I remember asking these same questions as early as my freshman year; I now work with students who are asking those same questions in junior high. Luckily, the distinctions between the ACT and SAT are not the same as they were twenty—even five—years ago.
Which Test Should I Take: ACT or SAT?
The answer once depended on the college you chose: coastal colleges preferred the SAT, inland colleges preferred the ACT. Students in my hometown took the SAT if they chose a four- year university, and the ACT if they chose a two-year college. Afterall, the SAT was the more difficult of the two tests.
The perception that one test is more difficult than the other still persists, but that perception is just that: a perception. Even so, the tests are different. Knowing how those differences shape each test can help when deciding which to take—but keep in mind, taking one test and not the other neither risks forfeiting nor chances gaining a distinct advantage. Here’s why.
The New ACT and SAT
At one point, the differences between the ACT and SAT accentuated their rivalry. But both have been redesigned recently so that now, they are more like comparable alternatives in friendly competition. Both are still the major college admissions tests and criteria for national merit scholarships; both still test what students learn in high school. But here the differences begin and with those differences, the likely reason why which test to take became--and still is—a question for so many students.
The College Board, the author of the SAT, states that the SAT tests college readiness, the ACT tests career readiness. This speaks to a long-held perception, one mentioned by the US World News & Report: the SAT is an aptitude test based on real-world problems; the ACT is an achievement test based on academic curriculum.
In other words, both test what students have learned in high school, but only the SAT tests how prepared students are for college. However, the 2020 technical manual for the redesigned ACT reveals that the content which the ACT tests originates from the skills most identified as the indicators of career and college readiness.
But two other critical similarities exist. One, scoring: neither test penalizes for guessing. However, this does not change how either calculates scores: the ACT counts how many questions are answered correctly of those attempted; the SAT, how many are answered incorrectly—so whereas the ACT marks up, the SAT marks down.
Two, both are logical, standardized assessments on which the average high school student with one sequence of advanced math beyond the second year can perform successfully. No outside or prior knowledge is needed, every math problem can be solved without a calculator, and all the information needed to answer every reading question is in the test. Neither tests mastery of content knowledge in a subject area—but both do test proficiency of content skills in a given subject area. The difference of what skills and how set the two apart.
Adapted from the Princeton Review and the College Board
Adapted from the US News & World Report
The ACT is five minutes shorter than the SAT, but has a whole other test section and 60 more questions than the SAT. The SAT has more breaks, more time per question, and is cheaper: for some, the SAT already looks like the better of the two options. But look more closely.
The SAT has more passages in its Reading section and more math problems, some for which a calculator cannot be used though formulas are provided. The ACT allows a calculator for the entire math section but does not provide formulas; the ACT also has less passages in its Reading section – but its Science section has at least 3-4 passages which test reading comprehension more so than scientific knowledge.
In the end, the ACT and SAT balance each other: when one has more, the other has less. So, deciding which to take comes to three simple factors:
Which does your college of choice require or accept?
Which do scholarships for which you are applying require or accept?
How do you assess your strengths as a student and test-taker?
If the colleges or scholarships you are considering have no preference, consider the differences between the two tests and your strengths as a student, particularly your skills in
Math: solving advanced math problems using equations & formula
Reading: engaging and comprehending different subjects
test-taking: studying beforehand and pacing during
Think about these but before deciding, consider the two other questions: when to take either test and how many times to take it. 249
Taking the SAT or ACT for the First Time
First Items to Consider
Deciding when to take the test needs to consider two items: the test and the test-taker.
The Test: When & Where?
By what date do you need to have taken the test? More on this question later—for now, pay attention to test dates and registration deadlines.
Typically, regular registration is four weeks before the test dates; late registration is 2 weeks.
The SAT is offered 7 times a year nationally, usually on a Saturday: March, May, June, August, October, November, and December. The College board does offer School Test Days in October, March, and April.
The ACT is offered 7 times as well: September, October, December, February, April, June and July. The College Board and ACT coordinate so that they do not test on the same day.
Look for a test site closest to you that offers the test on the day you want to test; not all test sites offer the test every test day. Choose location familiar to you
The Test-Taker: Personal Factors
Simply, consider your availability and mobility—based on your schedule and means, when is the best time to take the test?
