SAT or ACT?
To SAT or not to SAT? That is, indeed, the question. Now that both the SAT and ACT® are accepted at most colleges, students are faced with an important decision. To help you out with this decision, we’ve gathered some of the questions we hear most frequently from students as they are trying to decide which test to take.
What's the difference?The crucial difference is that the SAT primarily tests critical thinking and problem solving while the ACT® is a content-based exam, focusing on what students have learned. This means that, in general, on the SAT, the questions are the hard part while the ACT is more like a test you’d take in school where the content is the hard part.
The ACT covers slightly more difficult material than the SAT, but the questions are much more straightforward. Preparation for the ACT mainly involves reviewing content and developing strong time management skills.
The SAT is less content-based and more strategy-based. If you look at the SAT and are completely bewildered by the questions (particularly in the math section), don’t panic! There are simple strategies that you can use to cut through the confusing aspects of the questions and dramatically increase your score. While SAT prep includes content review and time management, the most important aspect is learning how to tackle the exam itself.
No. The vast majority of students score comparably on the two exams (click here for a conversion chart), though in Revolution's experience, it is often easier to improve SAT scores than it is to improve ACT scores. But the simple fact is that some students perform better on one test than on the other, and the most accurate way to find out is to take a full-length practice test of each.
First, it's important to note that the vast majority of colleges will accept either the SAT or the ACT. Some schools will accept the ACT in place of both the SAT Reasoning Test and SAT Subject Tests. However, not every school accepts both and some schools prefer one test over the other, so make sure you check the requirements of the schools on your list.
The SAT is more popular on the East and West Coast of the United States, and the ACT is more popular in the Midwest and South. These trends may affect how easy it is to find a test site near you.
The chart below goes into much more detail on the differences between the two exams and can help you to start to think about which test is better for you.
We recommend that students take a practice SAT and a practice ACT and focus on the exam on which they score higher and feel more comfortable. Revolution has practice SATs and ACTs available. Contact us at (877) 738-7737 or answers@revolutionprep.com for more information. Your guidance counselor is also a valuable source of advice and information about your testing options.
| SAT | ACT |
|---|---|
| Test consists of Math, Critical Reading, and Writing sections. | Test consists of English, Math, Reading, and Science sections, with an optional Writing section. |
| Math section includes arithmetic, algebra, and geometry. | Math section includes arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and trigonometry. |
| Math section includes Student Produced Responses (or "Grid-Ins"). | Math section is multiple choice only. |
| Critical Reading passages are not chosen for relation to specific topics. | Includes four reading passages in the areas of prose fiction, social studies, humanities, and natural sciences. |
| Required essay poses general questions which students may use historical or literary examples to answer. | Optional essay asks students to take a specific stand on a matter relevant to high school students. |
| Multiple choice questions have 5 answer choices. | Multiple choice questions have 4 answer choices, except for the math section which also has 5 multiple answer choices. |
| You lose points for wrong answers. | There is no guessing penalty. |
| Each section is scored from 200-800, with 2400 as the highest possible score. | Each section is scored from 1-36 (2-12 on Writing). All section scores are averaged to find the final score. 36 is the highest possible score. |
| Any score report sent to a college will include ALL scores on every SAT taken unless students choose Score Choice. Should check the College Board site for up-to-date options. | Students can select which scores may be seen by schools receiving score reports. |
| Administered 7 times each year. | Administered 6 times each year. |