As 2017 comes around, SATs and ACTs are coming closer and closer for the Juniors and some Seniors. With all the pressure to do well on these tests, it can be hard to focus on other things. Many students find themselves conflicted over whether to take the SATs or ACTS, whether to take the SAT Subject Tests, and how many times they should take their standardized test. We sent out a poll to TABC Juniors and Seniors to find out more information about the standardized tests. While we only received 21 responses, we find that almost 50% of students are taking solely the SAT, 38% are only taking the ACT, and 15% are taking both. According to Dr. Katz, the ACT is more common throughout the country. However, here at TABC, it seems that more students are taking the SAT. Dr. Katz outlined for us several differences between the SAT and ACT. In terms of difficulty, the two are pretty much equal, and which one to take depends on student preference. However, most colleges will superscore the SAT, while they don't with the ACT. This is because the SAT is designed as a few separate tests within one test, while the ACT is designed as one large test. Despite this, colleges look at the two as exactly equal and don't prefer one over the other. In general, the SAT is more common in TABC, and last year a quarter of students here took the ACT. Regarding SAT Subject Tests, the majority of Juniors have not taken any yet, but plan on taking them in the future. As a general rule, colleges look for one Subject Test on math and one Subject Test on science. Many schools do not require Subject Tests, but recommend it for students that want to be competitive amongst the other applicants. Additionally, a small group of colleges count the ACT as an SAT with Subject Tests, so if you are looking at one of these schools, it’s a major factor to consider. To prepare for the SATs and ACTS, Dr. Katz recommends taking as many practice tests as possible, and making sure you don't go over the time limit. For those that have extra time, the SAT and ACT treat extra time slightly differently. For the ACT, extra time is given for the entire test, and students choose how to apportion the time. For the SAT, extra time is given separately for each section, and the time does not carry over to a different section. With the February and March test dates approaching, it’s more important than ever for students to decide on their standardized tests.
