ACT and SAT Information

All the information YOU need to know about the ACT and SAT!

If you are here, you have a student preparing for college entrance testing.

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ACT vs. SAT

Which test is right for my student? Both the ACT and the SAT have undergone changes to their test format resulting in the tests becoming more similar; however, some differences still exist:

Choose a topic:

ACT
SAT
SAT Subject Test
PSAT
Looking for a tutor?
"Test Optional" Movement/Fair Test Colleges

ACT

How do I register? Click here for registration.

Fall registration opens to all students on Monday, July 27th at 12:01 am ET.

2020/2021 ACT Testing Dates
Test Dates	Registration Deadline	Deadline with Late fee	TIR?
September 12, 2020	REVISED August 31, 2020	No late fee	No
September 13, 2020 – NEW DATE	REVISED August 31, 2020	No late fee	No
September 19, 2020 – NEW DATE	REVISED August 31, 2020	No late fee	No
October 10, 2020 – NEW DATE	REVISED October 5, 2020	No late fee	No
October 17, 2020 – NEW DATE	REVISED October 5, 2020	No late fee	No
October 24, 2020	REVISED October 5, 2020	No late fee	No
October 25, 2020 – NEW DATE	REVISED October 5, 2020	No late fee	No
December 12, 2020	REVISED November 20, 2020	No late fee	Yes
February 6, 2021	January 8, 2021	January 15, 2021	No
April 17, 2021	March 12, 2021	March 26, 2021	Yes
June 12, 2021	May 7, 2021	May 21, 2021	Yes
July 17, 2021	June 18, 2021	June 25, 2021	No

Changes coming in 2020 (or 2021)…

ACT announced they will postpone the introduction of individual section retesting until 2021. ACT hopes to have remote proctoring (or taking an online exam at home) late fall/early winter. Taking an online test at a test site will be postponed in order to provide as many seats as possible at testing facilities. Click here for their announcement.

At The Core’s ACT “Tips”

Test Information Release (TIR)
Take advantage of the Test Information Release (TIR) report (see chart for available dates) for an additional $22 fee. You will receive a copy of the multiple-choice test questions used to determine your score, a list of your answers, and the answer key. (If you took the writing test, you will also receive a copy of the writing prompt, the scoring rubric, and the scores assigned to your essay by two readers.) You can order the TIR as you order the test, and you have up to 6 months after the test to request the TIR.
Geometry Class
Consider having your student take the ACT as close as possible to their completion of Geometry class. They will have the advantage of not having forgotten what they learned. Here is the math content covered by the ACT and some practice math questions.

Shocked by the pacing
Nearly every student who takes the ACT the first time is shocked by the pacing – “it’s so many questions…I didn’t manage my time well enough this first time, but I will do better with that next time.” If possible, take a full real practice ACT before taking it on a national testing date.

Read more about “clock shock” in our blog post from BWS Education Consulting.
Optional writing portion
In the past, At The Core would suggest always taking the essay portion of the exam at each exam sitting; however, now due to the limited number of colleges requiring the writing score, we recommend reviewing the list of colleges that still continue to require or recommend a writing score. Click here for ACT list and here for SAT list. Here is an example of the writing prompt and scoring rubric from the December 2015 exam. It can give you an idea of what to expect.
New Score Report
ACT has a new score report format starting September 2016. Click here to see what’s changed.

How do I prepare?

ACT Test Preparation includes sample questions, question of the day for practice, test taking tips, and descriptions of each test section
ACT Academy for free personalized ACT practice
Visit our Friends of At The Core page for our preferred tutors.

SAT

How do I register? Click here for registration.

Fall registration is now open to all students. The College Board has indicated they will add a January 2021 date if there is demand for one. Click for College Board update page.

2020/2021 SAT Testing Dates
Test Dates	Registration Deadline	Online Deadline with Late Fee	QAS?
August 29, 2020	July 31, 2020	August 18, 2020	No
September 26, 2020 – NEW DATE*	August 26, 2020	September 15, 2020	No
October 3, 2020	September 4, 2020	September 22, 2020	Yes
November 7, 2020	October 7, 2020	October 27, 2020	No
December 5, 2020	November 5, 2020	November 24, 2020	No
March 13, 2021	February 12, 2021	March 2, 2021	Yes
May 8, 2021	April 8, 2021	April 27, 2021	Yes
June 5, 2021	May 6, 2021	May 26, 2021	No

* September 2020 date added as a result of COVID-19 cancellations.

At The Core’s SAT “Tips”

Question Answer Service (QAS)
Take advantage of the Question Answer Service (QAS) report (see chart above for available dates) for an additional $18. You will receive a booklet copy of the SAT questions and a report including your answers for the specific testing administration, the correct answers and additional scoring instructions, and information about the type of test questions and levels of difficulty of the questions. You can order this option when ordering the SAT or you can order it up to 5 months after the test has been taken.

