SAT or ACT: Which Test is Better for You?
The SAT and ACT are the two standardized tests accepted by U.S. colleges and universities and many institutions around the world, but they don’t work the same for all students. Choosing the wrong test can cost months of unnecessary preparation – and choosing the right one can make the difference between a mediocre score and one that opens doors.
Table of contents
How Does the SAT Differ from the ACT?
The SAT and ACT measure similar academic skills but with different formats, pacing, and content. These are the key differences that directly affect each student’s performance:
| Criteria | SAT | ACT |
| Total duration | 2h 14 min | 2h 55 min (without writing) |
| Test type | Digital and adaptive | Paper or digital, non-adaptive |
| Writing | Not included | Optional |
| Mathematics | Two sections with calculator | One section with calculator |
| Reading and writing | Integrated | Separate sections |
| Science | No | Yes, specific section |
| Time per question | Major | Less |
| Type of questions | Interpretative and analytical | Direct and factual |
| Scoring scale | 400-1600 | 1-36 |
The most important difference in practice is not the content, but the pace. The ACT requires solving more questions in less time. For students who process information more reflectively, that time pressure can mask their true level.
Which Colleges Accept the SAT and Which Accept the ACT?
All American colleges and universities that require standardized tests accept both the SAT and ACT interchangeably. No institution – including the most selective ones such as Harvard, MIT or Columbia – states an official preference for one over the other. The choice is completely free.
That said, the SAT is significantly more popular internationally, both among students and in venue availability. In Europe, finding a date and location for the SAT in cities such as Madrid, Barcelona, Milan, Berlin or Zurich is easy; for the ACT, in many cases it involves travel.
Where Can I Find an SAT Test Center Near Me?
College Board has an official search engine for SAT centers worldwide. You can check the centers available in your city directly on College Board.
Where Can I Find an ACT Test Center if I am Outside of the United States?
The ACT center locators available online are limited to the United States and its territories. International students wishing to take the ACT should contact ACT directly for information on centers available in their country or region.
How Many Times a Year Can I Take the SAT and ACT?
The SAT is offered 8 times a year, according to the official College Board calendar: in August, September, October, November, December, March, May and June. The international ACT is offered 7 times per cycle and includes exams in September, October, December, February, April, June and July.
The key difference for students from Europe in countries such as Spain, Italy, Germany and the Netherlands is not the dates but the availability of locations. Finding an ACT center close to home is significantly more difficult than for the SAT. In many cases, taking the ACT from Europe involves traveling to another city or even another country.
Which is Easier to Take in Germany and the Netherlands: the SAT or the ACT?
The SAT is significantly easier to access in Germany and the Netherlands — test centers are available in major cities including Berlin, Frankfurt, and Amsterdam, while ACT centers outside the United States are very limited and often require international travel to take the exam.
In practice, a student based in Berlin or Amsterdam can register for the SAT easily. Finding a nearby center involves no logistical complications. The same student wanting to take the ACT would likely need to research whether a center even exists in their country before committing to that path — and in many cases, the answer is that it doesn’t, or that the nearest one requires a flight.
Beyond logistics, the SAT is also the more relevant choice for students applying to universities in Germany and the Netherlands. Several institutions in both countries accept SAT scores as part of their admissions process, including the University of Amsterdam and a number of German universities such as Bard College Berlin, Constructor University Bremen, and Frankfurt School of Finance and Management. If you are preparing from either of these markets and want to understand exactly how the SAT fits into your university application, our SAT preparation course covers the full picture.
Call us and find out why our students have been achieving their goals since 2010.
How Do You Know Which Exam is Best Suited to Each Student?
The best way to determine this is to take a diagnostic test of each exam before committing to preparation. Specifically, these tests allow you to gauge initial performance without academic consequences, identify whether the pace of the ACT creates timing problems, and compare actual results in both formats.
At EPIC Prep we recommend the SAT for most European students, except in cases with specific strengths – for example, students with a strong science background who are comfortable with the science section of the ACT and whose response speed is high.
What Does it Mean That the SAT is Adaptive and the ACT is Not?
The SAT is now 100% digital worldwide and works adaptively: the level of difficulty of the second module is adjusted according to how the student has performed in the first module. This means that students with good initial performance face a more demanding second module. If they pass it, they get higher scores than with a non-adaptive test. We recommend reading our article on the digital SAT if you want to learn more about it.
The ACT is not adaptive – all students taking the test on the same date take the same test. As for format, the ACT offers both paper and online for students in the United States. For international students, the ACT is only available in online format, ACT confirms on its website. The ACT online test is taken at an authorized center, where students can choose to use their own device or the center’s device.
When Should You Start Preparation: SAT or ACT?
Preparation should ideally begin at least 2 – 4 months in advance of the target exam, regardless of which one is chosen. This margin, moreover, allows you to get to know the format well, to work on weak areas without pressure and to perform simulations in real conditions before the official date. Starting earlier is always better; starting later forces you to compress your plan and reduces your chances of improvement.
What if a Student Starts Preparing for One Exam and Then Switches to the Other?
Changing exams is possible and in some cases the right decision, but it is best to do it early – not when there are only a few weeks left before the target date.
At EPIC Prep we have accompanied students who started with the ACT and obtained results far below their actual level. This is the case of Mariana, whose son mastered the content but whose results did not reflect it. After several weeks of analysis, the diagnosis was clear: the obstacle was not the knowledge, but the pace. The limited time per question on the ACT did not allow him to demonstrate what he really knew. By switching to the SAT, the pace was more manageable for her profile. The improvement was immediate and significant.
“We realized it wasn’t a problem of knowledge, but of matching the test to my son’s style. Choosing the right test made all the difference.” – Mariana, mother of student admitted to the University of Illinois.
Early diagnosis of the student’s profile prevents this from happening. If you have doubts about which is the most appropriate test, that is exactly what we are here for.
Which Test Do International Students Choose More: the SAT or the ACT?
The SAT is significantly more popular internationally: there is currently an estimated ratio of 1.78 SAT test takers to every 1 ACT test taker, and that ratio continues to grow each year. The reasons are essentially practical: greater availability of venues in Europe, longer resolution time per question, and the absence of a specific science section – three concrete advantages for the European student profile.
For most students preparing from Spain, Italy, Germany or the Netherlands, the SAT is the natural starting point. If you have already made that decision and would like to know how we structure a strategic and results-oriented preparation, you can consult our SAT preparation course.
FAQ
Which Test Do Technologically Focused Colleges Prefer?
No university – technological or otherwise – declares an official preference for the ACT over the SAT. Both tests are equivalent in all college admissions processes.
Is the ACT Easier Than the SAT?
It’s not easier – it’s different. The ACT has a specific science section, less time per question, and more weight on geometry and trigonometry. For most European students, whose background is more aligned with the analytical approach of the SAT, the SAT is more accessible.
Is it Better to Take the SAT and also the ACT?
It only makes sense if the student is genuinely prepared for both. Submitting both without specific preparation generates mediocre results in both, fatigue and demotivation – and brings no advantage in admission.
We hope this article has answered your questions. If you have any questions about your preparation, please contact us and we will be happy to explain how EPIC Prep can help you achieve your goals.
