When you apply to a college, admissions officers try to figure out whether you can handle college-level studies. Let's be honest: Some high schools are more challenging than others. High grades come easier at some schools than they do at others. Some schools prepare students better for college.

So, along with scouring your academic record, extracurricular activities and letters of recommendation, the college admissions officers will study your SAT I or ACT scores to predict how successful a student you could be.

Although they are similar, they are not quite the same. The Princeton Review breaks them down this way:

The SAT I tests how well you know and use words, how well you read and how well you can do math, up through algebra and basic geometry.

The ACT tests reading skills but leans a little more on grammar. And the math level bumps up to some trig problems.

You may do better on one type of test than the other. If you can, use the scores from the test on which you did best.

Questions and problems on the SAT I steadily increase in difficulty as you take the test; the ACT mixes things up, except for math.

For some reason, schools on both coasts and private colleges tend to prefer you take the SAT I; publicly supported schools and schools in middle America prefer the ACT.

SAT I

The SAT I is a three-hour-long barrage of math and English, broken up into seven sections. Each section is timed:

Verbal - Two 30-minute and one 15-minute section.

The 30-minute verbal selections contain:

Analogies: You are given a pair of words, and you need to pick out the pair of words that have the same kind of relationship as the first pair.

Sentence completions: One or two words are missing from these sentences, and you have to fill in the blanks.

The 15-minute verbal section is Critical Reading: This section contains

passages or sets of passages between 450 and 800 words. Sometimes you'll be asked the meaning of words in context, sometimes about the passage's content, and sometimes about conclusions you can make based on your reading.

Math - Two 30-minute and one 15-minute math section.

The math sections contain:

Multiple choice: You're given arithmetic, algebra and geometry problems, the likes of which you have probably seen in your math class, and are asked to pick the best of five answers.

Quantitative comparisons: You're given two quantities and you have to decide whether one is bigger, whether they're equal or whether you can't tell.

Grid-ins: You're given a math problem and you need to work out the answer and then both write your answer in a box provided AND then fill in the ovals that correspond to the answer you wrote in the box.

Experimental: There will be one more 30-minute verbal OR math section. The good news: This section doesn't count toward your score; it's a tool for the test makers to try out new questions for future tests. The catch: You won't be able to tell what section it is.

Scoring

You receive one point for each correct answer on the SAT I and lose a

fraction of a point for each wrong answer on a multiple choice section. Yes, there is a wrong-answer penalty on the SAT I. On grid-in math questions, however, no points are subtracted for unanswered questions or incorrect answers.

The College Board then converts your scores to a scale from 200 to 800, with 800 points being a perfect score in both the verbal and the math categories.  Add the two together for your composite SAT I score. Perfect equals 1600.  The scores are mailed to your colleges.

ACT

Like the SAT, the ACT is a three-hour-long test. But it has four, rather than seven, sections, although some tests will have five sections. Each section is timed, but the ACT sections take longer than the SATs.

English - 45 minutes, 75 questions.

You will face short reading passages on the left side of the page. Some

parts of the passage will be underlined. On the right side of the page, you will be asked whether the underlined parts are correct or what would better fill the spot. The section's focus is on grammar, punctuation, sentence structure and rhetorical skills.

Math - 60 minutes, 60 questions.

You will answer 60 multiple-choice math problems. The problems get harder as you progress through the test. Each problem is taken from basic high-school pre-algebra, algebra, geometry and trigonometry.

Reading - 35 minutes, 40 questions

You will read four passages of about 750 words each and answer questions corresponding to each section. There is one prose-fiction passage, one social-science passage, one humanities passage and one natural science passage. Each passage has 10 questions.

Science reasoning - 35 minutes, 40 questions

Having little to do with science and much to with reasoning, the last

section of the test deals primarily with interpreting graphs, charts and tables. Sometimes you will be asked to interpret research summaries and make sense of arguing scientists (two or three). There are six separate sections.

Scoring

For each correct answer, you receive one point. There is NO wrong answer penalty.

For each of the four sections, the ACT test reviewers give you a score

between 1 (the worst) and 36 (perfect). In addition, the ACT will give you a composite, rather than a total, score. It will average your scores in all four areas. These scores will be mailed to your colleges.

TIMING

When should you take the SAT and/or ACT? If you haven't taken one or both before junior year, then register and take either test or both tests sometime in winter or spring of your junior year. They're given on Saturdays but on different weekends.

For the ACT, December and February dates are popular among juniors. For the SAT I, spring of your junior year is fine. Be sure to take the test by fall of senior year.

Is it OK to retake the SAT I and the ACT?

Yes. In fact, it's recommended. Why? So you can get used to the format, the kinds of questions asked and the time pressure. Some people falter on standardized tests. Familiarity with the test may ease some of that.

Of course, the other reason is to improve your score - the higher the

better.  Most colleges will take your best verbal score and your best math score, even if they're on different tests. Studies have found, however, that after three tries, your scores don't really improve much.

Pre-test preparation

These standardized tests aren't like IQ tests. You can study for these. And it's never been easier than it is now to prepare for these tests.

Preparation can make a huge difference between a 22 and a 28 on the ACT or a 490 and a 610 on the SAT. Higher scores can be the difference between getting into the school of your dreams or settling for the school just down the road. Higher scores also can mean you're may be eligible for scholarships.

To do well, start preparing early - weeks, even months before the exam.

Last-minute cram sessions won't boost your score.

One other thing to learn for both the SAT and the ACT: the test format and instructions. Know time limits and instructions before you walk in the door (they don't change). This saves you precious time that you can use to figure out tough problems.

Know where your testing center is so you don't get lost and show up at the test center frazzled - or late.

The night before the test, take care of yourself. Ditch the concert or the ball game and sleep.

Lay out your admission ticket, photo ID, several sharpened No. 2 pencils and erasers, calculator and watch.

Wake up early enough to eat and read the paper - both help wake up your

brain.

Leave plenty of time to get to the testing center.

On the test itself, completely fill in the ovals. Remember: On the ACT,

there is no penalty for guessing, so you answer every question. But the SAT docks you a fraction of point for wrong answers. So if you guess, guess wisely.

Don't be scared off by one question. If you reach a question you cannot

answer, just skip it and come back to it later.

THE PSAT/NMSQT

Technically, this is a warm-up for the SAT I. But it has become more than that.

The PSAT - or Preliminary Scholastic Assessment Test - is like a pint-sized SAT I that you take during the fall of your junior year (and sometimes even sophomore, too). The PSAT is shorter than the real SAT I, but it tests the same skills.

The PSAT also comes with an added bonus: Along with your scores you receive a question-by-question printout of your answers, the correct answers and your original test booklet so you can see where you need to improve.

But here's the real bonus for some students: People scoring exceptionally high can be invited to compete for National Merit Scholarships sponsored by universities and private corporations.

These closely resemble full rides given to Division I athletes. Schools

recruit National Merit Scholars, and many are willing to give hefty

scholarships (sometimes full-tuition) to those who will attend that school.

How to register: Through your high school's counseling office. The test will be administered at your school sometime between October and December.

When to take it: You can sign up to take it sophomore year just for

practice. But it's the junior-year scores that really count for the

scholarship competition.