HIGHER STANDARDS

No. Think of it like this: Before taking a driver's test, virtually all students enroll in a driver's education course - they would never consider taking their first driver's exam without adequate training. Nobody should take a test inadequately prepared, and early training for your first SAT exam allows for more time to further enhance your test-taking skills should you later decide to take the exam a second or third time. Once you have taken the PSAT, you have already experienced the virtual equivalent of the SAT, so you already have a feel for it. If you have missed the opportunity to take the PSAT, you can take a free practice SAT with actual test questions either with a prep organization such as Higher Standards or through use of the free sample test booklet available at most colleges and high school guidance offices.

We recommend taking the test 2 - 4 times. If you prepare before each exam and devote the necessary attention to improving your scores, you can consistently improve your scores.

Registration for the SAT costs $47.00. If you register after the registration deadline, you will have to pay an extra $24.00. No registration is accepted after the late registration deadline. If you want to change the test date, you will have to pay an extra $24.00. Registration by phone costs $13.00 and is available only if you have already already taken an SAT exam.

Online: Click here for registration page on the College Board website. You will need to fill out a short information section. Then you will be asked to complete a questionnaire. You need not answer all the questions; just hit the "save and continue" button at the bottom of each page.

By Phone: (if you're having computer difficulties) Call (212) 713-8000 or (646) 254-8800. You may register by phone only if you have taken the SAT exam prior to the one for which you are currently registering.

There are a number of special accommodations that students can receive depending upon their specific learning difference (LD). The most common accommodations allow students extended (50% extra) or "unlimited" (typically 100% extra) time in order to properly take the SAT exam and compensate for the LD. Permission to write the essay on a computer and listening to the entire test on audiotape are other possible accommodations.Unlike a few years ago, score reports now do not distinguish between standard and nonstandard testing, so the colleges will be unaware of the conditions students were under when they took the SAT exam.

Note that having been diagnosed with a learning difference in the past does not automatically entitle you to special SAT accommodations. The testing must be recent, the psychometrician needs to recommend special accommodations, the high school needs to be informed (a person cannot have an LD for SAT purposes but be LD-free at school), an Eligibility Form must be submitted to the College Board, and a number of other hoops must be jumped through. This approval process can take months, so start the process early. For additional guidance, you can call ETS directly at 609-771-7137.

To contact a local expert at Developmental Learning Solutions who can help you diagnose a learning difference, click here.

The ACT is an alternative to the SAT. Most colleges and universities will accept either exam.

Unlike the SAT, the ACT has a Science Reasoning section and incorporates some Trigonometry (e.g. sine, cosine, tangent, and logs). The SAT includes Sentence Completion problems while the ACT does not.

The SAT contains 10 sections which alternate between Reading, Math, and Writing. The ACT contains 5 sections-English, Math, Reading, Science, and Essay. These sections do not alternate; in other words, you complete the entire section in one sitting as opposed to alternating between sections.

Some may do slightly better on one test than the other, but neither is inherently more difficult than the other.

Yes. The PSAT is good practice for the SAT and affords you an opportunity to familiarize yourself with the test and assess your current standing. It does not count toward college admissions, so there is little pressure to perform. Also, the top scorers in the country will qualify for the National Merit Scholarship (NMS), a prestigious scholarship likely to impress any college admissions board. Only students who take the PSAT in October of their 11th grade year are eligible for the NMS.

The SAT includes an essay; the PSAT does not.
The SAT includes Algebra II questions; the PSAT does not.
The PSAT is a 2 hour, 10 minute test; the SAT is a 3 hour, 45 minute test.

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