SAT or ACT: The Dilemma.
2024 Update. Please note: his information has not yet been updated to reflect the current digital version of the SAT.Even with the recent trend towards going test optional, or, some cases, test blind, the majority of US colleges and universities continue to evaluate applicants based on their SAT and ACT performance. Students may take either one or both tests and submit their scores to the colleges of their choice. There are, generally speaking, two reasons that students take the SAT or ACT. The first is that a test score may be required by a particular school. The second, and perhaps the more prevalent, is that achieving a high score on these exams signals your readiness for college level courses and gives you a quantifiable advantage during the admission process.
Among schools that accept ACT and SAT scores, there is generally no stated preference for one or the other. Thus, in this respect, the two exams are on equal footing,
meaning that neither test is considered to be "better" in the eyes of admission officers. You should, of course, research the various schools you plan to apply to in order to find out what their specific SAT/ACT policy is. This information can guide you as you begin your test prep journey. We will not discuss the requirements of any particular schools here. Instead, this is meant to be to be an exposition of the similarities and differences between the two tests, which will help you determine which one is more suitable for you.
Let's take a look at the table below, which provides a summary of both tests.
| ACT | SAT | |
|---|---|---|
| Time | 2 hrs 55 mins with optional Writing section 3 hrs 35 mins with optional Writing section |
3 hrs |
Sections In order of appearance |
1. English 75 questions, 45 min (36 sec/question) 2. Math 60 questions, 60 min (1 min/question) 3. Reading 40 questions, 35 min (52.5 sec/question) 4. Science 40 questions, 35 min (52.5 sec/question) 5. Writing (optional) 40 min essay |
1. Reading 52 questions, 65 min (1.25 min/question) 2. Writing and Language 44 questions, 35 min (48 sec/question) 3. Math No Calculator 20 questions, 25 min (1.25 min/question) 4. Math Calculator 38 questions, 55 min (1.45 min/question) |
| Scoring |
Total score range: 1-36
Each section uses a scale of 1-36. Your total score is the average of your four section scores. The optional Writing section uses a scale of 2-12. The score from this section is not reflected in you total score. Wrong answers are not penalized. |
Total score range: 400-1600 The Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW) and Math sections each use a scale of 200-800 and are combined for a total score. Wrong answers are not penalized. |
| Cost | $63 without writing $88 with writing |
$60 |
The "English" Section
This section is called the English section on the ACT and the Language and Writing section on the SAT. Though the names are different, this is actually the section with the greatest degree of similarity between the two tests. Both exams feature questions concerning comma and punctuation rules, subject-verb agreement, sentence structure, and the like. In fact, when you prep for this section using one test, you will more or less have prepped for the other test as well.You may notice from the table above that the ACT has 75 questions on this section vs 44 on the SAT, and that the time per question is less on the ACT. That being said, the time constraint "feels" about the same on both tests, perhaps because the ACT has slightly briefer questions. This is generally the easiest section to finish within the allotted time on both tests.
The Reading Comprehension Section
Structurally, the reading comprehension sections are quite similar. Both tests have passages of relatively the same length with the about the same number of questions per passage. The SAT has five passages: one Literature, two Science, and two Social Science. The ACT has four passages: Literature, Social Science, Humanities, and Natural Science.The passages on the SAT tend to be denser and more difficult to penetrate. The degree of sentence complexity, the range of vocabulary required, and the overall level of abstraction are often greater for SAT passages. This is largely because the SAT draws from a wider historical period, and often contains writings in which the language and style are significantly different from that of modern works. The ACT rarely features works created before the mid to early 1900's, and thus, the passages are usually easier to digest. The difference in difficulty level is compensated for, however, by the fact that the ACT gives substantially less time to complete each passage. Whereas on the SAT, you can usually get by just by reading the passages and answering the questions in a straightforward manner, on the ACT, you may have to resort to the adoption of different strategies in order to complete the section on time. Still, students with efficient reading comprehension skills may have no trouble in completing the ACT Reading section within the allotted time.
The Math Section(s)
The ACT consists of a single math section, whereas the SAT has two math sections: one No Calculator section and one Calculator section. The table above displays the time and number of questions on the math portion of each test.The ACT math section is made up entirely of multiple choice questions, with five answer choices each. The SAT math sections consist of multiple choice questions with four answer choices each, as well as grid in questions. Thus, on the SAT it may be easier to guess the answers to the multiple choice questions, but, at the same time, answers to the fill in questions will be harder to guess.