How do I prepare?

SAT Test Preparation includes practice tests, study plan, and question of the day.
Click here for some test day tips.
Be sure to check out Khan Academy^®, the official SAT practice source.
Visit our Friends of At The Core page for our preferred tutors.

SAT Subject Tests

What are they?

SAT Subject Tests are hour-long, content-based tests that allow you to showcase achievement in specific subject areas where you excel. Some colleges require or recommend that you take SAT Subject Tests. They can demonstrate your knowledge or be used for course placement.

How do I register? Click here for registration.

Subject tests are offered on the same dates as the SAT except in March.

PSAT/NMSQT (Preliminary SAT & National Merit® Scholarship Qualifying Test

What is it?

The PSAT/NMSQT is used to both practice for the SAT and to qualify for the National Merit® Scholarship Program.

How do I register? The testing is done through your home high school in October of your junior year (some have option of taking it in their sophomore year for practice).

At The Core’s PSAT/NMSQT “Tips”

Should my sophomore take the test?
If you were thinking of taking the test just to practice for the SAT, that’s fine! But, we recommend taking the regular SAT test itself. If you wanted your student to practice in order to qualify for the National Merit® Scholarship, take the PSAT/NMSQT.
Connect your College Board
After you get your results, you can connect your College Board and Khan Academy^® accounts to get free personalized SAT study recommendations.

Does the PSAT offer a QAS (Question and Answer Service) report like the SAT does?
The online Score Report in the My College QuickStart is a supplement to your paper Score Report Plus. Some students may view the questions for each skill on the PSAT/NMSQT and PSAT 10 that were omitted, incorrect, and correct by clicking on each skill listed under the “Your Skills” tab. Once the student clicks on the skill on the right hand side they can view the number of the questions they omitted, got incorrect, and got correct. The student can then click on the number or click “view all” to view the question, possible answers, actual answer, and answer explanations.

You’re here because you need information on the high school to college transition. Join our mailing list to always get the latest!

Looking for a tutor?

What if the online ACT and SAT preparation tools aren’t enough?

Check out our “Friends of At The Core” or this list of local/national tutors and resources provided by the Olentangy Local School District.

At The Core’s tutor “Tips”

Be wary of any tutor who guarantees a certain score increase
One-on-one tutoring service
Consider whether your student will be best served in a group class or by using a one-on-one tutoring service. The cost for these services varies greatly and will be a factor, but so should your student’s learning style and your time frame.
Timing will be important!
Timing will be important! Don’t get into a tight spot and start looking for a tutor a few weeks before a testing date. They will be booked. Plan ahead….way ahead!

“Test Optional” Movement/Fair Test Colleges

What is it?

A growing number of colleges and universities recognize that some students may perform well academically but struggle with test-taking. Many schools will allow the student to apply without submitting any test scores (“test optional”) and a few will not accept any ACT/SAT scores at all (“test blind”). The National Center for Fair and Open Testing calls these “Fair Test” schools. They have found that removing test scores from the picture allows for a more diverse student body, and they rely more heavily on GPA and class ranking as an indicator of college readiness. Read more about test optional in our blog post by clicking here.

What schools are included?

The number is growing all the time but currently stands at over 1,250. Click here for a current list. Note that the list has grown because of colleges going “test optional” for the high school graduating class of 2021. We will have to wait and see if that temporary waiver becomes permanent.

DISCLAIMER – The purpose of this resource library is to assist our college-bound families. At The Core LLC does not endorse any vendors or authors. We will gladly remove any link from this website upon request from the linked entity; this website is not sponsored or associated with any particular linked entity; and the existence of any particular link is simply intended to imply potential interest to the reader.

ACT and SAT Information

All the information YOU need to know about the ACT and SAT!

ACT vs. SAT

Choose a topic:

ACT

2020/2021 ACT Testing Dates

Changes coming in 2020 (or 2021)…

At The Core’s ACT “Tips”

How do I prepare?

You’re here because you need information on the high school to college transition. Join our mailing list to always get the latest!

SAT

2020/2021 SAT Testing Dates

At The Core’s SAT “Tips”

How do I prepare?

SAT Subject Tests

What are they?

PSAT/NMSQT (Preliminary SAT & National Merit® Scholarship Qualifying Test

What is it?

At The Core’s PSAT/NMSQT “Tips”

You’re here because you need information on the high school to college transition. Join our mailing list to always get the latest!

Looking for a tutor?

What if the online ACT and SAT preparation tools aren’t enough?

At The Core’s tutor “Tips”

“Test Optional” Movement/Fair Test Colleges

What is it?

What schools are included?

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