The ACT and SAT loom ahead

Every high school student shudders when they hear about the SAT or ACT, but it is important to know which one to take, when to take them, and how to prepare for them.

SAT stands for Scholastic Assessment Test while ACT stands for American College Testing. They both have math, English, and reading sections. They both offer the optional essay portion. The ACT is divided into four graded areas: math, reading, science, and English. The math portion is 60 minutes for 60 questions. The reading is 35 minutes for 40 questions. The science is also 35 minutes for 40 questions. The English section is 45 minutes for 75 questions. On the other hand, the SAT has three sections: reading, writing and language, and math. The reading section is composed of 52 questions in 65 minutes; the writing and language section is made up of 44 questions in 35 minutes. The math section has 58 questions to be completed in 80 minutes. The scores for the ACT are on a scale of 1 to 36, but the SAT has a scale of 400 to 1600.

According to the official ACT website, “The ACT and SAT both measure what students learn in high school. The ACT predicts how students will perform in college while the SAT measures what they need to succeed in college.”

When asked, guidance counselor April Nenadal said, “Students should take both! Unless there is compelling evidence from practice tests that a specific student is better suited for one test, it is worthwhile to take both to see if you are more apt to do well on one over the other.”

Most students take both tests during their junior year. This is because the majority of the material on the test has been covered in their math, English, and science classes. Another reason is that senior year is already stressful enough with college applications and internships.

With the decision of when covered, what prep to do is the next step. A survey sent out to the Sophomore, Junior, and Senior classes gathered examples of different ways to prepare. Some of the ways are: Khan Academy, tutoring, practice problems (through English and math classes), online flashcards, and workbooks. No matter how students go about studying and preparing themselves, it is just important they find a way that works for them. Taking practice tests will allow for a student to see what he/she needs to improve upon.

“There are many companies and private tutors available to students for ACT/SAT preparation. I would not recommend one over another. I feel it's important for each student to find the best fit. If students are looking for a low-cost prep for the February ACT, AHS is hosting a prep session on January 26th. Registration information is available in the guidance office,” said Christina Miley, guidance counselor.