North Forsyth has approached the third SAT exam, which was given on Dec. 1. The SAT is an exam given to high school students to help colleges gauge their math, reading and writing levels. Students can choose to take the SAT in their junior year or senior year, but they can also choose to take the SAT in their freshman or sophomore years as well.. The SAT or ACT is a requirement at most colleges for students to attend, and there is much deliberation of whether students should take it in their junior or senior year.

Personally, I believe that students should take their SAT in their junior year, allowing them to learn what the SAT consists of if they do not do well the first time. Students also will have more time to prepare the next time they take the SAT. Meghan Pontius, a junior from North Forsyth High School explained that taking the SAT in her junior year “helped me understand what the exam consisted of. I know what to review more of if I get a bad grade on it.”  Taking the SAT early will help students understand the format since questions from classes that students may not have taken yet will let them know what subjects are mostly on the exam. Juniors also have experience from the PSAT that they have taken in their freshman and sophomore years.

However, if students choose to take the SAT their senior year, they will have already learned most of the material that is covered on the exam. If juniors do not have the class that covers the information, they will most likely have to use a textbook to educate themselves before their exam is given. Seniors will have all their bases covered for the exam and might know exactly how the questions will play out. The only downfall of taking the SAT senior year is that students will not have a lot of time if they do not receive the grade that they expected.  Several people were asked whether or not they should wait till senior year to take their SAT and they all declined it. Ramya Raja, a senior at North, exclaimed “When you take your SAT, the College Board sends you a school report telling you what you need to work on. Therefore, if you take it your junior year, you will have more time to review your senior year.”

Current juniors and upcoming seniors will have plenty of time to decide when to take their SAT with the next exam being given on March 9, 2019. Upcoming juniors will have the option to see how other students are deciding and see what truly is best for them. If you want to register to take the exam, head over to the College Board and sign up for the SAT and pay the $25 dollar fee.