ACT and SAT Myths: Part 4 - In - Your Guide to College Admissions from The Princeton Review

http://in.princetonreview.com/in/2011/03/act-and-sat-myths-part-4.html

In - Your Guide to College Admissions from The Princeton Review

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Home College Research Schools & Majors About the SAT About the ACT Admissions Opinions & Advice 03/18/2011

ACT and SAT Myths: Part 4

Perhaps youre still deciding whether you want to take the ACT or SAT . Or maybe youve already taken one and are wondering whether the other might suit you better. In either case, have no fear! All week Ive broken down the major myths surrounding the ACT and SAT and presented a clear picture of the two tests, warts and all. The final group of myths is below. In addition to reading these myths, I recommend that you to take a free practice version of the test(s) that you havent taken in real life. The Princeton Review offers free ACT and SAT practice tests both in-person and online. The in-person tests are particularly great because they simulate real testing conditions. Note: if youve already taken one of the two tests but didnt do as well as you had hoped, it doesnt necessarily mean that you should switch to the other side. The best thing might be some practice and guidance for the next time. In this case, The Princeton Review offers effective test-prep courses for both the ACT and SAT. Our Ultimate Classroom Course for the SAT now comes with a 150-point guarantee (i.e., were so confident that youll add at least 150 points to your score that well refund your money if you dont.) So, without further ado, heres the real story behind some major ACT and SAT myths, adapted from the book ACT or SAT? (Click here for myths #1115, here for myths #610, and here for myths #15.) ACT and SAT Myths #1620 16. Colleges take my best section subscores from various test administrations and create a superscore for me. Depends. The test (ACT or SAT) and the schools to which you apply are both factors here. With the ACT, most colleges and universities are chiefly interested in your composite scorethe average score of your subscores on the four main ACT section tests (Math, Reading, English, and Science). If you send scores from multiple test administrations, its likely that theyll consider your highest composite score. The SAT does not average your scores from each section (Math, Critical Reading, and Writing) but instead reports them separately. Some colleges will combine your highest subscores from different test administrations to create the so-called superscore. However, other schools will not superscore in this way. We always recommend that you check with each of the colleges and universities to which you expect to apply and confirm how they evaluate standardized test

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ACT and SAT Myths: Part 4 - In - Your Guide to College Admissions from The Princeton Review

http://in.princetonreview.com/in/2011/03/act-and-sat-myths-part-4.html

scores. 17. I should take the SAT or ACT on a less-popular test date because I might score higher based on the competition. False. It is widely believed that students who take the SAT or ACT on an offpeak test date (i.e., November, December, or January) score higher because fewer students register for these dates and thus the competition is weaker. This is completely a myth. Even if high-caliber students do tend to take the SAT or ACT on a certain test date (and there is no evidence of this), students are not graded against just the students from that test date but against all students who took the test during the previous year. The curve isnt for each testing date, so it doesnt matter if you take your test on genius day or doofus day. 18. Certain SATs or ACTs are easier than others. False. The SAT and ACT are carefully designed to be uniform across all test administrations. Any variation in difficulty between test dates is unintentional and purely based on test-taker perceptions. So dont go and register for the June SAT instead of the March SAT because your best friend told you it was easier. Choose whichever test date works best for you and your preparation schedule. 19. When is the best time to take the ACT or SAT? Generally, we recommend that students take their first SAT or ACT during the spring of their junior year of high school. The rationale here is pretty straightforward. Most students will take either the PSAT or PLAN during the fall of their junior year. We believe it makes sense to have this practice run with standardized testing under your belt before tackling the real thing. It also builds in time to use the results of your PSAT/PLAN to devise an appropriate preparation plan. However, more and more students are choosing to take the SAT or ACT during the fall or winter of their junior year because they anticipate being overextended with extracurricular activities and classwork come the spring. So, in the end, there are a few different factors you should consider before deciding when to sit for your first test. 20. I should take the SAT or ACT as many times as possible because Ive got nothing to lose. False. Sure, youve got nothing to loseexcept your time (3+ hours each time), money (the registration fee for each test), and mental health. Lets be clear: no one takes a standardized test for fun. The notion of taking these tests over and over would probably make even the most studious student a bit nauseated. The Princeton Review recommends that you set aside time to thoroughly prepare for the SAT or ACT with the intention of scoring well the first (and hopefully only) time around. If you are not satisfied with your score and believe you can improve your performance by taking the test a second timegreat, go for it. We dont see any good reason to take either of these tests more than twice. Three times should be the absolute limitmany colleges frown on you taking the ACT or SAT more than that. Posted at 03:27 PM in College Admissions, Stress, Tests | Permalink
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12/30/2012 7:39 PM

ACT and SAT Myths: Part 4 - In - Your Guide to College Admissions from The Princeton Review

http://in.princetonreview.com/in/2011/03/act-and-sat-myths-part-4.html

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