I’m a junior and I took the October SAT and got a 2120 (670 R 700 M 750 W). I thought I was going to get a 750+ because I consider myself a pretty good math student and I was getting 760-800 on my practice tests, but I panicked a lot and messed up.
Two days ago I took an official ACT practice test under normal conditions and got a 31 (32 English 34 Math 29 Reading 30 Science). Note that my math score was a little bit better. I had never seen one of these tests before, and already I felt more confident taking it. My only issue was the timing for science and reading, which made me do poorly. I was planning on taking the SAT again in March to get above 2250, but I kind of just want to take the ACT. I feel like if I practice a lot for that test, I can do very well. What do you think?
Practice tests are inaccurate and don’t always give a valid result. You have some time. Take the ACT and see what you get. Whichever score is higher, focus on that test.
@TheDidactic What do you mean it may not be accurate?
@HereToHelpYou thanks. I ordered that book. Are there any other practice tests that I can use, by the way? I used the official practice test from my guidance counselor’s office.
The ACT red book is pretty old. I took the ACT back in 2007 and my test was inside the book. The book can help you figure out what the ACT is looking for in terms of english and reading sections. After you get through I would recommend going through newer released tests. (google for pdfs) Like the 2014-15 math section is noticeably different from what is in the red book.
If you feel more comfortable with the ACT, take it. The questions on the ACT aren’t that hard; the time limits are what make the test challenging. Science and reading are especially hard to complete on time. Research different strategies for completing these sections and try them all out to see what works for you. I went from a 31 to a 34.25 by figuring out the best way for me to handle the time crunch (though I ultimately went with my SAT score, go figure). Good luck!
I agree with the other posters; do whichever test you feel most comfortable with. Since you’re a junior, you have more time to prepare and “test the waters” of the test taking world. Be wary of taking three or more tests if you’re planning to apply to schools that require you submit all scores; they usually “recommend” the test(s) only be taken twice. Personally, I took the SAT and the ACT each once without any studying or prep to see how I was prepared for them by my schooling; I thought I was going to do better on the SAT (like my classmates), but did much better on my ACT. The material is much (much) comfortable to me for the ACT. Like others have said however, the timing is an issue. With no guessing penalty, just answer confidently, but don’t linger too long on each question. I say go for it and take the ACT; it paid off for me and might for you too (especially with practice)!
P.S. As for materials, I didn’t personally use any, but my guidance counselor recommended the Red ACT Book in conjunction with Barron’s ACT 36 book (for strategies) plus the Princeton Review Question Bank (?) book for more questions. Can’t comment on the quality personally, but my counselor swears by them so they’re worth a visit.
@galaxyexplorer In my personal experience, I would get lower or higher than my actual scores. For example, I would get only 30-31 in ACT math but on the actual test, I got a 32. On the SAT, I would get in the high 600’s, but I only got in the low-mid 600’s. That’s a subjective thing though, I guess.
Book wise, I used mainly Grubers’ SAT Critical Reading Workbook, Barron’s SAT Critical Reading Workbook, SAT 2400, ACT 36, official books for both tests, Princeton Review SAT Power Vocab, & Princeton Review Cracking the ACT. I had an issue with CR but managed to make that my highest score on all my tests. Went from a 590 on my PSAT October 2013 to a 36 Reading and 760 CR this year.