SAT and ACT preparation for 10th and 11th graders - PCS

Sep 27, 2026

Uploaded by Aurelia

Guide for PCS 10th and 11th graders planning to take the SAT or ACT for U.S. college admissions. Explains why students should choose the test independently, when to begin prep (ideally around junior-year fall/winter for May/June testing), and how to avoid burnout while aiming to peak near end of junior or start of senior year. Emphasizes that transcripts matter most, provides planning and efficiency advice, and describes free preparation options including Khan Academy, ACT Academy, PCS practice books, and a course offered with SAB.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages6

Reading Time15 min

AccessFree to download

SAT and ACT Test Preparation Overview

Timing Prep for 11th Grade and Early 12th Grade

Choosing Between SAT and ACT

Free Preparation Resources

Avoiding Burnout and Managing Study Time

Information about SAT and ACT test preparation for PCS 10th and 11th Graders PCS students who are college bound will become interested at some point in taking the SAT or the ACT. Those tests are often an admissions requirement for U.S. colleges or universities. No college in the U.S. cares which of these two tests a student takes. It is totally up to the student to decide. Ideally a student will take this test in May or June of 11th grade or the beginning of 12th grade. That is perfect timing for a college application. Some students take the test one time, and then decide to take it again to see if they can get a better score. That’s fine! Taking it a third time, however, starts to get a little obsessive. There are a lot of ways to prepare for these tests. In fact, just being in school is the best preparation of all! Beyond that, there are many free resources available to help you study and practice for taking this test. Here are a few introductory comments: Don't start test prep too early: in most cases, the fall/winter of junior year is the right time to start test prep in order to plan for tests to be taken in May or June of junior year (that is when most college admission testing is done) . Besides, the students may not have even learned all of the math and all of the English skills at the level they’ll be tested on if they attempt to take the test too early. Beware of test burn-out, which typically happens when a child begins prep and/or official testing too early in the process. The goal is for the student to peak (i.e., be able to earn their bestpossible scores) either by the end of junior year or beginning of senior year. It is rare for a student to be able to peak early in the junior year (or before), so it is counterproductive to start the testing calendar for the student too soon and can even lead to declining scores later on. The most important part of a college application will always be the transcript, never the test scores. While scores play a role, a student’s record over their years of high school matter most in college admissions decisions. Starting test prep earlier rarely results in the kids ending their whole process earlier. So, in the end, all you’ve done is dragged the process out longer. Make a plan and be efficient with time spent on test prep: you want your student to spend the time on test prep that is needed to do his/her best, but not a second more than that. There are close to 1000 colleges-- including selective and highly selective schools--that have either test-flexible or test-optional policies, giving students the chance to apply to colleges without submitting standardized test scores. First, let’s go over the two tests’ formats. Here is a graphic created [by TestInnovators.com:](by TestInnovators.com:) So, how can you decide which of these two tests to take? One way to figure out which of these tests to take is by remembering back to when you took the PSAT and/or Practice ACT. Did either one feel more “right” for you than the other? Another way would be to sign yourself up on both companies’ websites and try their free, on-line practice tests. Then we can compare your experiences taking them and your scores and see which one seems to have gone better for you. Finally, you may just want to go and actually take both tests. Get your score on each one of them. Choose which score is better, and that will be the one you send to a college. You do not have to send the other score to any college if you don’t want to, so there is no risk. Once you decide which test to take, how can you do some test prep for it ahead of time? 1) Both test companies offer you free test prep services. For the SAT, it is Khan Academy. Go to [www.khanacademy.org/sat](www.khanacademy.org/sat) and begin. One of the great features of the Khan Academy is that it can sense the areas of the SAT you seem to be having a little trouble with and it can give you extra tutorials and extra practice

FAQs

When should PCS students start preparing for the SAT or ACT?

Most students should start in the fall/winter of junior year to align with May/June testing. Starting too early can reduce readiness because course content may not be covered yet.

Does it matter whether a student takes the SAT or the ACT?

No U.S. college cares which test is taken. Students can decide based on what feels more right and by comparing practice test experiences and scores.

What free resources can students use for SAT and ACT prep?

For the SAT, Khan Academy is recommended. For the ACT, ACT Academy provides free prep. Students can also use free practice books in the PCS College Office and attend a yearly prep course offered with SAB.

Sep 27, 2026

Uploaded by Aurelia