The SAT vs The ACT
“Should my child take the SAT or the ACT?” This is one of the most common questions we field from parents who are looking to help their child reach the next level of college admission and merit-based scholarships. While the answers to these questions are nuanced and often not immediately apparent, we thought that outlining some of the differences between the two tests would help to provide the context necessary for taking the next steps to arrive at the answers.
Fortunately, the SAT and ACT are, at present, more similar to one another than they were before the redesign of the SAT (prior to March 2016). The content covered on the two tests is close to identical, and the structures of the two tests are either very similar or straightforward enough for test takers that the differences don’t matter much. That being said, we certainly recognize that students want to be able to focus their effort and attention on one test, and if there’s enough of a difference between a student’s scores on the SAT and those on the ACT, we wholeheartedly support that! Keep in mind, though, that the tradeoff for taking one test off the table is that the number of test dates is effectively cut in half. You’ll be able to focus on one test or the other, but you’ll have to wait longer between opportunities to take that test (though some students might not see that as a tradeoff at all!).
Here’s a rundown on the major characteristics of the SAT and ACT:
SAT
Reading (65 minutes, 52 questions, 1:15 per question)
5 passages (13:00 per passage on average)
Questions require students to:
Recall information from a passage.
Draw inferences from a passage.
Justify inferences using specific lines from the text.
Determine the meaning of words used in the context of the passage.
Interpret graphs, data tables, and other visuals.
Compare and contrast two authors’ perspectives on a topic.
Understand the design of a scientific experiment, including variables, controls, and potential sources of error.
Understand, apply, and justify the methods of a scientific experiment.
Writing and Language (35 minutes, 44 questions, 0:48 per question)
4 passages (8:45 per passage on average)
Questions require students to:
Correct errors in sentence structure, usage, and punctuation.
Make revisions to improve the expression of ideas in the passage.
Appropriately arrange ideas in sentences and paragraphs.
Determine whether adding or deleting sentences is appropriate.
Interpret graphs, data tables, and other visuals.
Math, no calculator (25 minutes, 20 questions, 1:15 per question
Questions test students on topics from algebra, geometry, and pre-calculus.
Math, with calculator (55 minutes, 38 questions, 1:27 per question)
Questions test students on topics from algebra, geometry, and pre-calculus.
ACT
English (45 minutes, 75 questions, 0:36 per question)
5 passages (9:00 per passage on average)
Questions require students to:
Correct errors in sentence structure, usage, and punctuation.
Make revisions to improve the expression of ideas in the passage.
Appropriately arrange ideas in sentences and paragraphs.
Determine whether adding or deleting sentences is appropriate.
Math (60 minutes, 60 questions, 1:00 per question)
Questions test students on topics from algebra, geometry, and pre-calculus.
Reading (35 minutes, 40 questions, 0:53 per question)
4 passages (8:45 per passage on average)
Questions require students to:
Recall information from a passage.
Draw inferences from a passage.
Determine the meaning of words used in the context of the passage.
Compare and contrast two authors’ perspectives on a topic.
Science (35 minutes, 40 questions, 0:53 per question)
Questions require students to:
Interpret graphs, data tables, and other visuals.
Understand the design of a scientific experiment, including variables, controls, and potential sources of error.
Understand, apply, and justify the methods of a scientific experiment.
Compare and contrast two or more perspectives on a scientific topic.
At first glance, the science section of the ACT stands out as a predominant difference between the two tests. There’s a common misconception about the science section of the ACT that advanced science coursework is a prerequisite for a high score in this section, and this couldn’t be further from the truth. As someone with two majors, a minor, and a Master’s degree in science, I regularly see topics in the ACT science that I’m nowhere near an expert in, and I still feel completely confident navigating the information and questions in those passages. Also, notice that several of the same tasks inherent to the science section of the ACT can be found in elements that are tested on the SAT.
In many cases, the most practical difference between the SAT and the ACT is the time allotted for the number of questions in each section. In total, the ACT has 61 more questions than the SAT, but the total time for all four sections of the ACT is five minutes less than for the four sections of the ACT. All in all, this means that students taking the SAT have about 50% more time per question than they would on the ACT.
Identifying these differences between the SAT and the ACT is important. We want our students to be aware of the nuances of each test in order to develop strategies that best take advantage of them and maximize scores. Too often, students let the less preferable differences between these two tests become preconceived notions about how poorly they will score, which often ends up being a self-fulfilling prophecy. Instead, we’re happy to help guide students through some initial suggestions for taking each test and then go through the results to fine-tune strategy from there, leading to higher scores, better chances of college acceptance, and greater possibilities for merit-based scholarships. If we collect enough data to conclude that one of our students scores better on one test than the other, that’s the route we head, but we want to make sure that decision is one that’s informed by that student’s potential to improve as opposed to the results of one test. If you’d like more information about a test prep program for your child, contact us here. We’d love to hear from you!
