<p>My son will be taking the Dec 4 SAT. The ACT is one week later on Dec 11th. He will be preparing for the SAT in Oct and Nov but I wondered if it was worth taking the ACT the following week without specific study for it. </p>
<p>Does the prep for the SAT give you enough practice to give the ACT a shot?</p>
<p>No, not if he wants to get a decent score on the ACT. He should definitely prepare for them separately.</p>
<p>Thanks for the input. It seems so challenging to get all the testing in Jr year with AP exams, taking the SAT maybe twice along with giving the ACT a shot. I don’t think it is wise to focus on the ACT until being done with the SAT so one week may not be enough.</p>
<p>If you are well prepped for the SAT, one practice ACT test so you can try out the timing is enough to prep you for the ACT. Some students are just “good at the ACT.” I suggest your son take one practice ACT test and give the ACT a try in December.</p>
<p>I did the same thing last June and ended up with a 36 on the ACT. However, I spent a good chunk of time the previous week taking practice test after practice test. Personally I felt that focus from the SAT carries over to the ACT the following weekend. However, if your son hasn’t prepared intensively for both months before the testing dates, don’t do it. Unless the practice tests are showing very promising results.</p>
<p>Thanks MidwestMom. My thinking is that once a person has gotten into test taking mode with appropriate prep, it might just be worth trying the ACT too just as a first try. The science section is the only unfamiliar part. Going through one ACT should be doable the week before.</p>
<p>I agree sobriquet36, he would have to feel pretty solid about going into the SAT so the ACT would just feel like another round of tests. I am going to see how his prep goes. I arranged for a tutor to come some of the time to help get him focused on what areas he needs to study.</p>