If the tests are “effectively the same”, why is preparing for and taking both in close proximity a bad idea? Why would X hours studying in February or March be better than the same X hours in August and September? Especially now, with summer activities shut down, many students have free time.
I know my D has a lot more time prepping right now than she will in the Spring with 1 DE and 4 AP courses worth of schoolwork.
I don’t recall my D getting any “results” from the PSAT other than a score and topic breakdown - not sure how having this in hand helps with the SAT.
I suppose if you’re still taking school classes Junior year that cover material on the SAT for the first time, it makes sense to wait.