Let’s start with the ACT and SAT; both used for college admissions.

The ACT is a test of English, Math, Science, Social Studies and an optional Writing test (which you should do).

The SAT is a test of Critical Reading, Math, and Writing. There are also SAT subject tests in many different areas (also known as SAT 2’s).

You can retake both ACT and SAT to improve your scores, and most colleges will accept your highest scores in each section, even if they are on different tests.

They are both a pain in the neck and very long! (My editorial)

Both are acceptable to any college that uses standardized tests as part of admissions. Some students are taking both and seeing which they do better on, then only submitting that test. It’s not a terrible idea, but it is a costly one in both time and money.

The PSAT is a Practice SAT. It does not go to colleges and will not be part of your application. Some scholarships will use this to determine eligibility, but for the most part, it is just a practice for the SAT.

The PLAN is usually taken in 9th grade, and is similar to the PSAT, but it also gets into your areas of career and academic interest.

Here is the sequence to follow:

PLAN 9th grade

PSAT 10th grade

PSAT 11th Grade

SAT/ACT 11th Grade (spring)

SAT/SAT Subject Tests/ ACT 12th grade (fall)

I know this sounds like a lot, and believe me it is! There are also many colleges starting to not use either ACT or SAT in admissions, go to www.fairtest.org for a list.

I hope this helps!

Good Luck!

The College Guy

sat are the most important high school tests which test all of your ability and knowlege

act is used to determine what college you should go to because different colleges have different target ranges of where you should score within or beyond

The PLAN Test is a pre-ACT, which is usually taken in 10th grade, and I’m pretty sure everyone in 10th grade takes it. That’s how they did it at my school, anyway! It’s just like the ACT, only maybe a bit easier; you’ll be given a score out of 32 (the actual ACT is out of 36) and a predicted score range for the ACT. The only purpose the PLAN Test serves is as practice, so the scores are more for fun and to give you an idea than anything.

The PSAT is a practice SAT, and is also called the NMSQT—National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. It is sometimes taken in 10th grade for extra practice, but is meant for 11th graders, and junior year is the only time your score can qualify you for National Merit. Freshmen only occasionally take it for practice, and by the time you’re a senior it’s too late. The test scores are given out of 240, with math, critical reading, and writing (no essay) sections; a really good score of around 220 (it depends on the state you’re in and changes each year, it may be as low as 208 or as high as 225) would qualify you as a National Merit Semifinalist.

Regards,

Pual.