Now that the new school year has started, it’s time for juniors to figure out how testing will fit into your busy schedules.
The first step is to decide which test to prepare for. Students should ideally take a practice ACT and a practice SAT to determine both which one they scored better on and which one they subjectively preferred taking. Occasionally, the scores will indicate a strong preference for one test over the other. If they are both about the same, it’s really up to the student to determine which one they liked taking more.
Once they’ve decided which test to go with, it’s time to think about a timeline for preparing. Here is a list of all the test dates for the coming school year:
2021-2022 ACT Test Dates & Registration Deadlines
| Test Date | Registration Deadline |
| October 23, 2021 | September 17, 2021 |
| December 11, 2021 | November 5, 2021 |
| February 12, 2022 | January 7, 2022 |
| April 2, 2022 | February 25, 2022 |
| June 11, 2022 | May 6, 2022 |
| July 16, 2022 | June 17, 2022 |
2021-2022 SAT Test Dates & Registration Deadlines
| Test Date | Registration Deadline |
| November 6, 2021 | October 6, 2021 |
| December 4, 2021 | November 4, 2021 |
| March 12, 2022 | February 11, 2022 |
| May 7, 2022 | April 7, 2022 |
| June 4, 2022 | May 5, 2022 |
Most students will get a score between 17 and 25 when they take their first ACT or between a 900 and 1200 when they take their first SAT. Students in this score range should begin test prep in the fall of Junior year and take their first test in February (ACT) or March (SAT). They can then take the exam a second and/or third time in April, May, June, July, or even September of their senior year.
For students who are starting with an ACT score of 26 or above, or an SAT score of 1200 or above, the testing can begin earlier. For these students, the December test date is usually a great first test option. This allows them to take the exam a second or even a third time in the spring.
The best piece of advice about planning for testing during Junior year is to start early! That way, these tests can be out of the way by the end of the school year, and students can start to focus on the actual college application process. Contact us today to get started.
