Spring ACT / SAT Testing – Keeping Options Open
If you are the parent of a junior, you may be seeing school communication about in-school ACT or SAT tests for your juniors. We will be publishing more guidance about standardized testing later this spring, but we wanted to highlight in-school testing and let you know how this might help your student. We’ll give a breakdown below, but the TL:DR is: “Take the test. Take it seriously. Don’t spend too much time prepping. Get a good night’s sleep and eat a good breakfast before the test. Do your best.” (Caveat: This advice is for students who are just starting to sort out the standardized testing process. If your student has a plan in place already, stick with that plan.)
Many school districts and high schools offer the ACT or SAT test in school in the spring and require that all juniors take it. This test won’t hurt your student, but it can help in several different ways. (Hint: don’t report the in-school test score to any colleges prior to taking it – students can always report the score later if they are satisfied with it.)
Schools offer this test for several reasons. At some schools it satisfies the requirement for a state benchmark assessment test. A byproduct of that is that it gives students a chance to get used to taking the test without having to pay for it.
The test is valuable even if your student hasn’t prepped for it. One of the early steps in developing a testing plan is to determine whether a student is better suited to the SAT or the ACT. Taking each one cold (without a lot of prep) and comparing the results helps make that decision easier.
YES IT IS TRUE that many colleges are “test optional” and do not require that a test score be submitted with an application. Other schools are “test free” or “test required: or “test preferred.” And furthermore, IT IS ALSO TRUE that it is too early for most juniors to know whether they will need or benefit from a test score. We will get to all that later.
The name of the game at this point is to keep options open and to give your student enough information to make efficient decisions about testing.
If your student is taking the ACT or SAT at school, and hasn’t done any prep or previous testing, give them our advice above. (“Take the test. Take it seriously. Don’t spend too much time prepping. Get a good night’s sleep and eat a good breakfast before the test. Do your best.”)
Once they have taken either the ACT or SAT at school, they should take a practice test of the other one (ACT or SAT). Students can arrange to take practice tests through ACT, the College Board,or Khan Academy, to name a few. We are particularly fond of the expertise and resources over at Revolution Prep for this process. (Note: if your student took the PSAT in school earlier this year, and then takes the ACT in school this spring, this will give them the data they need to compare tests.)
Once they have taken an ACT and an SAT (without a lot of prep) they can compare and contrast. They can identify which test was a better format for them, which they felt better about, and, of course, their scores.
If, at this early stage, it seems that your student might benefit from having a test score to submit, they can develop a plan based on these early practice tests. They can identify which test they are better suited for and which areas they need to work on. If they work with a test prep tutor, such as Revolution Prep or Khan Academy, the company will help them with that.
Registering for a summer test, and studying for it, will help them keep their options open. As they narrow down their college options and dive into the requirements and recommendations for applications at those schools, they can decide that they don’t need to test further or that they do – and if they do, they will be well down that path already.
Look at this time period as one for laying the groundwork and gathering data, and not a time to stress about it. Good luck!
