Both the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) and the American College Testing (ACT) are internationally recognized and nearly universally accepted by U.S. colleges as a metric for admission. In terms of the admissions decision, there is no advantage to taking one over the other. But to maximize your chances, you naturally want to take the one you are more likely to do better on. To that end, let’s look at the two tests.
Both are multiple-choice tests. Like the ACT, the SAT has increasingly become aligned with the high school curriculum. The SAT has two main sections: Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW, known as the "English" portion of the test) and the Math section. These are both further broken down into four sections: Reading, Writing and Language, Math (no calculator), and Math (calculator permitted). The SAT is scored on a scale from 400 to 1600. There is no penalty for guessing as the score is based on the number of correct answers. The SAT consists of the following sections:
- 65 minutes for a 52-question Reading section
- 35 minutes for a 44-question Writing and Language section
- 80 minutes for a 58-question Math section
SAT Reading passages draw from three main fields: history, social studies, and science. Each SAT Reading Test always includes: (1) one passage from U.S. or world literature; (2) one passage from either a U.S. historical document related to the founding of the republic; (3) one passage about economics, psychology, sociology, or another social science; and (4) two science passages. Answers to all of the questions are based only on the content stated in or implied by the passage or passage pair. The mathematics portion of the SAT is divided into two sections: Math Test – No Calculator and Math Test – Calculator. Of the 58 questions on the Math section, 45 are multiple-choice questions and 13 are grid-in questions. The multiple-choice questions have four possible answers; the grid-in questions are free response and require the test taker to provide an answer. The SAT no longer includes the optional essay NOR does the College Board (the organization that administer the SAT) offer the SAT Subject Tests any longer.
The ACT test, on the other hand, covers four academic skill areas: English, mathematics, reading, and scientific reasoning, and also offers an optional direct writing test. It is scored on a scale from 1 to 36. Like the SAT, there is no guessing penalty; your score is based only on the number of correct answers. The ACT consists of the following sections:
- 45 minutes for a 75-question English section
- 60 minutes for a 60-question Mathematics section
- 35 minutes for a 40-question Reading section
- 35 minutes for a 40-question Science section
- 40 minutes for the OPTIONAL writing section
The consensus seems to be that the questions asked on the SAT are more difficult than those found on the ACT, but because the latter allows less time, it may in the end be MORE difficult for some. The SAT allows at least 1 minute per question and the sections contain fewer questions, whereas the test taker is given less time per question (with longer sections) on the ACT.
The key questions to ask yourself as to which text to take are:
- Am I good at science? If so, because the ACT devotes an entire section to science and the SAT does not, then consider taking the ACT.
- Do I suffer from anxiety under time pressure? If so, as the SAT allows MORE TIME PER QUESTION, then consider taking the SAT.
- Do I have a hard time doing math without a calculator? If so, you probably want to take the ACT, which allows test takers to use a calculator for all math questions, whereas the SAT has a section on which calculators may not be used.
- Am I decent at geometry and trigonometry? If not, consider taking the SAT since geometry comprises only 10% of the SAT math section but between 30% and 45% the ACT math section; trigonometry comprises 5% of SAT math but 7% of ACT math.
- How am I with math formulas? The SAT provides you with a diagram of math formulas, whereas the ACT does not. Although all these formulas and laws pertain to geometry—not a huge part of the SAT—having this diagram handy means you won't need to spend a ton of time memorizing formulas beforehand (important formulas excepted). Unlike the SAT, the ACT doesn't give you any formulas on test day, meaning you absolutely must memorize all potential formulas before taking the test. So, if you're concerned you might forget certain formulas, choose the SAT.
- How much do I want math to count towards my overall score? On the ACT, Math accounts for one-fourth of your total score (your Math section score is averaged with your other three section scores). On the SAT, however, Math accounts for half of your total score, making it twice as important on the SAT.
Beyond taking the above into account, our advice is to get a reputable prep book for both tests, read up on the specifics of each test, and then take at least 2 practice tests for each. Compare your results. Then choose to take the test on which you did better on the practice tests. You may decide to take both. That’s fine. But it will require much more preparation effort to do extremely well on both, since each has its own optimal strategies.
Questions about this post: Email robert@designsonlearning.com