<p>Hello, I'm going to enter the 11th grade after this summer, and I really haven't started preparing for ACT/SAT yet. This is kind of concerning because others seem to have already taken it, however, I'm willing to devote 2 hours of ACT, and 2 hours of SAT EVERYDAY (4 hours total). I don't know if this is the right thing to do, but now that I think about it, ACT/SAT really determine your future. </p>
<p>Any suggestions as to how I should approach these tests?</p>
<p>You shouldn’t be concerned that others have already taken the exams. I’d suggest studying for one exam exclusively. Start with the SAT this summer and take the first two SAT’s offered in your junior year. If you’re willing to devote a couple hours of work every day over the summer, you should not need to take more than two SAT’s. Then switch over to ACT with the goal of taking the test maybe in April and June. </p>
<p>The most important part of the process for you will be your work ethic. If you work hard and consistently, you’ll put yourself in a great spot to do well.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t worry about not having taken the tests yet. Personally, I don’t think it’s a good idea. There are plenty of freshmen and sophomores on here all stressed out because they took a test they weren’t prepared for and didn’t like their scores. I would suggest looking both the SAT and the ACT over and see if you have a clear preference for one or the other. 4 hours per day is an awful lot of time, and you really only need one set of scores. However, if you think you’re good enough to get National Merit anything, then you may want to choose SAT prep, so you can score your best on the PSAT in the fall. Then take the SAT in Oct or Dec, and hopefully be done with the whole thing, or if not, you still have plenty of time to retake or decide to try the ACT. </p>
<p>Don’t worry at all. My D did not start preparing for either test until the Summer after sophomore. During the summer, you may spend an hour or so a day to go through one section at a time. Make sure you go through the answers. Then do a timed full test once a while to keep track on your progress. When you hit a plateau, you are ready for the test. If you want to get even higher score, the you would have to work hard on the part that you have weakness.</p>
<p>I think 2 hours each is quite drastic and the SAT and ACT tend to have different question styles so i would recommend studying for one at a time.</p>