By: Karl Salkowski
Both the SAT and ACT are standardized tests used to gauge college readiness and academic ability. Almost every college in America accepts scores from both the SAT and ACT in order to determine admissions, scholarships, and possible financial aid. Both tests are timed, and have been shortened recently in order to make them less fatiguing for students. For example, the ACT has been shortened by 44 questions and the SAT by 56. Which test you choose to take doesn’t really matter, as universities do not accept one test over the other.
Overall, the SAT tends to be the more popular exam, with over 55% of students taking it in 2019. Both the SAT and ACT are learnable, and with studying many people are able to significantly improve their results. The math portion of the SAT calculates towards 50% of your total score, while the ACT is weighted equally. For the most part, ACT questions tend to be more concise and clear than SAT questions, but you have less time to answer them. However, both tests have no penalty for guessing, and you should leave no questions unanswered. Only your correct answers are factored into your score for both tests.
The digital SAT has a total time of 2 hours and 14 minutes, graded on a scale of 400 – 1600. It includes only two primary sections, math and reading/writing, both making up 50% of your total score. Science has no dedicated section but sometimes appears in part in the reading section. Overall, the SAT gives you more time per question on average. Both tests allow the use of a calculator for the entire math section as well. The SAT’s main difference to the ACT is that it uses an adaptive structure. Module two changes based on your performance in both sections.
The ACT is usually 2 hours and 55 minutes long and graded on a scale of 1-36 for your composite score. It is composed of reading, English, and math with optional science and writing sections. All scores are weighted equally. On average, you have less time to answer questions, but they tend to be more concise and clear. The ACT has a linear structure; all modules are independent and your scores from each don’t affect which modules you receive later in the test.
Overall, the tests are very similar, so I would personally recommend taking whichever test is offered by your school. I also recommend studying for the tests, as the question formatting can be a little confusing.
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