The return of PSAT scores in November gets lots of families thinking about college admissions testing. Deciding on when to start taking the SAT or ACT is an individualized decision. Many factors can influence when to start.

If your student is a sophomore or younger, you have time. The earliest that students should start testing is early in their junior year, making summer between sophomore and junior year the perfect time to prep for those students.

If your student is a junior and hasn’t yet set up a testing plan, now is the time.

Let’s start with what you should consider.

• Math level: What math class you take as a sophomore is the most important factor in deciding when to start testing. Both the SAT and ACT cover math up through Algebra II. Students who take Algebra II as sophomores can start testing in the fall of their junior year. Students who take Algebra II as juniors will benefit from waiting to start testing in the spring so they have a more solid foundation in Algebra II.
• Schedule: Essentially all students will take the SAT or ACT multiple times. Test prep takes time; students are learning mostly learning new skills, rather than new content. Students should prep for every “on the record” administration, so they should plan to do the most prep before their first test date. We suggest allowing at least 8 weeks prior to your first test date to get ready. Therefore, aim for your first test date when you’ll have a less busy time for the couple of months prior to your first test date, balancing with keeping plenty of room for re-testing dates.

Typical testing schedules include:

• Summer prep/fall test dates:
  • Students who have completed Algebra II as sophomores and who have (relatively) lighter schedules in the fall can start prepping in the summer and take either the August SAT or September ACT dates, leaving room for subsequent re-testing dates in the fall.
  • If you or your student plays football, is a cheerleader, or marches in marching band, this schedule might not work for you because fall is exceptionally busy.
  • If you or your student is aiming for National Merit recognition, you MUST plan to prep for the SAT over the summer. The PSAT and SAT are essentially the same thing. You’ll prep over the summer, take the August and October SAT dates and take the October PSAT which serves as the criteria to advance in the scholarship competition. We focus on National Merit preparation in the summer; check out our Goal 1600 class if you are interested.
• Winter prep/spring test dates:
  • Students who are taking Algebra II as juniors can start prep right after the holidays, aiming for either the March SAT or April ACT date.
  • Students who took Algebra II as sophomores but were too busy at the beginning of the fall semester can start prepping a bit earlier, say November, for the February ACT if the ACT is a better fit for them. (Want more advice on how to choose? See our blog post here.)
  • If your starting prep in the winter, be sure to leave enough time for re-testing. Early Decision and Early Admission deadlines are typically November 1st of a student’s senior year, so test dates up through August and October for the SAT and September and (sometimes) October for the ACT are also opportunities to re-test.

What if I’m a freshman/sophomore (or my student is a freshman/sophomore), and I really really want to do something this year? Here are some great ideas!

• Focus on grades. It will be much easier to raise your SAT or ACT score in a (relatively) short period of time versus changing your GPA or class rank by the time you get to the end of junior year. You will apply to college on a 6-semester transcript, so freshman and sophomore year grades matter.
• Focus on getting super solid on grammar rules (comma rules are surprisingly strict and few in number), math content, and reading comprehension skills. The SAT and ACT test things that everyone has learned; there’s really nothing new content-wise. Take the opportunity to get confident with the material while you’re learning it.
• Focus on non-fiction, higher-level reading. Many Language Arts classes emphasize fiction rather than non-fiction; whereas the SAT and ACT test almost exclusively non-fiction writing. Use freshman and sophomore years to develop a regular non-fiction reading practice. We’ve even created a great list of online periodicals to choose from! Your phone is already in your hand so let’s read something good!

We’re always happy to set up a free consultation to help you think through your testing plan. Let us know how we can help!