Which Month's ACTs & SATs Are The Best Ones To Take?
The best ACTs and SATs to take are the tests that offer the ACT Test Information Release Service and the SAT Question and Answer Service. When you order this optional service, the ACT or SAT will send you back the full results of the test so your child can see exactly which questions he or she got wrong and can fix those types of mistakes next time.
For the ACT, the TIR Service is offered in December, April, and June. For the SAT, the Q and A Service is offered in January, May, and October. These are the best tests to take. Unfortunately, there are many myths out there that certain SATs or ACTs are "easier," but these rumors are not true. The tests are curved and if most students score lower on a certain exam, the curve will be more lenient.
Should Students Take Both The SAT & The ACT?
Yes, most students should. Just about every college in the country accepts either the ACT or SAT, so colleges are giving students two chances. Also, many of the strategies and the concepts tested are the same on the SAT & ACT so when students students prepare for one, they are really preparing for both.
About 30% of students will score higher enough on one exam to be significant. Since it is often difficult to predict which test will be the better test for a students, we recommend students take each test once.
What About Students Who Are Not Good Test Takers?
Many students who believe they are "bad test takers" just need more practice in order to boost their confidence. The SAT and ACT are very repetitive, predictable tests. Rather than being an IQ test, the SAT is more a test of how many SAT questions one has practiced. The same goes for the ACT. Many students just don't realize how much practice it takes. Doing the "Question of the Day" doesn't cut it. Not for the SAT or ACT. Not for most things in life.
One reason why some students do so much better in school than on the SAT or ACT is that they put in a tremendous amount of time on their schoolwork. They need to put in a similar amount of time practicing on authentic SAT or ACT Questions.
Interested in learning more? Keep an eye out for the next part of our Parent's guide blog series where we will answer another round of commonly asked questions! These questions and more are also available in our latest eBook.
