<p>I'm still a sophomore, but according to my guidance counselor i'm supposed to take the SAT in junior year twice and in senior year once. </p>
<p>So I have a few questions.
Is it better to take the SAT and ACT? Which one is harder? </p>
<p>Also, many of my friends have a tutor for the SAT. Should I get one as well? Or will I do fine if I just self study with a SAT book?</p>
<p>Personally I thought that SAT was easier than the act. In sat almost for all section you have more time for less amount of questions, while for ACT you really have to be very efficient in using your time. Unfortunately i wasted most of my high school years studying for the act, without really considering trying the sat till last month. Maybe I could have had more success on Sat than I am having on act…</p>
<p>For your latter question, the answer depends(I will answer for act, can’t answer for sat, since no experience)…tutors might be the way to go if you are unlikely to sit and go over the act book by yourself. Where I live, some kids took the act prep class, and for some of them it helped a bunch while others wasted about $500.</p>
<p>I think it depends on the person. Personally, I did better on the ACT.
Perhaps try a practice test online and see how you do on each?</p>
<p>Take both. Personally my scores were about the same on both, but that’s not true for everyone. Just study from a book.</p>
<p>You should try both ACT and SAT, at least for several practice tests on each. Nevertheless, my D got comparable scores on both and yet scored better in ACT in the real run.</p>
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<p>Rather than counting on repetitive sittings for improvement, I recommend solid prep instead. </p>
<p>You should have taken the PSAT cold this year to get an idea where you need work. Prep and take the PSAT jr year when it counts. Then take the SAT relatively early jr year after you’ve done more necessary prep. That still gives you late spring of jr year for another sitting if necessary (plus time for sitting appropriate Subject tests) and frees up fall of sr year when you’ll be busy applying to colleges.</p>
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<p>Try both junior year. Some students do much better on one than the other. If the scores are not satisfying, start with whichever one is better (using the ACT - SAT concordance charts to compare scores), do test-specific preparation for that test, and retake early in senior year.</p>
<p>Don’t forget to try the PSAT in junior year to try to get National Merit status, if your practice testing (using real released SAT or PSAT tests) indicates a decent chance for that.</p>
<p>If you are considering any universities that want SAT subject tests, plan to take them at the latest test date of the school year in which you complete the relevant course.</p>
<p>Indeed, planning to take either test a given number of times makes no sense. A young woman I know took her first ACT and her first SAT a few weeks apart. She scored 34 on ACT, 740/740/740 on SAT, and saw no need to take either test again.</p>