I am a current junior looking at possible testing dates now for SATs, ACTs, and SAT IIs. This was my originial plan.
Feb ACT
March SAT(new)
May SAT IIs
June SAT(since March SATs will be released in mid May, I don’t want to take the May SAT without knowing my score.)
Does this look like a good plan? I am hesitant to take the ACT though. Although it seems to be towards my strengths, which is why I waited for the new SAT, I feel like the new SAT will be a lot easier for me. Furthermore, I got the TASP email which might be a sign of a good PSAT score. If I really did do that well, I think taking the Feb ACT wouldn’t be worth it. Do you think this schedule looks good and do you think I should do the Feb ACT?
Remember you usually only need one of the SAT or ACT, so you should take the one you think you can perform your best on.
If you took either test and didn’t reach your goal, you can still take the other one. But I don’t know if planning to take both right away is the best use of time/money…
Is it a bad idea to take both? The new SAT and ACT are quite similar so it is hard to pick which one to do.
It’s perfectly fine to take both; however, it’s better to prepare and do well on one exam than to do both and get lower scores due to less preparation. I do have to mention that the May SAT has the QAS service that allows you to look at your test and see what you got wrong, while the March and June SATs do not.
Are you prepared for the ACT in February? You should only take the Feb ACT if you think you are prepared enough. Don’t step into the testing room in February without any prior experience with the questions/timing… that wouldn’t be the best use of your time and money.
Yes the new SAT is definitely very similar to the ACT now, so my advice is usually this: take a look at the essay for both tests and decide which one you think is better. Look through the format for both and the grading, etc. Decide which one you think you can do better on, and then plan your studying for that test
Wait until scores come out for ACT and New SAT, and whichever you did better on, go with that one. If they’re about the same, go with ACT because you’ve probably taken PSAT and been exposed to SAT style before.
I decided to stick to the SAT because I have already started studying and the personalized help on Khan Academy from PSATs should really help. Also I will have more time until the next SAT while the next ACT is near. Thanks for the help guys.