The sweet spot for studying for the SAT & ACT is eight to twelve weeks. Students who give themselves less than 8 weeks to study for the SAT but are expecting to improve by more than 100 points are not giving themselves adequate time to reach their goals. Students studying for more than 3 months are likely to see diminishing returns from their hard work.
Testing
FAQ: What is a good ACT score?
The ACT test has four sections, English, Math, Reading, and Science, each scored on a scare of 1 to 36. The ACT also calculates a composite score which is an average of all four test. The single composite score is generally used when discussing ACT scores. However, the total of all four scores, 144, is used by organizations such as the NCAA.
Are there any free SAT/ACT test prep resources?
ShareTweetFlipEmailPin0 SharesThere are a variety of free SAT/ACT test prep resources available. Free Test Prep Number2.com Offers free test prep for both the ACT and SAT. Must register but not many required questions. Will receive emails that track your progress and offers suggestions on what to do next. Provides a review section for each topic … Read more
What are SAT Subject Tests?
ShareTweetFlipEmailPin0 SharesProbably the majority of high school students haven’t heard of SAT subject tests which is as it should be since most won’t take any. The SAT Subject Tests (previously called SAT 2’s) are one hour high school level subject tests that are given during the same time as the SAT. The tests are offered … Read more
Should I apply to colleges where my test scores will be low?
ShareTweetFlipEmailPin0 SharesGuess what? It all depends! The first thing it depends on is whether or not the scores are a reflection of your actual abilities and accomplishments. There really are people who don’t test well but are superb students. If you know that you can outperform students with much higher test scores, then your test scores … Read more
When Should You Take the SAT?
ShareTweetFlipEmailPin0 SharesThe conventional wisdom is that juniors should take the SAT or ACT sometime in the spring of their junior year. If need be, they retake it in the fall of their senior year. If you don’t have any reason not to such as playing a fall sport, my recommendation is to take the exam … Read more
What is superscoring?
ShareTweetFlipEmailPin0 SharesSuperscoring is the practice of taking the best sub scores from multiple test dates to create the highest superscore possible. For example, if a student took the SAT twice with the following results, the superscore would be the third set of numbers Subtest Test Date 1 Test Date 2 Superscore Critical Reading 640 680 … Read more
What is the PSAT?
ShareTweetFlipEmailPin0 SharesThe PSAT is the Preliminary SAT and National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. Basically, the PSAT is a practice test for the SAT that is given in high schools in October. The PSAT takes only about half the time of the actual SAT and at $14 costs much less than the SAT. Students register for … Read more
What are test optional colleges?
ShareTweetFlipEmailPin0 SharesThe term “test optional” generally refers to colleges and universities that do not require students to submit ACT or SAT test scores to be admitted to the institution. However, there really isn’t a set definition as seen at the Fair Test website, an organization that tracks such testing requirements. Even the Fair Test definition … Read more