What is the best standardized test strategy for applying to the University of Hawaii?

For the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, the best strategy is usually to treat SAT or ACT scores as optional rather than essential.

If you already have an SAT or ACT score that is clearly solid for UH Mānoa, submitting it can still help support your application. If your score is average, below average, or would take major time away from schoolwork, it is usually reasonable to apply without it. Since UH accepts either SAT or ACT, there is no built-in preference for one test over the other, so the better test is simply the one that produces your stronger result.

A practical strategy is to take one official SAT or ACT, or one of each if you are still undecided, by the end of junior year.

This matters especially because UH admissions is relatively straightforward compared with highly selective schools. A student with strong academics does not usually need testing to prove readiness there, while a genuinely strong score can act as an extra positive signal. So the time-efficient approach is: test once or twice, submit only if the result strengthens your file, and do not let test prep outrank your transcript.