SAT or ACT: Which test is better for you?

For many students and their families, college planning begins by checking the requirements of the schools they have chosen. Many universities – as well as scholarships to study there – are returning to the implementation of pre-crisis standardized tests: SAT and ACT. Both exams can be used interchangeably since universities have no preference. It is therefore essential to know them to know which one to select.

Format

SAT: The SAT is now completely digital worldwide. This allows Collegeboard to adapt the difficulty of the exam to the answers that the student gives. That is, those students who obtain good results in the first module will receive a second, more demanding module (We recommend reading our article on the digital SAT if you want to delve deeper into the topic).

ACT: The ACT is still a paper-and-pencil test. All students who take the ACT on a given date take the same test (it is not adaptive).

Acceptation

When it comes to American institutions and the admissions process, both the SAT and ACT are considered interchangeably. However, although both tests are accepted in many schools, the SAT is much more popular at universities around the world.

Availability

SAT: The international DSAT is offered 7 times a year: in March, May, June, August, October, November and December. Although they are offered the same number of times, the degree of accessibility to the exam is very different (in the countries studied we have 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.

That said, there are exponentially fewer ACT testing centers in Europe.

Exam Duration

SAT: With the new 4-module format, the SAT lasts just over 2 hours: 2 hours and 14 minutes to be exact.

ACT: The schedule for the ACT depends on whether the student chooses to write the essay. Without the essay, the exam lasts 2 hours and 55 minutes. With writing, the exam lasts 3 hours and 40 minutes.

Math

Both exams cover similar mathematical subjects and calculators can be used during both exams. Historically, the ACT has presented more complex mathematical problems. Currently, the SAT, given its adaptability, has the ability to increase the difficulty of its exercises, but focuses on those students who respond well to the first module.

Lecture

SAT: The SAT has 2 reading and writing modules that evaluate vocabulary, grammar, and reading comprehension: each of the 54 questions has a different reading fragment. The resolution time per question is longer on the SAT.

ACT: The ACT has 4 reading passages that contain a mix of question types per passage. Although in general the questions are simple, there are 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 focuses primarily on critical thinking and graph interpretation.

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Rehearsal

SAT: Although the module is called Reading and Writing, there is no writing.

ACT: The ACT has optional writing that will not affect a student’s score, but that colleges can see during the admissions process.

Score

SAT: a scale of 400-1600. Check out our deep dive on SAT score.

ACT: scale of 1-36

Conclusiones

As you can see, these are two similar exams, although not identical. The main differences are:

Accessibility is much greater on the SAT. With high probability, the student will have a place nearby to take the SAT. In contrast, the ACT, outside the US, is not offered in too many cities, which, in many cases, will force the student to travel if they wish to take this test.
The student has more time to solve each question on the SAT. Standardized tests are characterized by presenting a large number of questions in a limited time, so it is an advantage that the resolution times are as long as possible for the student.
The SAT does not require a student to prepare specifically for a science test.
It is estimated that currently the ratio is 1.78 students taking the SAT for every one taking the ACT. This proportion increases each year, which is due to the fact that, in general, students consider that, despite the difficulty of both exams, the SAT is a path that is more favorable to them.

We hope this article has answered your questions. If you have any questions regarding your SAT preparation, give us a call and we will be happy to explain how EPIC PREP can help you achieve your goals. On the other hand, if you prefer to read on, we’ll leave you a link to our SAT courses.

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