ACT or SAT: Take a Practice Test

Should your child take the SAT or the ACT?

I tried to tackle this question with my last post: SAT or ACT: Which Test Should You Take?

Here’s another way to determine whether a child will get high ACT test scores or SAT scores: Take a practice SAT and ACT test.

A student can take a sample SAT test anytime on the College Board website. After finishing a practice SAT test, students can receive their scores immediately. A student will see how he or she fared on each type of question and category.

You can find free ACT questions here. And for $19.95, you can have access to ACT Online Prep for a year, which includes practice ACT tests.

Here’s another idea: Try the PSAT, which is the baby SAT test that students can take as early as their sophomore year in high school.

High schools administer the PSAT to juniors, but some schools also allow 10th graders to take the test. Ask your school what its policy is.

Lynn O’Shaughnessy is the author of The College Solution, an Amazon bestseller, and she also blogs about college for CBSMoneyWatch and USNews.com. She has just released her new eBook, Shrinking the Cost of College: 152 Ways to Cut the Price of a Bachelor’s Degree, which is only available on this website.


Join My Newsletter
Get your free guide to finding the most generous colleges
Practical, actionable information for Students, Parents, Counselors & Financial Advisors.

Let's Connect

Leave a Reply