During Which Month is the SAT or ACT Easiest? - TestBright (2024)

FAQs

During Which Month is the SAT or ACT Easiest? - TestBright? ›

No SAT or ACT administration is ever predictably easier or more generously scored than any other. For as long as the College Board has been administering the SAT, people have been trying to game the system by figuring out if one administration might be easier than another.

The two dates that are the best for this are the September ACT® because you've had the entire summer to hone your skills, and the February ACT® because you can fit in at least 2 weeks of intense studying over winter break.

Myth: The March SAT is the easiest SAT test date. Fact: There's no such thing as “the easiest SAT test date.” While it's true that some versions of the SAT are easier than others, it's false that some test dates are predictably easier than others.

There is no "best time" to take the SAT. Curves are based on the difficulty of the test—NOT the other students who took the test that day. The difficulty of the test is determined by The College Board through comparisons with previous tests.

We recommend taking the SAT for the first time in the spring of your junior year and again in the Fall before college application deadlines. Most students who retake the SAT raise their scores, and some take it more times.

How does scoring work on each test? There are a lot of misconceptions about “easy” and “hard” tests - maybe you've heard that the August test is easier than other months, or the May test is exceptionally hard every year. Luckily, that's one thing you DON'T need to worry about when studying for the SAT exam.

Remember the Golden Rule, though. The most important thing is that students take (2) exams by June of junior year. If you won't be enrolled in or completely through Algebra 2 before June of junior year, you'll still want to take the ACT before the end of the school year.

It's common to come across rumors about the difficulty of certain SAT test dates, but in reality, the College Board ensures that every SAT test is standardized and consistent in difficulty across all test dates. So, the August SAT should not be inherently more difficult than the tests on other dates.

First, it doesn't matter when you take the test. In fact, before everyone takes the test in say October, the College Board has already settled the concordance table (that is your SAT score based upon the number of correct answers) and this score would be comparable to an SAT in December or March.

The perception that some SAT test dates are harder than others is a widespread myth. The College Board designs the SAT to maintain a consistent level of difficulty across all test dates, and they do this through a process called equating.

Should I take the June or August SAT? ›

That said, it's also important to leave enough time between SAT dates to study. If you want to give yourself the best chance of improving your score, avoid testing in back-to-back months. So, rather than signing up for tests in May and June, consider registering for May and August instead.

Most high school student are advised to take the SAT in spring of their junior year and the March SAT test date is a big favorite of many college counselors.

The March 2024 SAT caused a big stir not only because it was the first digital SAT in the United States, but also because many students found it to be much more difficult than expected. At Test Innovators, we work carefully to ensure our practice materials are true to the test.

If you don't want to take the SAT immediately before your AP exams, then March may be the better testing month – but if you need more time to prepare, then May is likely a better testing month. But don't stop there. The June SAT test date is the last of seven national administrations each school year.

It's certainly not too late to take the SAT in the fall of your senior year. Many students find themselves in your situation for various reasons. The key is to register as soon as possible for the earliest test date that you can manage, so you have time to send your scores to colleges.

Some students choose to take both the ACT and SAT – while others find they are more comfortable with one test or the other based on their learning styles and preferences. Either way you choose, know that colleges and universities have no specific test preference.

Common testing year: Junior year is the most common year for students to take the ACT, providing a benchmark for comparison among your peers and preparing you for early college admission.

Earning your best test score in June isn't easy, but for some students, this is the last best chance to finish admissions testing by the end of junior year. Still, smart planners will avoid targeting June for the SAT or ACT.

Origin of the Myth

But here's the thing: While there were studies done that showed higher scores in one month than another, those months changed year to year. First experts would cry “December is easiest! Take it in December!” and a few years later they'd swear “May is by far easier!”

As a rule of thumb, begin studying at least three months before you plan to take the ACT–or, if you want to improve by much more than 10 points, at least six months of prep time is advised.