Like most thigns, it depends. Does alan have a lot of extra curricular activities? Does he have a lot of time to devote to SAT prep? How long does alan need to become more comfortable with the Material? You can do a prep course in a few weeks or spread it out over a few months, but it's probably a good idea to leave 2 or 3 months.

My son has been working with PrepMe for 2 months now and he hasn't finished the material. Granted, there's a lot of preparation material on the prepme site, but it's just because our son has so many other time commitments that he can't devote a lot to test prep. It all depends and you should probably discuss it with your son

I'd also say 2 or 3 months

The sooner the better

dont worry about the PSAT that he takes in sophomore year, that one doesnt count for National Merit. instead, it should give you guys an idea about what areas he needs to improve in.

now, i am a junior this year and plan to take my SATs in march. personally, I have been studying a little every weekend since June. usually i study for about 30 minutes whenever i can. i figured out that the best plan is to study for a little bit at a time and do this for a long time. it really adds up.

plus, junior year is crazy. school and clubs and extracurriculars and friends and family take up time, a lot of time. so if the best he can do some days is only 15 minutes, leave it at that. but if this is the case, then you should give him at least 4 to 5 months for SAT prep.

well tahts a good question longer is better