SAT and ACT Study Strategies
This article offers a comprehensive guide on how to prepare the SAT and ACT, what scores you need to get for college admissions, and how to get the highest score possible.
Tests for High School Students: PSAT, SAT, ACT, and APs
If you are in high school, you are going to have to take a number of tests—and between the acronyms, it can get confusing quickly. Before we dive into strategy, here is a quick breakdown of the differences between the tests you need to know about.
The PSAT (and NMSQT)
The official PSAT is taken in October of your junior year. If your school lets you take it before then, consider those early attempts simply as practice tests. The scores from those early tests do not really matter, and PSAT scores in general are never sent to or received by colleges.
However, if you score high enough on the official test taken in your junior year, you become eligible for the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (NMSQT). The PSAT can be used to qualify for this scholarship, which you can proudly list as one of your awards on your college applications. Just be sure to look up individual college policies, as each college will offer a different type of scholarship for this achievement (and some won't offer one at all). But again, the PSAT score itself is never given to the colleges.
The ACT vs. The SAT
You may hear false information that one test is more valuable than the other. That is not true. The ACT and SAT are weighed exactly the same by every college. You can take either the SAT or the ACT, and colleges use a comparison chart to equate them.
Here are the current top-end comparisons between the two tests:
1600 SAT equals a 36 ACT
1530–1560 SAT equals a 35 ACT
1490–1520 SAT equals a 34 ACT
1450–1480 SAT equals a 33 ACT
1420–1440 SAT equals a 32 ACT
1390–1410 SAT equals a 31 ACT
1360–1380 SAT equals a 30 ACT
1330–1350 SAT equals a 29 ACT
1300–1320 SAT equals a 28 ACT
1260–1290 SAT equals a 27 ACT
Advanced Placement (AP) Exams
AP exams are run by the College Board (the same organization that runs the SAT) and are taken in May at the end of the school year. A major secret to AP tests is that you do not have to enroll in an AP class to take the exam. You can take the test on your own, and if you score well, those results go into your file and can allow you to pass out of certain college requirements.
For example, if you get a high enough score (usually a 3 to 5) on a foreign language AP, you do not necessarily have to take a foreign language course in high school to be eligible to apply for college (though your specific high school may still require it for graduation). The same goes for high-level math: if you pass AP Calculus with a 5, you do not have to take that class in high school, and the college will accept the AP credit. Just remember that high schools develop their own rules for graduation, so always check with your counselor.
Tests That Are Dead (or Pending)
SAT Subject Tests (SAT II): These have been canceled and no longer exist.
The UC Test: The University of California (UC) system is currently developing its own testing system similar to the ACT or SAT, but they have not made any announcements as to if and when that will be required.
Why the SAT and ACT Still Matter
You will notice many schools are "test optional," meaning you don't have to submit anything. However, most schools still want to see an ACT or SAT score. Because there is a lot of GPA and grade inflation in US high schools, colleges look at the SAT and ACT as a standardized way of evaluating a student's academic performance.
Colleges tend to prefer students who take these tests, and you will see higher acceptance rates for students who submit a score that is above the 50th percentile for that specific school.
When you do submit, be aware that colleges have different rules. Some will let you "superscore" (combine your highest section scores across multiple test dates). Some will make you submit your single highest sitting, and some require you to submit all of your scores. You have to look at the specific college's rules to know for sure.
Step 1: Establish Your Baseline
Your test prep journey begins by getting a baseline score. You need to take a full SAT or ACT practice test.
These practice tests are available online through the ACT or College Board. However, we highly encourage you to use the Barron’s book. From our experience, the Barron's books have helped students improve the most. Starting off just by reading the Barron’s book a couple of hours a week will automatically begin to improve your score.
Step 2: Determine Your Target Score
Obviously, the ultimate target score is a perfect 1600 or 36. However, a more realistic target score is found by looking up the top 10 schools you are wanting to apply to and checking their Common Data Set (CDS). [Insert link to Common Data Sets]
The CDS shows the test scores for the students a university accepts, usually based on the 25th, 50th, and 75th percentiles. For our students, we want you to be in the 75th percentile or above.
If you are below the 50th percentile: You should not submit your test score if the school is test optional.
If you are above the 50th percentile: You should submit it, as it will likely boost your acceptance odds.
For example, USC has a Common Data Set. Although it changes every year, their 75th percentile usually hovers around a 1540 on the SAT and a 35 on the ACT. If USC is on your list, you want to aim for 1540 to 1600, or 35 to 36. (Learn More About Common Data Sets.)
Top 25 to Top 30 Schools: Aim for a 1540–1600 SAT or 35–36 ACT.
Top 30 to Top 60 Schools: Aim for a 1400–1550 SAT or 30–35 ACT, depending on the specific school.
Step 3: The Grade-by-Grade Study Blueprint
To improve your score, you want to take a practice test every 4, 6, or 8 weeks depending on what grade you are in. As long as your score is steadily improving, your study habits are fine.
Here are our recommendations by grade level:
Freshmen: Study at least 2 hours per week using the Barron’s book or Khan Academy. Take a practice test every 8 weeks and track your score.
Sophomores: Study at least 3 hours a week.
Juniors: Study at least 4 hours a week.
Seniors: If you are about to take the test, try to cram over the summer anywhere from 8 to 12 hours a week, all the way up to 40 hours a week.
Step 4: Breaking Through a Plateau
You always want to start with your baseline score and look for steady improvement with every practice test you take. If you find yourself hitting a wall and you don't get steady improvement, you need an intervention.
Usually, when we see students run into a plateau, they are not studying effectively. This means you need to either increase the hours you study, get a tutor, go to a boot camp, or study with more intention. Start rigorously reviewing the things you got wrong and studying those specific aspects so you stop making the same mistakes.
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