Are You Ready to Take Your College Assessment Test?

College preparation is a lengthy process.

Test Prep

Both tests are important, but most colleges require students to have taken one or the other. The SAT is the most popular test, with students able to sit for it on Saturday mornings seven times a year. The first test of the academic year is offered in October followed by November, December, January, March, May and June. The ACT test is given six times annually and is offered in September, October, December, February, April and June. Some schools require one exam while other schools will consider either one.

Students should begin preparing to take an assessment exam by the time they enter high school with the hardcore preparation beginning by the start of their junior year. You’ll hear of a variety of ways to prepare for the test including taking expensive classes, sitting down with a tutor, reviewing books or using more modern techniques such as online instruction or software programs.

Test Dates

Testing dates typically fill up fast which means students must plan well in advance to find a date suitable for them. Wait too late and you may end up taking the test too close to your school’s early decision deadline. You need to allow for about six weeks for your test to be graded and those grades forwarded to your school.

Testing sites are usually local high schools and these schools may have limited number of seats available for testing. The SAT is administered by CollegeBoard.com, which offers online registration and a list of test centers. Every test center must be affiliated with an educational institution and is led by a supervisor and support staff. No one in your family may be working at the center on the day of the SAT test and no staff member should have taken the SAT within the past 180 days.

The ACT offers ACT Online Prep, a way for students to prepare to take the test online. The ACT also offers a book titled, “Preparing for the ACT,” which it describes as a “…free student preparation booklet available from most high schools and colleges—includes test information, complete practice tests with scoring keys, and a writing prompt with sample essays.”

Other Tests

The SAT offers the PSAT which is a practice or preliminary test for the SAT offered to high school juniors. This test can help students gauge how they might perform with the SAT, enabling such students to make adjustments as needed. The ACT can be taken by both juniors and seniors with most students taking it twice — in their junior and senior year. The ACT allows students to take its test as many as 12 times.