<p>In 9th or 10th grade? or even earlier?</p>
<p>i would say PSAT in 9th grade/10th and SAT in mid-late 10th.
don't take the test that early (ie. when you're in 10th) because people (or at least myself) tend to perform better when they take it later. it has something to do with maturity and just overall improvement as people get older.</p>
<p>however, i suggest you start studying vocab and start reading level-appropriate novels in 9th/10th grades.</p>
<p>The summers are your friends...</p>
<p>The best time to prepare for the SAT is, quite simply put, as early as possible. I mean, success on the SAT is highly dependent on two factors: </p>
<ol>
<li>Natural ability</li>
<li>Familiarity with the SAT and its tricks and traps. </li>
</ol>
<p>Unfortunately, many of my friends are absolutely brilliant, but since they blow off the SAT or study at the last minute, they end up recieving scores well below what they deserve. </p>
<p>On the flip side, preparing extremely early isn't necessarily the best way to ensure a high score. My friend, for example, has been studying for the SAT since he was in the 6th grade. He had blue (and red) books before I even knew what the SAT was, but he eventually burned out and didn't study during his junior year. His score? 1880. </p>
<p>So, start early, but make sure it's consistent and "relaxed". Don't try to cram when you're a freakin' 6th grader only to burn out (listen to me, overzealous parents!), but do begin before the month before your test date! </p>
<p>Personally, I took the SAT as a sophomore (March, I believe) and got a decent score (2040). But I didn't really care -- I just needed to know where my weak spots were. I retook early my Junior year -- 2340. </p>
<p>/rant</p>