D took PSAT in oct, sat in nov, and act in dec of jr.
S took PSAT in oct and act in feb of jr yr.
Both took 2 sat2 in soph (math 2 and chem) and 1 sat2 in jr (bio)
If she is good at math and science she may do well with ACT.
It seems like overkill, but I’d recommend they take both. My D scored only 2010 on SAT after two attempts but 35 and 36 on ACT. One score is about 90th percentile and the other is 99.9 percentile
Agree with @bjkmom - the Princeton Review hybrid test was worth taking for my D because she could then focus on one test. The guidance counselor in our school tole me that 1/3 of the students do better on the SAT, 1/3 do better on the ACT and 1/3 do the same on both tests. The only other factor to consider is some schools take the ACT in lieu of SATII tests so if the schools considered are in this group it may push one to the ACT so as to avoid taking SATII.
Sometimes, every practice scores does not tell you a whole lot. My D had reached 2300+ in SAT and ~34-35 in ACT practice scores in early Junior year. Her first attempt in SAT in December was a lot lower than her practice score while her first (and only) ACT attempt in March was 35. She retook SAT before the ACT score was out and yet it was still ~100 below her practice score. So my suggestion is to take both, not just try both in practice and focus on one.
I’m trying to decide too for my DS. He did poorly on his first PSAT CR section as a sophomore (69Math, 68Writing, 50CR). Wouldn’t it be wise to take PSAT as a Junior and then decide whether to take the SAT? PLAN test freshman year revealed that ACT may be better (30 - 33). Some colleges request ALL test scores. If you are honest and send all, is it wise to take SAT knowing it may be the weaker test?
@phoenixmomof2 If you see a clear difference in practice score repeatedly, it may be wise to focus on the one performed better. Taking PSAT is good idea. Note that the format of PSAT (and SAT next Spring) will be changed this year. So whatever he got last year may not be relevant.
Thanks @billcsho. That was my thinking as well.
My kids went up substantially on PSAT from sophomore (when they really didn’t take it seriously) to junior year and then on SAT. Only one took the ACT and it turned out to be a wast of time and money, as his math actually went down and his reading wasn’t any better. He then re-took SAT and, with focus, did well.
It is tough for parents of juniors this year as the SAT format is changing. If a kid will do prep, I wonder if it is better to focus on the ACT since the test is known. OTOH, overall the raw SAT scores may drop with the new tests so it may be easier to get a higher score?
Good luck.
The slower reader will do better on the ACT because of slow reading section that is for some reason called “Science”, it does not contain science question. The fast reader will do good in both, as if it is not possible to increase your reading speed in short period of time preparing for test, the scores in other sections (mostly in math) could be increased a lot with the right preparation.
My cc pet peeve is when people say to take a real SAT and ACT just to see how they do. Why spend the money on a real test that will forever be a part of your testing record when so many tutoring companies administer them for free? Or when you can buy a book for $20 and take all the practice tests you want? What if you discover that the ACT was not your test, but now you have that score on your permanent record? You can’t unring that bell.
Take a practice of each and then focus on the one the student does better on and with which he/she feels more comfortable. The stats I’ve seen say that vast majority people do comparably on the two, but that some people – not the two-thirds mentioned above – do better on one over the other. But I’m having a hard time getting my hands on that data right now. Anyone have pertinent links?
What I have read also was around 2/3 of students do comparable on both test and 1/3 do better in one or the other.
That sounds right to me, bill. I just wish I could cite where I read it! It’s like a bell curve.
Obviously, that depends on their conversion chart and margin of error. If they use ±SD, it would be easily 2/3 with comparable scores in both tests.
Thanks for the advice everyone! I think I’m gonna just have my child take the ACT to keep my daughter focused on a single exam. Again, I appreciate all the help. This is an awesome community.
Its easy to say “take both” but that’s a lot of testing during a crazy and stressful time. I also think its best to take the free practice tests and have them analyzed. Then focus on one. If taking the ACT, be sure to take it with the writing. Also, perhaps things have changed, but up until 2 years ago, Georgetown required (or “recommended”) subject tests in addition to the ACT.
I totally agree. Focusing on one exam may be best for my child.
It would be stressful if you wait till the last minute and take both. Space them out throughout the junior year, then there is even time to retake if necessary. Nevertheless, focus on one is usually sufficient but you do need to go through at least a few practice tests on each to decide on which one.
I just began looking for a tutor for my child and it seems as though another reason it’s better to focus on just one exam is cost. I am having to look for two tutors (one for each exam), so I decided to just find a tutor that rocks the ACT.