Testing program helps students decide between ACT and SAT
The program outlined the major differences between the SAT and the ACT.
Many students have a hard time deciding whether they should take the SAT or the ACT.
However, PV sophomore, Brendan Falconer thinks he’s found the test that is right for him.
“I am going to take the ACT because it fits more of my strengths,” Falconer said.
To help other students decide which standardized test is better for them, Pascack Valley held an informational event last Wednesday night in the auditorium. A representative from Kaplan Test Prep was there to help students understand the specifications of each test.
Mr. Sean Struncis, the District Supervisor of the Guidance Department, organized the night, named “ACT or SAT: Which test is right for me?” This program, according to Struncis, was designed to help students learn more information about the exams, understand how they are similar and different, and even find out which colleges are test-optional.
The main concern a lot of kids have is just that standardized testing can be overwhelming and stressful.
— PV Guidance Counselor Lemma Taha
Struncis has heard many concerns from the students regarding the tests. Some of the main questions he typically receives center around the length of the tests, how they are constantly changing, and how they are considered in college applications. This program was designed to address all these concerns and help students feel more prepared in choosing which test to take.
“The main concern a lot of kids have is just that standardized testing can be overwhelming and stressful,” Ms. Lemma Taha said, a PV guidance counselor who organizes the SAT/ACT tests.
She knows that picking between the tests can be hard and thinks that a night helping students like the one on Wednesday is beneficial to students.
“We do often recommend that they come to one of those Kaplan programs where they can get a taste for both tests,” Taha said.
Both Struncis and Taha know that the SAT and the ACT can be stressful, but they hope the program on Wednesday night eliminated any confusion and helped students feel a little more confident in choosing between the tests.
PV hosts the SATs in October, March, May, and June, and the ACTs in April.
