SAT / ACT FAQ

Neither test is universally "easier" — they reward slightly different skills (the ACT has a science section and moves faster; the SAT gives a bit more time per question). Most students do fine picking one after a practice test of each and sticking with it, rather than splitting prep time across both.

Spring of junior year is the most common first sitting — you've covered most of the tested material by then, and it leaves room for a retake in the fall of senior year if you want to improve your score before applications are due.

Two or three sittings is typical. Scores tend to plateau after that unless something changes in your prep, and colleges generally don't penalize multiple attempts — most will look at your best score either way.

It varies a lot by school. Many colleges are "test-optional" or "test-blind" now, but a strong score can still strengthen an application even where it isn't required, especially for merit scholarships. Check each college's current policy directly — it changes from year to year.

It depends entirely on where you're applying — a good score is one that's at or above the middle 50% range for your target schools, which you can usually find on each college's admissions website. There's no universal cutoff.

Some colleges combine your best section scores across multiple test sittings into one composite, even if no single sitting had your best score in every section. Not all colleges superscore — check each school's policy, and log every sitting in College Wrangler so you have the full history handy either way.

From the Academics tab, open the SAT/ACT section and add a new score entry with the test date and your section scores — College Wrangler keeps every sitting on file so you (or a linked parent) can see your progress over time.

Khan Academy has a free, official SAT prep partnership with the College Board, and the ACT publishes free practice tests on its own site — both are a reasonable starting point before considering paid tutoring or courses.