Congratulations on finishing your Sophomore year! As you enjoy the calm of summer before your Junior year starts, now is a great time to take both an SAT and ACT practice test. Taking the practice tests during the summer allows you to better plan for a busy junior year.
A key question before you start test prep is whether you should focus on the SAT or the ACT. With the SAT’s switch to digital, computer-based administration, the two tests have never been more different. The best approach is to make an informed decision by trying a practice test of both. If you took the PSAT back in October, you got a taste of the new digital SAT, but we wouldn’t recommend making a decision based on those scores. Since October, you’ve completed a full year’s worth of math and English, so it’s better to have a score that reflects your growth.
Taking your practice SAT and ACT with Summit will give you a full score report that shows your strengths and areas where you can improve. Once you have your practice scores, you can see which test you should focus on. No college requires both, and it is not necessary to take both the SAT and the ACT. Although their scales are quite different, (400 to 1600 for the SAT, 1 to 36 for the ACT), there is a concordance table to see which looks better. What if your scores on both mocks are essentially the same? Pick the test you would like to prepare for. Colleges do not have a preference for either, so choose the one you’re most comfortable with. Summit’s experienced Program Directors can also connect with you to review the detailed score reports to help you decide which test is the better one for you.
So before you get busy with summer plans, schedule your SAT and ACT practice tests. It is time very well spent.