My son took the SAT in the 7th grade. He did not prepare for other than look at a preparation book. There was a lot of math in it that he had not yet had, which was reflected on his math score. But, it was okay. He scored well in the English/Reading portion and well enough in math. He hates to admit it, but it verified in his mind that Kumon is likely a good idea (he still isn’t terribly fond of it though).
Evergreen5, thank you for your detailed reply. No, my child is NOT homeschool. Regular public school.
Peruna1998, my child was in Kumon Math program during Elementary school years. We DO see a big benefit for his math level. Like many other kids, he was NOT a fan of Kumon when he was doing it, but he surely enjoys the results of his work now. 
All my kids did was the practice questions they send you when you sign up for the test. I think it was about 15 minutes at most. Does the SAT still penalize for wrong answers? That means you shouldn’t guess if you can eliminate one or two answers.
Mathmom, as far as I know (and I am new to this area), there is no penalty for guessing wrong.
My D18 took the SAT in October of 9th grade. She did not do any prep other than a couple of practice sections from the blue book. She scored a 2310 on the old test which probably concords to a 1570 or so. She had taken honors Algebra in 7th grade and honors Geometry in 8th grade and was well prepared for the math portion of the test. She was an avid reader from an early age and had no trouble with the vocabulary which was still a part of the old test. Basically, the elements you need to do well on the SAT are to have taken and done well in algebra and geometry, to be a strong reader, and to have a familiarity with the format and timing of the test. Although, D!8 might have been a bit of an outlier.
Arsenalozil, you have a highly talented daughter. You must be one very proud mom!!!
On the New test, for a high math score it helps to have finished algebra 2.
There is no penalty for wrong answers, unlike the old test.
Keep in mind that 3 hours is a long time for a young kid (and really much longer - arrive at the test center by 7:45 am, leave the test center probably no earlier than 12:45 pm, as an official test may come with an experimental 5th section for students not taking the essay). Personally, I don’t see the benefit for a rising 8th grader who doesn’t need the score for a program and who is probably tested to the nth degree at school already.
Perhaps check whether your school administers the PSAT 8/9, to 8th and/or 9th graders, and check whether the high school offers the PSAT10 to sophomores (PSAT10 is the exact same PSAT that juniors take). (My older kids have taken all these completely cold.) They are shorter than the SAT.
Both my daughters took the SAT in 7th grade to qualify for CTY summer programs (where they both happen to be right now). It was a good experience for both; it was an opportunity to take the test with no pressure at all, so they could NOT be afraid of it later, when their score counts. Both scored high, one is now in SET (I wrote in and asked for that score to be saved, though she will take the SAT again in a few years anyway) and the other just missed the SET cut-off. The practice gave them both confidence. For prep, nothing stressful or time consuming, just something to give the basic feel of the exam – my youngest used the free Kaplan online program (parts of it). I think my oldest just looked through some SAT prep books.
What is SET?
My son took the SCAT in 7th or 8th grade to qualify for CTY. He was at the right end of the scale on SCAT math and verbal, so I kids of always wondered if he would have qualified for SET if he had taken the SAT. (The SCAT is a lot easier to take since you can schedule it anytime and it takes less time.)
We didn’t take advantage of CTY, so we probably wouldn’t have taken advantage or SET. He did discover when he attended an astrophysics summer program that some of the kids already knew each other though CTY. At that point, he realized that he might have liked to have met those kids earlier.
He liked taking the SCAT because he said he learned some new things about math while taking the test. He didn’t know much trig (or Alg II) at that point except the small amount he learned for his 8th grade science fair project and whatever they had talked about in his math circle. So, I think if he’d wanted to do well on the SAT at that point, he would have needed to learn some additional math.
As far as taking the SAT in 8th grade just as test prep, that wouldn’t have flown with my son I think. But, other kids might be willing. He was never really a test prep kid. I did get him to take the PSAT in 10th as prep, but they changed the test format anyway between 10th and 11th.
As far as the 8th grade test showing up when your kid applies to college, it’s not supposed to. In any case, you can use Score Choice to make sure it isn’t sent.
The Last thing my son would have liked was extra tests and test prep, beyond the questions in the booklet. His school gave PSAT twice, so that was practice. Also he had the SAT for TIP ( like your CTY). When it came time for GREs, once and done.
I think there are many more productive, more interesting, more fun things your S can do with his time than take a practice SAT in 8th grade.
Yes, I agree. With happy 1. Don’t force your child on a course that doesn’t fit his/her personality. Let them enjoy their life and follow their interests.
@happy1. I thought I might be the lone ranger saying that. Unless you have good, legit, externally validated reason to think a kid will qualify for one of the competitive programs that require it, 8th grade is too early to saddle them with the expectations.
That’s whether or not you say all that prep is for fun. Saying “for practice” doesn’t convince me a kid that young needs that pressure or that it mysteriously makes him better ready for the tests 3 years later.
What’s next, practice runs through the AP tests or the Common App? In 8th grade?
