What’s the Difference? ACT vs. SAT

(note: MDO will only be comparing the ACT and the new SAT, as the last old SAT is at the end of January)

The time has finally come to decide; SAT or ACT? Which should you chose? The most commonly known distinctions are that the ACT is more science and math based, and the SAT is more english based, a common conception is also that the ACT is easier. However, every person is different, and you shouldn’t decide which to take based on how well your friends do on one or the other.

There is more important criteria to base your decision on. For example, the SAT tests reasoning skills, while the ACT tests academic achievement. This means that the ACT tests you on what you learned in school, and the SAT tests how well you can figure things out. The ACT also tests you on more components, despite taking a shorter amount of time than the SAT to take. The ACT, which takes two hours and fifty-five minutes, tests math, reading, science, english, and writing is optional and adds thirty minutes to the test time. The SAT, which takes three hours exactly, tests on math, reading and writing (which are both evidence based), and has an optional essay portion which adds fifty minutes to test time. The SAT emphasizes and scores based on reasoning, vocabulary in context, and finding evidence in readings, while the ACT scores based on evidence of academic achievement in math, english, and science.

When the new SAT was announced, there was a lot of debate about scoring. The ACT scores up to a 36, while the SAT scores up to 1600, and both tests super score*. Both tests grade on the number of answers correct, with no penalty for incorrect questions.

When choosing which test to take, you must take into account several things. Take into account which subjects you excel at in school. If you are better at english, the SAT is probably better for you, in contrast, if you’re better at science the ACT is probably more your speed. Also take into account your reasoning skills; if you have a hard time with double meanings and finding evidence in texts, then the ACT might be a better choice, as its questions are more straightforward and based on academics. If you are on the fence, a diagnostic test could help you decide which to take. A diagnostic test will allow you to see how well you’d do on either test, and from there you can pick which to take.

Remember, you are the best judge of your own intelligence, in the end you will be the one to decide which test to take, so try to decide based on yourself and not those around you.

*If you take either test more than once, you can combine the highest scores on each section and send that combined score to colleges, this is called super scoring.

http://www.actstudent.org/faq/actsat.html

https://www.act.org/solutions/college-career-readiness/compare-act-sat/