Students have been preparing for the SAT and ACT exams as registering for test dates have begun. 

Senior Jaswant Singh recommends students use online resources such as Khan Academy to take practice exams and answer practice questions to prepare for the SAT and ACT. He said, “I think the most important thing to do is practice as often as possible so like every week or every few days, get some practice in.”                                            

Another senior Rhea Deshpande has been using Khan Academy and taking practice tests in order to prepare for the SAT/ACT. She said, “I have the Princeton review book for the SAT and ACT and I think just doing practice tests, doing those practice sections really helps and since they are such big tests, I feel I can do them multiple times and not remember the answers.”

Singh thinks online resources can help students become more familiar with the tests. He said, “Getting a feel for these questions and a feel for how much time you can spend on each question can get them accustomed to that.” 

Deshpande has been studying for the ACT and SAT differently due to the different test forms. She said, “I think SAT I have been going more digital with it and for ACT I have been using more paper/book preparation.” 

English teacher Lacey Long has seen students looking at their scores from previous exams and then targeting areas where they want to get higher scores. She said, “From there [students were] thinking about the types of questions on that part of the test and strategies they can use to increase their score.” 

Considering the different tactics in preparing for the SAT/ACT, Deshpande thinks using the first test as a benchmark with not a lot of studying can be beneficial. She said, “I had also never taken an ACT before so I wasn’t really sure what to expect. I think [having] the pressure to do good, would not have been good for me, so just going into it with the mindset ‘oh i’m just going to go into it and see where I am at and use it as a benchmark’ is really helpful.” 

One of the hardest parts for Deshpande throughout the studying process is finding the time between all her schoolwork and extracurriculars. She said, “Just finding time to sit down and take the time to take a full length practice test, or a full length math section [are hard to make time for] because it is kind of the last thing on my mind.”

With students especially in AP, CCP, or honors classes, like Singh, it can be difficult to balance the time to study for normal school classes while also trying to prepare for these exams. He said, “the main way you have to do it is whenever you have free time in school or in a study hall, or if you don’t have homework on the weekend or even before school, you can prepare.” 

In comparison to past years in preparing for the SAT/ACT, Long expresses the increased amount of resources available online, making it easier to prepare. She said, “In the past you may have seen a practice workbook but now there is so much online, yes it is helpful, but you kind of have to sift through it to find the stuff that’s going to be the best to help your score.”

Long believes it is important to study ahead of test day because knowing what to expect on the test can make students feel more comfortable during that testing session, hopefully reducing test anxiety you may be feeling. She said, “If you know what to expect and the kinds of questions you’re going to be asked, you’ll feel more prepared and practiced. And I think knowing what to expect has proven to increase your score.”

Successfully, Singh has had an increase in his testing scores overtime. He said, “From my freshman to my sophomore to my junior year, I have continued to do better on practice and the official SATs because I have just been accumulating practice over time.”