Public school educator here…kids have a LOT of experience taking standardized tests annually…some as early as 3rd grade.
My kids took their first SAT in 11th grade, and both retook fall of senior year. They both got accepted to the schools of their choice.
I’m not a huge fan of testing for the sake of testing. There are plenty of ways to prep for the SAT without taking the actual SAT test. Frankly…I would find a different way to “practice” the SAT than having an 8th grader take the test for no reason other than practice.
I haven’t checked the TIP requirements in a long while…but my older kid actually qualified based on the standardized scores from the tests administered by his school. He didn’t have to take the SAT. I should add…he had no interest in the program.
His school suggested he take the SAT as a 6th grader and we graciously…declined.
There seems to be plenty of judgement over people who’ve had their kid take these tests early. It really can be no big deal. Some kids have more anxiety with less exposure. As someone who took the ACT once with no prep and had a score that didn’t really reflect my academics in high school, I definitely would have been served better not to have my first round of test anxiety the one and only time I took the ACT. I hit the ceiling of grad school testing because I got the game and had more experience then.
My 8th grader just took it in the spring. She did great on one section and basically bombed the rest. Oh well. She didn’t even ask to see her full set of scores. She felt successful sitting for it and completing it. She realizes that nothing happens when that score comes back whether it’s high or low. It’s fine however it lands and there are truly NO expectations. The goal is eventually that score reflects close to academic level. And it does not naturally for every kid. If you had a kid that took it once in 11th grade and nailed it, that’s great but it doesn’t reflect every kid’s experience. For some kids, comfort and exposure can help them really show were they’re at. Kids are much more likely to test low than artificially high. My older kid hit ceilings of oral untimed tests at this age but did just okay on the ACT.
My kids homeschools, so they don’t see bubble tests like a kid in PS and we have a yearly testing requirement in our state anyway. The ACT in middle school fulfills that. But taking a grade level bubble test is quite a bit different from an open ended test designed to challenge kids at a variety of levels. If your kid is breezing through grade level testing and is willing to give up a Saturday morning, it can be a positive and confidence building experience. I wouldn’t drag a kid kicking or screaming. Keep the tone light, go out for lunch and ice cream afterwards and forget it.
I do think it’s interesting that parents who expose their kids to 20+ hours of standardized testing yearly are so adverse to testing that might challenge an advanced kid for 3 hours. If schools are doing prep classes for middle schoolers, that’s all about them getting some data that makes their school look good and I would not be in favor of that.
At the end of the day, know your own kid. I’m definitely not saying it’s a good idea for every kid. I am saying there are kids it can be worthwhile for and alleviate anxiety later instead of creating it now if it’s treated well. YMMV.
@MusakParent I agree 100% that it depends on the kid. For my D she was the one that wanted to do it with her classmates and we put no pressure on her. Another positive is that some of the girls she took the SAT prep class with have stayed together in HS and regularly get together to study for classes and prep for tests (e.g. AP exams). They are close, smart girls who push each other in a positive way to excel and I am grateful that my D enjoys studying and learning with this group. Wasn’t my cup of tea when I was in HS, but really works for these students/friends.
Yes but maybe your first round of test anxiety could have been in 10th, when you’re better situated in hs, more mature.
An 8th grader can have anxiety, too.
There are lots of things our kids wanted to do because classmates were and we did try to filter what we could. Study groups are different, imo.
My kid took it and used the score to qualify for Davidson THINK. I’m not sure I’d have your kid do it for ‘practice’. What good does that do an 8th grade? Likely he won’t take it “for keeps” until 11th grade, when he takes the PSAT in the fall (can help quality for NMF) and the actual SAT sometime that year as well. There is no upside for colleges themselves for an early score (they care about the HIGH score, not the time it was taken). So unless you want it for something like CTY or SET qualification or Davidson or something, I don’t see the point. My kid didn’t study for the 8th grade attempt – looked a book to see the format of the sections is all. Less than 15 minutes, I’d say.
The only people who know whether or not it will benefit a specific kid are the parents of the kid and the kid him- or herself.
@MusakParent got it exactly right – there are kids who don’t stress about this kind of thing and who enjoy the challenge of the test itself. I have two of those types. Neither minded the SAT, neither did much study prep for it, and both are very glad they took it because both are having the times of their lives right now at CTY camps. My youngest qualified for Davidson THINK (and will likely attend next year) and CTY’s SET. She in particular is extremely happy she took the SAT early because those scores opened doors and possibilities for her that she very much needed, both socially and academically. There are kids who crave intellectual challenge to what is considered an extreme level to others …but that “extreme” level is perfectly right for THEM.
As for taking the SAT early just for practice, each kid is different. It’s absolutely the right thing to do for some and absolutely the wrong thing to do for others. Completely depends on the kid. I don’t think I would have even thought about having my two take the test in middle school if it hadn’t been for CTY, though. They took it to qualify for the camps and programs and online courses. The fact that it served as practice for later years was a bonus.