Myth 1: Homeschoolers score better than public school students
Fact 1: Homeschoolers may score a bit higher on the SAT, but this can be easily overstated.
Some of the research that really played up the idea that homeschoolers score higher was poorly constructed research. Homeschoolers who are not bound for college may not take the SAT or ACT. In some states all public school students are required to test. Comparing a selected group of homeschoolers to a broader group of public schoolers is an apples and oranges comparison. However, there is enough research on homeschoolers taking the SAT and ACT to suggest that they are not at a disadvantage as a group. But, what matters to most of us is more how our own individual kids will score. Just because your teen is homeschooled doesn’t mean they will score high or low on these tests.
Myth 2: Never guess on the SAT.
Fact 2 : There is no guessing penalty on the SAT.
Try to answer every question. If you are running out of time you should bubble in one answer for every question.
Myth 3: SAT math is easier than ACT math.
Fact 3: ACT math goes a bit more in-depth, but it is less tricky than SAT math.
The ACT math goes a bit further, requiring a bit of trigonometry. However, many students find the SAT math to be trickier and the ACT math to be more straightforward.
Myth 4: The PSAT will tell you what your SAT score will be.
Fact 4: These predictions are often inaccurate.
While the PSAT is designed to give an early prediction of the SAT score it doesn’t necessarily do a very good job. The PSAT is a different test than the SAT because it is shorter, doesn’t go as far in math, and doesn’t include an essay. If your student scores really well on the PSAT you may take that as a sign that they are a strong tester. If they score very poorly it is a sign that they have more work to do before they take the SAT or ACT. Still it is important not to read too much into the scores because the PSAT is a pretty short test. I’ve seen some PSAT scores that were wildly different than what students ultimately got on the SAT.
I have have heard it looks better to colleges to take the SAT instead of the ACT. Is that true?
Hi JB,
Thanks for your question. All colleges equally accept either test and they know how to compare the scores from one exam to the other. One test isn’t easier, it is just a matter of what works best for your student.