The 2016-17 school year at Palatine High School is over halfway over, but for some students the year is far from over. For juniors, SAT testing is just around the corner, and with it comes all new sources of stress.

“This year has already been tough, it seems like college can’t come fast enough,” junior Ethan Bank said.

This year, Palatine High School is administering the SAT on April 5, but not just Palatine High School. Starting this year every public high school in Illinois is required to give the SAT. All juniors are required to take the test, and even if they weren’t it would be a good idea to, as the SAT is a much different test compared to the ACT.

This stress can come from not knowing enough about the test, as well as the worry about performing well on it. The English department’s very own Liz Sheehan helps run the SAT prep classes offered here at Palatine, and she provided tons of important information about the SAT test that might help clear up the worries surrounding it.

“The SAT is a more complex test than the ACT. It asks students to read critically, draw conclusions, and solve complex problems, all under a time constraint, which can be intimidating to students,” Sheehan said.

This being said, the SAT is not fundamentally harder than the ACT, it is just organized in a different way, which can benefit a lot of students who struggle on the ACT. It is also better fit to describe college expectations, as it lacks the isolation of subjects that the ACT offers.

Overall, students have nothing to worry about when it comes to the SAT. The test itself can be intimidating from far away, but with a little preparation it can be a breeze.