ACT

Many colleges and universities accept it (be sure to check with your schools to see what tests they want)

Students have traditionally taken the ACT in the spring of their junior year and, if necessary, again in the fall of their senior year. However, more and more students are choosing to take their first ACT at an earlier point, such as during the fall of their junior year. This gives them more flexibility to retake the ACT one or more times, or to take the SAT or SAT IIs.

SAT

Nearly every college in America accepts the SAT or Subject Tests as a part of its admissions process. That's why more than two million students take the SAT every year.

Students traditionally take their SAT in the spring of the junior year and usually take the exam at least on more time during the senior year.

The SAT Reasoning Test is a measure of the critical thinking skills you'll need for academic success in college. The SAT assesses how well you analyze and solve problems—skills you learned in school that you'll need in college. The SAT is typically taken by high school juniors and seniors.

Each section of the SAT is scored on a scale of 200—800, with two writing subscores for multiple-choice and the essay. It is administered seven times a year in the U.S., Puerto Rico, and U.S. Territories, and six times a year overseas.

SAT Question Types

The SAT includes a Critical Reading, Math, and Writing section, with a specific number of questions related to content.

Test Order

The 25-minute essay will always be the first section of the SAT, and the 10-minute multiple-choice writing section will always be the final section. The remaining six 25-minute sections can appear in any order, as can the two 20-minute sections. Test takers sitting next to each other in the same testing session may have test books with entirely different sections.

PSAT

It's good practice for the SAT, and it's a qualifying test for National Merit Scholarships and Letters of Commendation.

October, junior year. Many students also take a practice PSAT in October of sophomore year