When Should You Start Studying for the SAT, ACT, GRE, or GMAT?

Standardized tests aren’t emergencies—they’re predictable milestones. In this article, we share When Should You Start Studying for the SAT, ACT, GRE, or GMAT? so you can prepare strategically and avoid the last-minute cramming that causes underperformance.

The simple answer is “sooner than you think.” The precise answer is that it depends on several factors, such as the test you’re taking, your current schedule of other responsibilities, your starting aptitudes, and the score you’re aiming for.

The Four-Month Rule

Most students should plan for at least four months of structured, focused prep. This isn’t just about fitting in practice now and then—it’s about creating time for diagnostics, method acquisition, content mastery, and full-length practice exams.

High scorers prepare early and often. Delaying the start of prep often leads to either an inefficient effort or a rushed, panicked sprint toward mediocrity.

The four-month guideline assumes a steady, consistent effort—not a last-minute surge.

SAT Timeline

The SAT is typically taken by high school juniors. Unfortunately, however, many students wait until the fall of junior year—or even later—to begin preparing for it. That’s too late.

The ideal timeline is this:

• Late Spring of Sophomore Year: Take a diagnostic SAT and gradually begin preparing
• Summer Before Junior Year: Heavy prep while academic pressure is low
• Early Fall of Junior Year: Take your official SAT
• Late Fall/Winter of Junior Year: Retest if needed

By completing testing early in junior year, you’re free to focus on schoolwork, extracurricular activities, and college applications—not test anxiety.

Waiting until junior year to start prep is the world’s worst advice—what a way to unnecessarily create a time crunch and have a dark cloud hanging over your head during the most intense academic year of high school. Get the SAT out of the way early on.

ACT Timeline

ACT prep follows a similar schedule, but often demands a little more lead time due to its breadth of content. In contrast to the SAT’s two sections, the ACT has five: English, Math, Reading, Science (optional), and Writing (optional).

Here’s the right  plan:

• Diagnostic ACT & Begin Prep: Late spring of sophomore year
• Heavy Prep: Summer before junior year
• Official ACT: Fall of junior year
• Second Test (if needed): Winter of junior year

GRE and GMAT Timelines

Graduate and business school applicants often misjudge just how long GRE and GMAT prep takes. Start at least 6 months before your target application deadline. Here’s what that window allows for:

• Diagnostic testing
• Content mastery
• Acquisition and internalization of professional methods for every question type
• Full-length practice tests
• A retake, if necessary, scheduled with enough buffer for application deadlines

If you’re returning to academics after a gap—or working full time—you might need even more lead time.

Warning Signs That You’re Late

If any of the following is true, you’re already behind:

• You’re skipping entire content areas
• You don’t have time for a diagnostic test or to review your results
• You’re practicing without a plan
• You’ve scheduled your official test before completing method-based prep
• You’re hoping to “cram” a huge gain in a month

Cramming might help you pass high school exams, but it doesn’t typically produce super-high standardized test scores.

Why Starting Early Changes Everything

Starting early does more than reduce stress—it allows for material and professional test-taking mechanics to be internalized through strategic repetition, which is the real driver of high performance on standardized exams.

Last-minute prep may introduce concepts, but it doesn’t give the brain time to absorb, retain, and execute under pressure.

Frequently Asked Questions About When to Start Test Prep

Q: Is four months always enough?
A: Not necessarily. It’s a rule of thumb. Students aiming for top-tier scores or applying to highly selective programs sometimes need 5–6 months of disciplined prep.

Q: What if I already took the test and did poorly?
A: If you didn’t use professional methods, you likely didn’t reach your real potential. A retake—with a better prep strategy—is worth it.

Q: My GPA is great. Do I still need a top test score?
A: Yes. GPA inflation is real, and admissions committees are aware of it. Strong test scores confirm academic talent and separate you from others with similar transcripts.

Q: Is summer a good time to prep?
A: It’s the best time. No school distractions, flexible scheduling, and room for structured repetition. It’s when most of our top scorers laid the foundation of their prep.

Q: Should I study for both the SAT and ACT?
A: No. Start with diagnostics, compare results, consult with us, and commit to one. Dabbling in both wastes time and splits your focus.

Final Thought: Start Early and Stay Ahead

Every year, students arrive on our doorstep in full panic mode—not because the test is inherently difficult, but because they started too late.

Preparing for a standardized test is stressful enough without a time crunch. The objective is to have margin, not chaos. Starting early gives you time to recover from setbacks, review errors thoroughly, and practice until execution becomes second nature and you almost want to complain the test isn’t hard enough.

Call (844) 672-PREP to get started.