The way to college admission is often a long and often complicated process. One of the most common things teenagers face at school is whether to take the ACT or SAT in Dublin. If you have started early and prepared well enough, you may do well in either ACT of SAT, or both.

Here are some things you can do to help with your decision-making:

1. At the end of the 10th grade, this is where you want to really start deciding on whether you will take the ACT of SAT. By this time, you should begin taking practice tests. Look for practice tests on the websites of the ACT and the College Board (who authors the SAT).

In order to get access to the ACT online test, you’ll have to pay a fee. However, the sample questions there are free.

You can also buy The Real ACT 3rd Edition (Official Prep Guide) or The College Solution prep kits. Buying the College Board book will grant you access to its special-test section on its website. If you perform better on one test than the other, then you’ll know which test you’ll want to take when applying for college.

2. Another thing to consider is the SAT and ACT scores. Decide for yourself which of the SAT and ACT scores are better or superior to you by comparing them. The new SAT’s score could be quite confusing though, as there are things like section scores, cross-test scores, and sub-scores. Refer to the concordance table (which contains the ACT composite score and sum of the SAT Critical Reading and Math score) or try the conversion tool on ConvertYourScore.org website.

3. Stay with your decision. Once you’ve made your decision by the start of the 11th grade, do NOT change your mind. Stick with what you’ve decided and learn to deal with it. Go on with your practice and preparation, anyway. You don’t have to worry if there are schools (especially the colleges of your choice) who favor one test over the other. It’s not much of a problem, really. You could find another school that prefers accepting SAT scores over the ACT ones, or vice versa.

4. Do not take the actual test that early. It may seem advisable to take the first ACT or SAT test while it is early, especially in the fall season of the junior year. But some education experts advise against it, saying that the students haven’t learned and prepared enough to be ready for the test. They may also need to continue to mature emotionally. They believe that students are likely to perform better if they take the exam in the spring of the junior year and the fall of the senior year. Another good tip: study hard in the summer, then take the SAT or ACT in the fall (especially in October) of the senior year.

Students may take both the SAT and the ACT to boost their chances of getting admitted to the colleges of their choice (as all colleges accept both of them). Whether students take the ACT or the SAT in Dublin, both will benefit from the early planning, preparation, and practice prior to actually taking the test.