Hi,
I am very passionate about guiding my little brother in his academics so that he will end up at a top college/university. He is currently a rising 9th grader. When should he start studying/thinking about these standardized tests?
I’m sure there are lot of different approaches, but here’s one…
Our son is currently a high school junior. We encouraged him to prepare for the test over the summer between 10th and 11th grade, and then take the September ACT at the start of 11th grade. That way he could get his first attempt out of the way before things got busy, and then focus on his grades, athletics, and other activities during the rest of the first semester.
He also took it for a second time in February of his junior year, at the beginning of the second semester, with the same goal of getting it out of the way at the start of the second semester too.
Good luck to you and your brother!
Nobody ever complained from starting too early; plenty regret to have followed the archaic suggestion to take the PSAT in 11th grade and then see what happens, plan to study for a Spring test, and then … scramble in the senior year.
Here’s what makes more sense: focus on PREPARING for the 10th grade PSAT with simple reviews, get the scores and start a slow preparation during that year. The real prep should start in the summer of 10th grade with the objective of being DONE with the 11th grade PSAT and the SAT during that October/November time. The rest of the junior year should be for Subject Tests unless some were taken in school in the 10th grade. You want the senior year to be free of tests headaches.
There is room for the ACT during those months as well. There is no need to plan multiples sittings IF the preparation is adequate. One does NOT use official days for practice, except for the 10th grade PSAT. If you HAVE to take that PLAN, get rid of it in 9th grade. It serves no purpose whatsoever.
Does not get any simpler than that!
Our school district had gifted kids take the SAT in middle school. They even gave district wide awards for the highest scores. They do not recommend taking the SAT in the early years of high school, instead relying on the 10th and 11th grade PSAT to be sufficient prep before taking the SAT once of twice in junior and/or senior years.
I would advise him to start studying for it this summer. He will need to take the new SAT, and hopefully by then, there will be resources out for him to practice with.
Its never to early to start studying for SATs.
Where did my comment go…
Starting sophomore midyear is a reasonable time: let him take the psat in his sophomore year, pinpoint his weaknesses, and start from there. During the summer before junior year, thats when I would start studying more, taking practice tests and such - i took a practice test every weekend about a month and a half before the actual exam to help get me in the test taking habit and environment. I suggest taking it once in october and the next in January before AP or sports season hits. (Ps. You are an awesome sister for being so concerned about your brother- its hard to come across siblings like you these days!)
Introduce higher level SAT-style vocabulary to him, now. A few words a day, every day. Not only will it improve his CR score when the time comes, but it will also help him in life! Better writing, better speaking, better presence