SCHOOL NOTES
Roadmap to SAT/ACT Success
Strategies for Ninth, Tenth and Eleventh-Graders
BY ANN DOLIN
A s soon as your son or daughter begins
high school, the reality of them heading
off to college comes into focus pretty
quickly. Not only are classes beginning to get
more “college-like,” they’re actually beginning
to count for something.

And as your high schooler marches towards
college applications, you are most likely flooded
with questions. Where does my child want to
attend? What do they need to do in order to get
in? When should we start thinking about the
SAT or ACT? Of all these questions, the latter
is often the first most stressful in the college
planning process.

Read on for some helpful advice on what the
SAT/ACT preparation roadmap looks like for
ninth, tenth and eleventh-graders, and how to
best approach and plan for this new milestone.

Why practice
tests matter
• Taking a practice
test, especially
in a test-taking
environment, helps students get
familiarized with the
structure, content and
actual real process of
the SAT/ACT.

• The practice scores
are only shared with
the student, so the
student can get an
idea of where they
stand so far without
the pressure.

• Because a student’s
first scores don’t
always match up to
their expectations,
getting their first
scores from a practice
test rather than
the real one
is less damaging
to a student’s
self-confidence. Grade 9: Early Practice
Is Good Practice
Considering there’s plenty of time at this point,
ninth-graders don’t have to stress out too much
about SAT/ACT preparation. But, it’s also the
year things start to count. Have your student
register for a mock test if they’d like to get a
head start on preparing. Although it’s not nec-
essary at this stage, sometimes the earlier kids
start, the more their scores improve over time.

As for the PSAT, not all schools offer it to
ninth-graders. However, if it is offered, kids
should take advantage of it. Getting lots of
practice early is important for future success!
Grade 10: The New Junior
Year For Test Prep
Many years ago, students almost always took the
SAT or ACT test in the spring of their junior year
and the fall of their senior year. However, there
has been a huge shift in the last couple of years
where kids are taking the tests sooner. For that
reason, it’s important for tenth-graders to start
with the PSAT if their school offers it.

Now, the PSAT is really valuable because
nobody sees it. It doesn’t get sent to colleges;
meaning there’s no disadvantage of taking it
several times. Taking the PSAT allows parents
and students to get a better understanding of
how they might score on the actual exam. And
if they took it in ninth grade already, it will be a
great opportunity to get another practice score
in and see where they stand.

22 WashingtonFAMILY MAY 2019
For students who plan on taking the real test
in their junior year, it’s particularly beneficial
for them to start studying the summer after
their sophomore year. For example, if a student
who is going into their junior year plans on play-
ing a sport in the fall semester, they may not
be left with much time during the fall semester
to prepare for the test. By prepping during the
summertime, this allows the student the option
to take the fall off from SAT studying to focus on
their activities. Then, once the sport season is
over, they can resume prepping.

Grade 11: It’s Crunch Time
Eleventh grade is a crucial year since this is the
time students register for and take their SAT/
ACT tests. At the beginning of junior year, it’s
important for students to decide on whether
they will focus on the SAT or ACT before regis-
tering. While it is common for students to take
both tests, taking a practice test in ninth and
tenth grade allows students to focus their time
on the one test that they perform the best.

After deciding, have your child register for
their first SAT/ACT for winter or spring of their
junior year. Get a test scheduled on the books so
that they have something to plan around. This
will ensure more time to take the test more than
once. And then make a test prep plan and com-
mit to some form of practice. There are plenty of
independent study options out there which are
helpful once you know what your child needs to
work on, as well as many test prep services.

Often, students reach their desired score prior
to their senior year, after having taking it a few
times. A great schedule for students is to take
the first test in the late winter or early spring of
junior year, the second test by the end of spring
semester during junior year, and then finally,
if needed, one in the early summer before the
start of senior year. This plan helps students feel
more prepared while also giving them enough
opportunities to build up their scores.

This can be a stressful time, but if you take the
appropriate steps, your child can be prepared,
confident and ready to achieve a score that will
help them put their best foot forward on college
applications. ■
Ann Dolin is a former Fairfax County teacher and
current founder and president of Educational
Connections Tutoring, serving the D.C. area.