Pencil filling in a bubble answer sheet.
Article

Taking the SAT

Are you getting ready for the SAT? Or are you preparing for the future? Here is my experience with deciding, signing up, and taking the SAT.

Taking the SAT

 

Taking tests are not the most enjoyable thing ever, but they still have to be done. I’ve always known I would have to take the SAT eventually, and this was the year. 

 

Before we continue, let me give you a tip: take the PSAT. My school offered the Pre-SAT last fall. Sadly, I did not take it due to poor timing. However, I have several friends who did. They all expressed how much it helped prepare them for the real thing. Instead, I used  Khan academy and Ready 4 SAT app to study. Both of these are great resources, but they aren’t as good as the PSAT.

 

The SAT administrators offer different dates for you to take the test. Some are during Junior year and others are during Senior year. I recommend taking it during your Junior year. That way you can retake it if needed. It felt awesome getting it over with this year!

 

I chose to take the test on the 8th of this month. I signed up about a month before the test date. I went to the College Board website and created an account. There you can choose to take the essay portion of the test and/or a practice book. I decided against the essay, since it would take longer. After that, you just follow the directions they give you. My school had already put in the paperwork for accommodations. After you go through the directions and get an ID, you are set! I’m not sure if it’s the same for everyone, but with my accommodations, I was allowed to take the SAT at school on a date they choose. The school was also allowed to pick their own scribe.

 

When it came to accommodations, I chose large print and to use a scribe. However, now I can say that it wasn’t the best decision. The test is very long and there were a lot of diagrams. If I take it again, I will get it in Braille and use a scribe. In the end, the school and SAT administrators were very flexible.

 

The test itself was hard, but not as bad as I was expecting. I do encourage you to study though. I enjoyed the new option of being able to guess without it counting against me. Since I had accommodations, each section’s time limit was extended. I was able to finish every section within the amount of time given. Although it wasn’t a horrible test, I really hope I do not have to take it again!

 

If you don’t want to take the SAT, another option is the ACT. It is a bit shorter and tests science instead of extra math. I was going to take it instead, but the school already had accommodations in place for the SAT. My career coordinator suggested taking both, but I decided against that. Many colleges now accept either test. Older colleges or universities prefer the SAT, while new ones go for the ACT. An easy way to find out is going to the college’s website for information. Like I said earlier, I didn’t take the essay portion. However, some universities require it. If you know your preferred school, look at their website for that too. I hope this helps anyone getting ready to take the SAT or ACT!

By KaleighJRain

SHARE THIS ARTICLE
Photo of Kate explaining the tactile telescope model to a high school student.
Guide

Accessible astronomy: Tactile telescope

A smiling child holding a toy eagle
Activity

Bird song book and bird-related activities

EPIQ logo
Event

EPIQ (Experience Programming in Quorum) 2024