This is the time of year when college-bound juniors should think about registering for an SAT Reasoning Test and/or the ACT.

The SAT Reasoning Test and the ACT are two standardized tests that are usually required for admission to four-year colleges. Many scholarships ask for scores from these tests on their applications. Most colleges and scholarships will accept scores from either test. However, students should examine the requirements for any college they are considering to determine whether a particular test is required. Community colleges do not require SAT or ACT scores, but they may use the scores for placement purposes.

The SAT Reasoning Test, which used to be called the SAT 1, is a test that consists of three sections: critical reading, mathematics and writing. The writing section includes writing a 25-minute essay. Each section is scored on a 200 to 800 point scale. The highest total score possible is 2,400. An average score for college bound seniors is about 1,500.

The ACT consists of four sections: English, mathematics, reading and science. In addition, it offers an optional written essay section. (I recommend that all students take the essay portion since it is required by an increasing number of colleges.) Each section is scored from 1 to 36. A composite score is given which is an average of the scores of each section. An average score for college bound seniors is about 20.

Besides the differences in the sections and the scoring, there are some other differences between the two exams. The ACT does not penalize for wrong answers on the multiple choice questions, but the SAT does. The ACT allows students to send only the set of test scores they wish, while the SAT sends all sets of scores.

Another difference is the type of test each is purported to be. According to the ACT Web site, “The ACT is an achievement test, measuring what the student has learned in school. The SAT is more of an aptitude test, testing reasoning and verbal abilities.” This implies that the hard-working student who may not have the greatest native ability will do better on the ACT than the SAT, while the student with a lot of native ability would be expected to do better on the SAT. My experience, though, is that predicting which student will perform better on either test is difficult, at best. Students who need to have the highest-possible score to reach their educational goals should take both tests on the chance that he/she is one of those who scores much higher on one of the tests.

The scores students need to achieve depends upon their educational goals. Public four-year colleges often require only a score on one of the tests, not a minimum score. Competitive public and private colleges usually admit a majority of students who have attained a score within a certain range; these score ranges can be found by looking at the profile of the admitted freshmen that is available on most college Web sites. Students hoping to earn scholarship money in which merit is part of the criteria should earn as high a test score as possible. Students needing a high score usually take the tests more than once. However, taking the tests more than three times is usually not productive.

Another set of tests that a small number of students need to take is the SAT Subject Tests that were previously known as the SAT 2 Tests. The SAT Subject Tests are one-hour tests that cover specific subjects such as literature, U.S. history, mathematics and specific foreign languages. Colleges in the University of California system and many highly competitive colleges require these exams. Students applying to such colleges should look over the requirements carefully to discover if they need to take these exams. Most colleges do not require them.

Spring of the junior year is an excellent time for high school juniors to take these tests. Students have almost a full school year behind them so their minds are used to academic tasks and hence, are likely to perform well.

Waiting until the fall of the senior year to take one of the tests for the first time can lead to complications. The tests are administered on Saturday mornings, beginning at about 8 so students who are involved in Friday night competitions are likely to be tired and will struggle to perform at their best. Weekend competitions also can present conflicts for students who may have to choose between taking the test and participating in a competition. In addition, students who wait until the fall of their senior year have less time to retake a test, if needed, since many applications for admission are due in January or February.

Students can register online for the ACT at www.act.org and for the SAT at www.collegeboard.com.

These Web sites also offer a wealth of information about test questions, test taking tips and practice questions.