April 2020 ACT Officially Cancelled
As the entire world seems to be exploring ways to conduct work, play, and school via videoconference, certain activities simply cannot be conducted virtually, at least for now. The national administration of the ACT certainly qualifies as a live mass event, which is exactly the kind of group activity experts advise against while we are working to flatten the COVID-19 curve. No wonder ACT has officially announced that the April 4 exam is cancelled: The safety of students and test center staff is ACT’s top priority. ACT has rescheduled its April 4 national test date to June 13 across the U.S. in response to concerns about the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). All students registered for the April 4 test date will receive an email from ACT in the next few days informing them of the postponement and instructions for free rescheduling to June 13 or a future national test…
2020 SAT & ACT Test Dates
If you’re planning on taking the SAT or ACT in 2020, you’re in luck; tests are offered almost every month of the year. Picking the right date—and prepping for it–demands advance planning. But failure to plan typically leads to lots of stress and minimal success. So which test dates should you target? February 8, 2020 – ACT — This is an excellent test for juniors unencumbered by winter sports or activities to target, now that the February ACT is offered in New York. March 14, 2020 – SAT — March is usually an excellent time for juniors to take the SAT. Keep in mind that the May and June SATs may conflict with other test commitments like APs, finals, or SAT Subject Tests. April 4, 2020 – ACT — April can be an excellent test for juniors to target, definitely one of the most popular of the year. May 2,…
Are Some SAT or ACT Test Dates Easier Than Others?
Thanks to an expanded calendar, test takers can sit for the SAT or ACT (or sometimes even both exams) nearly every month of the year. This plethora of options combined with the high stakes nature of the exams invites a certain level of gamesmanship. If every other aspect of the test experience can be optimized, some people wonder, perhaps the actual month an exam is administered can accrue an advantage to a strategic test taker. Consequently, rumors regarding the relative difficulties of different test dates circulate around the fringes of formal test prep, occupying an intellectual dark web of testing conjecture and voodoo. Is there any truth to this persistent idea that some SAT or ACT test dates might be easier than others? The simple answer is both no and yes, but the devil, as they say, is in the details. As we know, the test makers shoulder the Herculean…
The Case for the November SAT
While high schoolers can take either the SAT or the ACT just about any month of the year, certain test dates work better than others for certain groups of students. For example, any rising junior or senior who can prep over the summer benefits from the August SAT and September ACT. On the other hand, AP students should assiduously avoid taking the SAT offered in May. As far as advantages and disadvantages go, the November administration of the SAT seems surprisingly neutral. November isn’t an amazing time to take the SAT, but it’s not horrible either. Who might choose to take the SAT this month? SENIORS who haven’t gotten serious about their college applications by now should shift into high gear, even if they missed their shot at Early Action or Early Decision applications. Any 12th grader still striving for a higher SAT score cannot afford to dismiss November. JUNIORS…
Should New York Students Consider the July ACT?
For generations, college-bound teens were forced to restrict college admissions testing to the same months they had to endure academic testing, which is to say during the school year. The dream of tackling the SAT & ACT during the months that school was out remained merely a fantasy until recently. Today, most–but not all–students have open access to summer testing. College Board claimed late summer, with a very convenient and popular test towards the end of August. The folks at ACT, on the other hand, chose mid-July. Did they choose wisely? The suitability of this test date depends heavily on where a prospective test taker goes to school. Certain parts of the United States see school end in May, while other regions extend the academic year (at least for public schools) into late June. Students with the opportunity to prepare for six or more weeks unburdened by other academic obligations…
The Case for the May SAT
The old paradigm dictated that juniors should try the SAT or ACT at the end of junior year, then prep and test again in senior year if needed. However, experience has revealed the many flaws in that approach. Modern high schoolers, particularly the most competitive and engaged students, find more value in taking the tests as early in junior year as makes sense based on their goals and extracurricular schedule. May, you may have noticed, is not early in junior year. Due to the abundant priorities and commitments May dumps on the collective 11th grade doorstep–everything from AP exams and SAT Subject Tests to prom and spring activities–this month is less than optimal for students looking for their best SAT scores. Then again, May does offer two big benefits: 1. Students who took Algebra 2 in 11th grade have learned more or all of what the SAT tests. 2. May…