Are you a junior? Worried about the SAT and ACT? These are two of the most important tests for juniors to prepare for.

The SAT is run by the College Board, a non-profit organization that also administers the PSAT and the AP program. It is meant to show schools how prepared you are for college by measuring key skills like reading comprehension, clarity of expression, and computational ability.

The ACT is another entrance exam used by many colleges and universities to make admissions decisions. It is used to provide colleges with one common criterion that can be used to compare all applicants. The weight placed on ACT scores varies from school to school. The main parts of the ACT are the English, Reading, Math and the Science sections.

You’ll most certainly take the SAT or ACT if you’re applying to a 4-year college or university in the United States. According to The Princeton Review website (www.Princetonreview.com/colege/sat-act), the difference between the SAT and ACT is that the SAT contains reading, writing and language, as well as math, while the ACT contains math, reading, English and science. Both have an (optional) essay. On the SAT’s math section, you will be able to use the calculator on one part only. Meanwhile the ACT will let you use the calculator on the entire math portion.

           SAT                                                                            ACT

    •   Reading: 65-min                                                       •   English: 45-min

•   Math: Part 1 25-min (no calculator),                         •   Math: 60-min

         Part 2 55-min (w/ calculator)                                     •   Reading: 35-min

     •   Writing & Language: 35-min                                    •   Science: 35-min

•   Essay: 50-min section (optional)                                                          .

•   Writing: 40-min essay (optional)                                                         .

Assistant principal Ms. Leal definitely recommends to take both exams, but it all depends on what college or university you are trying to get into. She also recommends students to go to tutoring. “It is not an exam you pass the first time,” she said. Practicing with programs like Edgenuity will be a really big help on passing and improving your score.   For senior Jorge Tummy, the SAT was harder than the ACT which he found very simple and not as intense as the SAT. On both tests he believes he did best in the Writing and Language sections, which contain grammar and corrections.

Now that you know all this important information, juniors, get to studying!!!