Is your child planning on taking the ACT? When is the best time to prepare?

The ACT is designed to test what a typical student would have learned by the latter part of junior year. Therefore, most juniors are better advised to prepare for the ACT before a junior year spring test or a senior year fall test. That said, here are the three most popular times for students to prepare:

1. summer before junior year: There are many advantages if you have completed the necessary coursework to attempt the ACT early. First, many students who start early will build on their testing knowledge and increase their comfort with the test as they progress. Also, for some students, the most important reason for preparing before junior year is simply to use some of the free time over the summer.
2.leading up to spring of junior year: This is the time that most students will take the ACT for the first time. The April test is the most popular test of the year.
June is the third most popular. Spring of junior year is when many students are most academically prepared and still have the opportunity to retake the test in the coming fall.
3. summer before senior year: Although college applications deadlines are right around the corner, the reality is that preparing for the ACT in the fall of the senior year is a very popular time. The October test is the second most popular test of the year. Some states in the US provide an additional opportunity to take the test in September.

Dr. Richard Bavaria is a nationally-recognized education authority, Vice President of Education for Sylvan Learning Center® and an expert in helping kids develop skills for school.

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