<p>My 10th grade D is taking the ACT in April and the SAT in May. She will prep some but I don't think she'll have time to do a lot of intense prep. She took Algebra 1 last year and is currently taking Honors Geometry. She gets As in both classes but how well can she really do on these tests when others have taken pre-calc and even some calculus in school? Would it have been better for her to wait until junior year to take the tests?</p>
<p>There is no pre-calculus or calculus on the SAT Math section; the section mostly tests one’s reasoning skills. The ACT, however, is more of an achievement test, and thus one would benefit from having taken at least up to Algebra 2. I took the SAT as a freshman with no preparation and am happy that I did.</p>
<p>Absolutely she should take it this year. If anything, it is better because about half the battle is getting used to the time restrictions. If I was her, I would focus on taking English, reading, or science practice tests about once a week (those are the subjects that don’t require previous knowledge). </p>
<p>There really isn’t anything she can do about the math. Although most people, even in calc, miss the easy questions from geometry that they just don’t remember. So who knows, she may do pretty well.</p>
<p>My friend took it in october of his sophomore year and got a 34. So you never know.</p>
<p>I strongly encourage taking the ACT as a sophomore. It provides critical experience early on and it also allows you to have a potential “fall back score” if you do good enough. You need to start somewhere and the score you get sophomore year is a good place to begin.</p>
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<p>Yes, this was my intention in taking the SAT freshman year.</p>
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<p>I don’t understand why everyone thinks this is such a good idea… I’m holding off until I’m at least a junior. So go ahead and let her take the ACT or SAT, early on. It’ll surprise me if she manages to get above a 700 on the Math section or even a 30 on the ACT Math/Science. I’m not trying to discourage you… but it’s most likely these scores will be the outcome. But oh well. You can go ahead and let her try it out… Prove me wrong! :)</p>
<p>I got a 34.25 w/ 11 writing as a sophomore and silverturtle had around 2200 on the SAT (I believe) as a freshman. Granted I studied my ass off, but it is more than possible.</p>
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<p>2270 with no preparation, so high scores are definitely feasible before junior year; it’s not as if dramatic academic and cognitive changes occur in but a year. If your daughter is mostly interested in schools that “allow” Score Choice, there is not really any harm in taking it early.</p>
<p>That’s remarkable for you guys to have scores like that. But did you take Geometry in 10th grade?</p>
<p>I took Honors geometry as a freshman.</p>
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<p>No, I was in Honors Algebra 2 when I took it in ninth grade. If your daughter has solid mathematical reasoning skills, though, almost everything on the test is solvable with a background just up to Geometry. Plus, as I said, Score Choice makes early testing almost harmless.</p>
<p>The ACT usually includes about 6 basic trig. questions;while it’s not much, this would probably affect your score. So I’d take the ACT during December of your first Pre-Calc class. By that time, you’ll know everything you need to know for the ACT.</p>
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<p>Exactly… I took Algebra 2 Honors in 9th grade and after that, I was getting 750+ on all my practice math sections. It all depends how solid your algebra I class was. Mine was fairly weak, but my algebra 2 strengthened it A LOT.</p>
<p>Honors geo fresh.
HAA (honors adv. alg.) soph.
skipped trig pre calc
AP Calc BC and junior</p>
<p>like the others, not many problems with math.
33 on math fresh (no geo yet)
35 on math soph
36 on math junior</p>
<p>As a sophomore she shouldn’t have much of a problem. I got the same score last June as I did on the January test as a junior, though the actual individual scores were all different, but if she wants to try it can’t hurt her to get practice at the real test if nothing else.</p>
<p>I’m a sophomore and I’m taking the SAT for the first time on March 13th, and I think I will be taking both the SAT and ACT as well as the PSAT for national merit as a Junior. I did really bad on the PSAT this year with no practice, so I shall practice up. I know there’s more scholarly knowledge needed on the ACT which is why I’m taking it next year as opposed to now.</p>
<p>Take the SAT earlier. It takes years to master * how to take tests* because that’s what it tests for.</p>
<p>A sophomore can get anywhere between 600 and 2400.</p>
<p>My friend got a 2350 as a soph, but he’s a super-freak genius. If your kid feels ready now, go for it. There’s always the option of re-taking.</p>
<p>A group of precocious sophomores at my school all received ~2350 but they had to take the SAT for MVC at a college because they maxed out our math program very early.</p>