Most importantly, how prepared are you or how much practice do you need; do you need to give yourself more time? How likely are you to retest, and how much time do you think you’ll need to prepare between tests?
When and How Many Times Should I Test?
When You Should Test
Most recommend test twice, once in the spring of junior year and again in the fall of senior year. The key factor here is how much math coursework you have completed—both the ACT and SAT test one level of advanced math beyond the second year. However, students can take the SAT starting their freshmen year; the Princeton Review recommends testing as early as possible.
When choosing a date, be mindful to take the test at least a few weeks before or after regular high school exams to avoid burn out. If considering a fall test date, don’t overburden or overwhelm yourself by testing at the start of the school year or if you are a senior, close to early decision deadlines.
The best months? March and April allow students enough time to have completed enough spring coursework while allowing enough time before AP and end of year exams. For fall regular decision, October is optimal—enough time after the start of the school year to adjust and prepare college applications. However, for early decision, test before October. 183
How May Times You Should Test
Students are not required to test twice or test in the spring or fall. However, the College Board strongly recommends doing so: the benefit is having the summer to practice and improve test scores in the fall. Even so, Thoughtco aptly points out that for a student who earns a good score the first-time, the benefits of testing a second time are minimal; beyond attempting to raise a low score, testing multiple times has no measurable benefit.
More recently, students are taking either test three times, most often at the end of sophomore year, end of junior year, and beginning of senior year. Testing three or more times is unadvisable for three reasons: first, testing as a sophomore is premature since both tests assess skills learned beyond the second year. Second, unless able to significantly improve scores, the benefit is minimal, if even measurable. Third, testing too many times may give an impression of desperation. 162
Moving Forward: Practicing for the ACT or SAT
The question now is not which, when, or how many times but simply, how: how do you prepare for a high-stakes test like the ACT or SAT? Practice. Practice as much as possible. Remember, they are skills test, not content tests.
Test prep leaders like Khan Academy, the Princeton Review, PrepScholar, and Kaplan suggest daily question practice, followed by regular practice tests every one to four weeks. When doing so, review your strategies and mistakes, what worked and what didn’t work, and what you need to improve. Should you need the help, most test prep services do offer free tutorials and resources while some offer one-on-one private tutoring—but at a price. From experience, the SAT is better than the ACT in offering or having resources available, thanks to its partnership with Khan Academy. Still, official ACT study guides and official SAT study guides are available; PrepScholar offers a rather extensive collection of resources online.
Final Word
The differences between the ACT and SAT do not make one test more difficult than the other, so deciding which test to take is a question of which does your college or scholarship require or accept. If both are accepted, then the choice is a matter of preference and comfort level. Even so, here are some final tips:
From a pacing and content skills standpoint, if math is not a strength, consider the ACT; if reading is not a strength, consider the SAT—and only opt for the essay if your college or scholarship requires it.
Freshmen and sophomores: start exploring both tests; if possible, take the PSAT and Mock ACT for the practice and to decide with which test you are most comfortable.
Juniors: missed the PSAT or Mock ACT? Still not sure? Remember: you can take both tests. If you do, take them within a month of each other. See with which one you are more comfortable and on which test you perform better. If taking the official tests is daunting, take the practice tests instead.
Whichever test you decide, plan to take it when you have completed enough coursework that includes at least half of one advanced sequence beyond the second year, especially in math. This is usually the spring junior year for most students but may be at a different point in their four year academic plan for students who have taken certain courses earlier than others.
If testing in the spring, test no later than March or April. If you decide to test again, test no later than October, but only test again if you need to improve your scores—just make sure you prepare enough so that you actually do improve.
In the end, success depends on planning, preparing, and practicing—so let’s get started.
Sources
Clayborn, Clay. (1 December 2022). “ACT v. SAT: How to Decide Which Test to Take.” US News & World Report.
College Board Staff. (7 July 2022). “When Should You Take the SAT?” The College Board Blog.
_____. (21 September 2022). “Should You Take the SAT or ACT?” The College Board Blog.
Frank, Robin. (2022). “When Should You Take the ACT or SAT?” The Princeton Review College Advice.
Grove, Allen. (31 March 2020). “When and How Many Times Should You Take the SAT?” ThoughtCo Resources for Students and Parents.
Princeton Review Staff. (2022). “SAT or ACT: Which Test is Right for You?” The Princeton Review College Advice.
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