The use of a calculator is permitted on the entire ACT Math section, but only on the Calculator section of the SAT. Both tests allow most types of calculators, including graphing calculators. Refer to the ACT and SAT sites for specific calculator policy.
Each SAT math section includes a standard reference diagram, containing mostly formulas from geometry. It is not certain, however, that any of the information in this diagram will actually be needed for the test, and there are still several other formulas that you may need to know which are not included in the diagram. The ACT does not include any formulas.
There is a broader range of math topics included on the ACT. Matrices, combinatorics, conic sections, and logarithms, for instance, are tested on the ACT but not on the SAT. Geometry and trig are more heavily represented on the ACT as well. As a result, and because there is no formula sheet, there are simply more things to memorize when you prepare for the ACT math section. Additionally, a student my find that there are certain ACT math concepts that they are unfamiliar with, simply because not all school curriculums cover the entire gamut of ACT math concepts. The SAT chooses to focus on a narrower range of concepts (linear functions, quadratic functions, stats, and data analysis make up a significant portion of the test) but perhaps requires a deeper familiarity with those select topics. SAT math questions also tend to be more verbose. Though the two exams measure similar abilities at a comparable level, the ACT strives to be an assessment of a student's overall mathematical knowledge, while the SAT is more concerned with testing a student's analytic and problem solving skills as applied to specific areas of mathematics.
With less time per question, the ACT math section is more difficult to finish on time, and will thoroughly test your ability to work quickly without making careless errors.
The Science Section
The Science section is found only on the ACT. This section consists of 40 questions spread over six or seven passages. All but one of the passages is a summary of an experiment, complete with a description of the procedure and a review of the results. The remaining passage usually offers competing hypotheses which attempt to explain some physical phenomenon. The use of a calculator is NOT permitted on this section.The Science Section is actually more about reading comprehension than it is about scientific knowledge. In most cases, a basic understanding of science will suffice, and rarely is any obscure background knowledge required because most of the key terms are defined in the passages. Attention to detail, critical thinking, and the ability to interpret and analyze data, are the primary skills that are tested on this section.
On of the chief difficulties with this section is time constraint. With less than a minute to answer each question, many students fail to complete this section on time, especially those without practice and training. With proper training, and, once you become accustomed to the correct techniques, the section becomes more manageable.
Considerations
Now that we have looked at each section of the test, we are ready to discuss some of the overall considerations when choosing the right test for you.Time
As we have seen above, the ACT offers less time to perform relatively similar tasks. Students who are slower or more methodical in their work may therefore find the ACT to be too much of a time crunch and opt for the SAT instead. Students may also prefer the SAT because they find its more "leisurely" pace to be less stressful. Students that excel at working quickly and efficiently may opt to take the ACT where they can use those skills to their advantage.You should not shy away from the ACT simply because of the more rigid time constraint, however. The ACT does try to balance this by offering slightly more low degree of difficulty questions than the SAT. And, as I have mentioned before, with the proper preparation, most students can become more proficient in their time management and succeed on the ACT.
Emphasis on Math Vs Reading Comprehension
On the ACT, the math section counts for 1/4 of your total score. On the SAT, with its two mathematics sections, math counts for half of your total score. And because the ACT science section is virtually just another reading comprehension section, half of your ACT is based upon your reading comprehension skills. Thus, students who are stronger in mathematics than reading comprehension may "accentuate the positive", so to speak, by taking the SAT. Conversely, students who are stronger in reading comprehension may naturally gravitate toward the ACT. Of course, there is really no way to hide a weak area, but to minimize its impact, you need to take into consideration which test aligns with your strengths and de-emphasizes your weaknesses.By no means, however, is this a blanket statement that math people should take one test and non-math people another. There are other factors to consider. One is time management. On the ACT, if you tend to work at a slower pace, that will count against you even if your reading comprehension skills are high. Another factor is preparation. Some students can substantially increase their math score through preparation and by learning the basic techniques of standardized test taking. Reading comprehension may be the most difficult area to improve upon in a standardized test setting, but progress can still be made through hard work and practice. So, basically, you need to take a look at not only where your current skills stand, but also, how significantly (and in which areas) they will improve with training.