Which SAT® is the easiest?
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. For one thing, there’s no way of knowing which form of the SAT will be administered on any given test date. For another, easier forms of the test have harsher grading scales, so each question you miss has a harsher score penalty.
Although there’s no such thing as an easier SAT test date, there are benefits to taking the SAT at certain times of year. Read on to find out why you might want to take the SAT in March.
You’ve Covered All the Math You Need By March SAT
The SAT math section includes some topics that are covered in Algebra II or precalculus classes. By March of junior year, most students will have taken the math classes they need to do well. Taking an earlier test date may mean that there could be math concepts that you have not covered in depth yet in your math classes.
You Can Plan Out Your Summer Test Prep Goals
Summer is a great time for test prep because you can focus on getting your SAT scores up without the added stress of school. The first step to any good test prep program should be to establish score improvement goals. Before you set your goals, make sure you know where you currently stand. A March SAT date will provide you with scores you can use as your baseline for summer test prep.
Avoid Conflict with May AP® Exams
For students taking AP exams in May, the May SAT date is less than ideal. After all, who wants to spend Saturday morning taking the SAT when they have an AP exam on Monday? The next chance to take the SAT is in June, but many students are still burned out from AP exams. The March SAT test date offers a good solution:
- It’s early enough to avoid conflicting with exams.
- It allows plenty of time for any necessary summer test prep.
- It allows plenty of opportunities to retest if needed before college applications are due.
Finalize SAT Scores Early With March SAT
For a lucky few, the March SAT might be the last SAT they ever take. Students who reach their score goals on the March SAT can check one thing off of their college admissions to-do list. This is just in time to avoid piling the SAT on top of AP exams, finals, and the college admissions gauntlet.
The march SAT date for the 2022/23 school year is Saturday, March 11. Get started on test prep today!
FAQs
The Reading and Writing section was more in line with expectations, but still more difficult than expected for many. Many students reported lower scores on the March test than expected. Although Test Innovators' practice tests were harder than the Bluebook tests, more difficult practice would be beneficial.
Which SAT month is the easiest? ›
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. For one thing, there's no way of knowing which form of the SAT will be administered on any given test date.
Was March Digital SAT harder? ›
We weren't surprised to hear that some students felt this test was extra challenging. In fact, before the SAT went digital, we'd often hear from paper test-takers that certain exams were especially hard, despite those exams appearing normal when copies were later released.
What is the most likely answer choice on the SAT? ›
Every answer choice on the SAT will have a statistically even distribution of 1 in 4 for each answer choice letter, A, B, C, or D. In other words? There is no most common answer on the SAT. Ultimately, guessing C (or any letter!) will give you the correct answer only a statistical 25% of the time.
Is it better to take the SAT in March or May? ›
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.
Is March SAT too late? ›
For seniors, scores from the March SAT won't get to the majority of colleges in time. However, if your colleges have late application deadlines in May, June, July, or even August, then the March SAT should work just fine for you!
Is 1150 good SAT score? ›
The average national SAT score is between 1050 and 1100 every year (on purpose), putting an 1150 at an above-average 67th percentile — that's a score to be proud of! It means that you scored higher than 67% of all other test takers.
What month has the best SAT curve? ›
The College Board doesn't curve tests based on student performance, so there's no greater benefit associated with taking the test in January than in December.
Is 1200 SAT first time good? ›
A 1200 is an above average score that places you in approximately the 74th percentile of all high school students taking the exam. A score of 1200 makes it possible to apply to the vast majority of schools throughout the nation and be competitive for admission at a sizable number of colleges.
How many people took the March SAT? ›
More than 200,000 students took the digital SAT at 3,000 test centers in 173 countries during the March 9 administration.
Equating is Not Grading on a Curve
A student's SAT score is based only on how they perform and is never affected by another student's performance.
Is SAT harder than ACT? ›
The SAT is not harder than the ACT. Both tests vary slightly in terms of subjects covered and structure. These variations can affect each test taker differently, making one exam more challenging than the other. Taking full-length practice tests of each type can help you determine which may be best suited for you.
Why is the answer always C? ›
I'm sure you've heard this at some point “if you don't know the answer, always guess C. because it's the most common correct option”. That's just a myth, and generally there are no most common answers on multiple choice tests.
What letter to guess on SAT? ›
Before beginning the test, choose a letter to use for every guess you make. Maybe your letter is “A for Awesome!” or “D for Done!” It doesn't matter which letter you choose because they are all equally likely to be correct.
Is it better to guess or not answer on the SAT? ›
Remember, there's no SAT guessing penalty. You should always answer all questions, even if you need to guess. Educated guessing gives you the best chance of achieving a higher SAT score when you get stuck.
Does the SAT get harder every month? ›
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.
Which SATs are easier? ›
For starters, the digital test will be shorter and adaptive. That means the test will get harder as the student progresses through it, but the level of difficulty will depend on how they performed on earlier questions. According to Patel, the digital SAT is also more "student-friendly" than previous years.
Will the SAT be easier this year? ›
The new SAT is shorter — just over two hours compared with the roughly three hours for the previous SAT and its main competitor, the ACT. It's adaptive, meaning students who score relatively low on the first half of the test will get easier questions in the second half.
How long does it take to get SAT scores from March? ›
SAT scores are released 14 days after taking the test. The College Board makes scores available by 8 AM ET on each release date. For example, if you took the SAT on a Saturday, you may expect your scores to be released online about 2 weeks later, typically by 8 AM ET on the second Friday after your test date.
