The SAT and ACT are two standardized tests required for college applications. Most colleges require only one, if any, of these tests when applying, but they play a crucial role in determining your acceptance. You can choose to take both and use both scores, but it is ultimately up to you to choose what will be beneficial to your application and best demonstrate your abilities.
Let’s take a quick look at exactly what the SAT and ACT are.
SAT: Scholastic Aptitude Test
There are two main topics on the SAT: Evidence-Based Reading and Writing, and Math. However, the test is divided into 4 multiple-choice sections: 1) Reading, 2) Writing & Language, 3)Math with No Calculator, and 4) Math with Calculator. There is also an optional 50- minute essay, resulting in a total test time of 3 hours and 50 minutes.
ACT: American College Test
The ACT is compromised of 4 multiple-choice sections as well: 1) English, 2) Math, 3) Reading, and 4) Science. Again, there is an optional 40-minute essay, leading up to a total test length of 3 hours and 35 minutes.
SAT vs ACT
As you can see, the main differences result from the component and timing of the test. Both the SAT and ACT assess your reading, grammar, and math, but the ACT contains a Science portion as well. Don’t worry, it doesn’t focus on the factual knowledge as much as your critical thinking, analysis, and interpretation skills of the given information and graphical displays. Furthermore, if we look at the timing of the test, the ACT is slightly faster.
Here’s a quick comparison of the time you get per question:
So which one should you take?
There isn’t one test that is inherently better than the other, so it’s really up to you to look at these different aspects and decide for yourself. Many of my friends and I agree that the English and Math sections of the ACT are easier than the SAT, but the Reading and Science sections are more difficult, so it pretty much balances out. However, keep in mind that colleges may ask for the individual scores of each component, so you don’t want to have a drastic disparity between the sections, even if it won’t impact your overall score too much. Some colleges also give you the option to superscore the SAT, not the ACT, meaning they combine your highest English and Math scores from all the tests you’ve taken.
Timing is another super important factor to consider, as some people need as much time as possible to go through all the questions and process them. Personally, I had time leftover when I took the SAT, so when I took the ACT, it was still manageable for me even though it took some time to get used to.
Personally, I took both the SAT and ACT, and ended up with a pretty similar score in terms of the national percentile, with a slightly higher score for the SAT than the ACT. This is mostly because I studied more for the SAT, both in terms of time and practice, and isn’t as much as a reflection on the tests themselves.
I genuinely believe that both tests are pretty equal at the end of the day, even with their differences. If you decide to commit to consistent study and practice, you’ll be fine no matter which one you choose. Colleges don’t have a preference for either one, so focus more on which test will be more comfortable for you and enable you to receive a higher score. There are plenty of resources out there to help you, and even if you choose one and it doesn’t seem to work out, there is always the choice of trying the other one.
We hope you enjoyed this article. For more content on how to find your academic success, check out some of our articles here on Starry Scholar. If you have any questions/comments, feel free to leave them in our “Community Discussion” tab, or email us at @[email protected]! Remember, you got this ☆
There isn’t one test that is inherently better than the other, so it’s really up to you to look at these different aspects and decide for yourself. Many of my friends and I agree that the English and Math sections of the ACT are easier than the SAT, but the Reading and Science sections are more difficult, so it pretty much balances out. However, keep in mind that colleges may ask for the individual scores of each component, so you don’t want to have a drastic disparity between the sections, even if it won’t impact your overall score too much. Some colleges also give you the option to superscore the SAT, not the ACT, meaning they combine your highest English and Math scores from all the tests you’ve taken.
Timing is another super important factor to consider, as some people need as much time as possible to go through all the questions and process them. Personally, I had time leftover when I took the SAT, so when I took the ACT, it was still manageable for me even though it took some time to get used to.
Personally, I took both the SAT and ACT, and ended up with a pretty similar score in terms of the national percentile, with a slightly higher score for the SAT than the ACT. This is mostly because I studied more for the SAT, both in terms of time and practice, and isn’t as much as a reflection on the tests themselves.
I genuinely believe that both tests are pretty equal at the end of the day, even with their differences. If you decide to commit to consistent study and practice, you’ll be fine no matter which one you choose. Colleges don’t have a preference for either one, so focus more on which test will be more comfortable for you and enable you to receive a higher score. There are plenty of resources out there to help you, and even if you choose one and it doesn’t seem to work out, there is always the choice of trying the other one.
We hope you enjoyed this article. For more content on how to find your academic success, check out some of our articles here on Starry Scholar. If you have any questions/comments, feel free to leave them in our “Community Discussion” tab, or email us at @[email protected]! Remember, you got this ☆