SAT or ACT: Which Exam is Best for You?

For many students and parents, university planning begins by checking the requirements for their schools of choice. Many universities – as well as scholarships – are returning to their pre-covid standardized test requirement: ACT or SAT scores. Both cover similar topics so universities don’t have a preference. That said, students may perform better on one test than the other.

Read on to find out which test is best for you!

Format

SAT: The SAT is now completely digital worldwide. This allows Collegeboard to make the test adaptive: students who perform well on the 1st module will receive a more challenging 2nd module (if you would like to read about it, here is a link to the Digital SAT post we wrote for you).

ACT: The ACT continues to be a paper and pencil exam. All students who seat the ACT on any given date will take the same exam.

Acceptance

When it comes to US institutions and the admissions process, both the SAT and ACT are viewed interchangeably. However, while both exams are accepted at many schools, the SAT is far more popular for universities around the world.

Availability

SAT: The international DSAT is offered 7 times a year: in March, May, June, August, October, November, and December. While this is typically true, it is crucial to check on Collegboard because not every year is consistent. Despite being offered the same number of times, the degree of accessibility to the exam is very different (in the countries studied, we found 8 SAT centers for every ACT center).

ACT: Similarly, the ACT is also offered 7 times a year: in February, April, June, July, September, October, and December. As with the SAT, it is important to double check that the ACT is offered and available in your area for the semester that you’re seeking.

That said, there are exponentially fewer ACT testing facilities outside of the United States.

Timing

SAT: With the new digital SAT 4 module format, the exam is just a little over 2 hours: 2 hours and 14 minutes to be exact.

ACT: The timing for the ACT depends on whether a student opts to write the essay. Without the essay, the test lasts 2 hours and 55 minutes. With the essay, the test is 3 hours and 40 minutes.

Math

Both tests cover similar math materials and calculators can be used during both exams. While the ACT has historically featured more complex math problems, the SAT math is heading in that direction. Currently, the SAT, given its adaptability, has the ability to increase the difficulty of its exercises, but it focuses on those students who perform well on the first module.

Reading

SAT: The SAT has 2 Reading and Writing modules that test vocabulary, grammar, and reading comprehension: each of the 54 questions has a different reading excerpt.

ACT: The ACT has 4 reading passages that contain a mixture of question types per passage. While the questions are generally straightforward, there is less time per question.

Science

SAT: In your preparation for the SAT, you should not study science concepts since there is no exam on the subject.

ACT: The ACT, on the other hand, has a Science section that mostly focuses on critical thinking and graph interpretation.

Essay

SAT: Despite the module’s name of Reading and Writing, there is no writing.

ACT: The ACT does have an optional persuasive essay that will not affect a student’s score but can be seen by universities during the admissions process.

Scoring

SAT: a scale of 400–1600. Check out our deep dive into SAT scoring.

ACT: a scale of 1–36

Conclusions

As can be seen, these are two similar, though not identical, exams. The main differences are:

Accessibility is much greater for the SAT. There is a high probability that a student will have a testing location nearby to take the SAT. In contrast, the ACT is not offered in many cities outside the U.S., which, in many cases, will require the student to travel if they wish to take this exam.
Students have more time per question on the SAT. Standardized tests are characterized by presenting a large number of questions within a limited time, so it is an advantage for students to have as much resolution time as possible.
The SAT does not require that the student specifically prepare for a science exam.
It is estimated that the current ratio is 1.78 SAT examinees for every one ACT examinee. This ratio increases each year, which is due to the fact that, generally, students consider that, despite the difficulty of both exams, the SAT is a more favorable path for them.

Hopefully this blog post has resolved all your doubts. However, if you have questions in regards to your SAT preparation, get in touch and we will let you know how EPIC PREP can help you achieve your goals. Differently, if you prefer to continue reading here is the link to our SAT courses page.