SAT or ACT?Both the SAT and ACT are accepted by most colleges and universities in the United States.
The SAT has fewer questions than the ACT, but the questions themselves tend to be more complicated and require more logical reasoning. The ACT tends to be more straightforward, but there are more questions to complete in less time. SAT Structure (administered on computer): 4 sections (32-35 minutes each) 2 Reading & Writing sections 2 Math sections (calculator allowed) Scoring scale: 400-1600 ACT Structure (administered on paper): 5 sections (35-60 minutes each) 1 English section 1 Math section (calculator allowed) 1 Reading section 1 Science section 1 Essay (optional) Scoring scale: 1-36 So which test is better for you? The easiest way to find out is to take a practice test of each. If one score is much higher, then that's the test for you! To get more information on these tests, visit www.collegeboard.com (SAT) and www.actstudent.org (ACT). |
When Should You Start Preparing?We typically recommend a 2-4 month time frame for SAT or ACT preparation, although some students prefer a longer preparation period. Before tutoring starts, we will ask you to take a practice test so that you and your tutor can see your areas of strength and weakness.
Many students start tutoring during the summer between 10th and 11th grades to get a head start on their test prep. They can then take a real test in the fall or keep working toward a later test. Others will start a tutoring program in December or January, aiming for a test in the spring. (See below for a list of dates that the actual tests are administered.) Of course, there are no hard and fast rules about when to take these tests - you should take them when it is most convenient for you. Both the SAT and ACT offer score choice: you can now choose which scores you will send to colleges. Although you can take these tests as many times as you like, we recommend taking them as few times as possible. Please contact us by e-mail or phone (323-687-6046) if you have questions about when to take these tests and when to start preparing.
|