The SAT is offered seven times a year (October–June) and the ACT is offered six times a year (August–June). Geneva students should plan on taking the SAT and ACT in the spring of their junior year. This gives them the option of taking one or both of the tests again—perhaps later in the spring and/or early in their senior year. Some students do better on the SAT and some do better on the ACT.
Registering for the SAT and ACT
To avoid paying additional late fees register early. To register for the SAT go to www.collegeboard.com and to register for the ACT go to www.actstudent.org. By registering early you not only avoid late fees, but also have a higher chance of being assigned your first choice test center.
When registering for the ACT students should opt to take the optional writing test.
2011-2012 SAT Test Dates
| Test Date | Regular Registration Deadline | Late Registration Deadline (late fees apply) |
| October 1, 2011 | September 9 | September 21 |
| November 5, 2011 | October 7 | October 21 |
| December 3, 2011 | November 8 | November 20 |
| January 28, 2012 | December 30 | January 13 |
| March 10, 2012 (no subject tests) | February 10 | February 24 |
| May 5, 2012 | April 6 | April 20 |
| June 2, 2012 | May 8 | May 22 |
2011-2012 ACT Test Dates
| Test Date | Regular Registration Deadline | Late Registration Deadline (late fees apply) |
| September 10, 2011 | August 12 | August 26 |
| October 22, 2011 | September 16 | September 30 |
| December 10, 2011 | November 4 | November 18 |
| February 11, 2012 | January 13 | January 20 |
| April 14, 2012 | March 9 | March 23 |
| June 9, 2012 | May 4 | May 18 |
Steps to Success in ACT and/or SAT test taking
- Consider which schools you want to apply to. Reach out to the schools and confirm which admissions test the school requires—ACT, SAT, or both.
- Take a practice ACT, SAT or SAT/ACT Combo Test to identify which test could best showcase your strengths during the admissions process.
- Identify which areas you need to improve for your target schools and create a timetable.
- Work on your areas of improvement.
- Take the ACT, SAT, or both based on practice test results and school requirements.
- Apply to your dream college with confidence.
- Get accepted!
ACT vs. SAT: The Breakdown
| ACT | SAT | |
| Length | 3 hours, 25 minutes (including the 30-minute optional Writing Test) | 3 hours, 45 minutes |
| Sections | 4 Test Sections (5 with the optional Essay): English, Math, Reading, Science, Writing (Optional) | 10 Sections: 3 critical Reading, 3 Math, 3 Writing, (including the Essay), 1 Experimental (unscored) |
| Reading (ACT) / Critical Reading (SAT) | 4 reading comprehension passages, 10 questions per passage | Mix of reading comprehension and sentence completion questions which require vocabulary expertise |
| Science | Science reasoning (analysis, interpretation, evaluation, and problem solving) | Science not included |
| Math | Math accounts for 1/4 of overall score: arithmetic, algebra, geometry, triganometry (4 questions). | Math accounts for 1/3 of overall score: arithmetic, algebra, geometry and algebra II. |
| Essay | Last thing you do (optional); 30 minutes. Not included in composite score. | First thing you do; 25 minutes. Factored into overall score. |
| Scoring | Total composite score of 1–36 (based on average of 4 tests: 4 scores of 1–36 for each test. Score of 2–12 for the optional Essay. | Total score out of 2400: 3 scores of 200–800 for each section. 2 sub-scores: 20–80 for writing multiple choice and 2–12 for the Essay. |
| Wrong Answer Penalty | No wrong answer penalty | Yes, 1/4 point per wrong answer (except for Math Grid-in questions) |
| Sending Score History | You decide which score is sent | Your entire score history will be sent automatically |