iread something stupid about the ACT versus the SAT

[TravelingChris]

I was looking on line and this article said that while you can usually do better on SAt with studying, you can't with ACT. Well I had my dd do a practice test about a month ago and she scored very averagely. WE went over the questions, told her not to assume she doesn't know and try anyway, and taught her a few things. WE did another one today. She improved in everything by a lot except English which dropped a point. I am buying her the Real ACT book, having her practice more tests, have her watch the relevant sections of the SAT prep course by CHalkdust, and then I think we will be set for FEb. Between the first practice test and the second, she improved from 23 to 27 composite score. I think she will be able to get a 28 composite if we keep working. That is all she needs to probably get into the level schools she wants along with her GPA and some good essays.

[Sharon in MD]

I have never heard that particular piece of drivel, but that is exactly what it is.

By the way, in case you don't already know this, a good tip for the ACT science section is to only use the information that you are given. Do not use knowledge that you have gained from your science courses....only use the information that you are given in the test to answer the questions. THey are actually testing your ability to read the article, and relate the data given...not what you KNOW about science.

 

And with the ACT....fill in every single bubble...there is no penalty for guessing so if you are down to the last 20 seconds....bubble in everything that is left.

it can't hurt and could help.

[Julie in MN]

I was looking on line and this article said that while you can usually do better on SAt with studying, you can't with ACT.

 

I have heard just the opposite. At a seminar by Dr. Stobaugh, he felt that the ACT was more knowledge based, so studying up on various facts might help. However, he felt the SAT was more of an intellectual exercise, and accumulating facts wouldn't help.

 

I think basic test-taking strategies would obviously help both, as you said.

 

Julie

[missmoe]

I think the key to doing well on both tests is to learn how to take that particular test. It's been a long while but when I first took the ACT I score a 26. After buying a how to take the ACT book, I scored an 32. And that was after staying up really late the night before and almost missing the test by sleeping in late.

 

I scored well on the SAT also--after learning how to take that test. I am a firm believer in learning the quirks of a test. I am already working with my 13 yo on how to take the SAT. I think most kids who have a solid educational backround will do well on either test IF they know how to take the test.

[KAR120C]

If I had to choose I'd say practice seems to make more of a difference with the ACT, and familiarity with the test makes more of a difference with the SAT (because it's kind of a "tricky" test - what with the guessing penalty and all), but for both of them scores improve with practice and general familiarity.

 

My general approach is much more practice oriented than test-trick oriented (more "do you remember how to do distance formula questions? no? I've got a sheet of ten to work on here...." with only a little "don't guess on the SAT unless you can narrow it down first") and it seems to work just fine for my tutoring kids.

[Tullia]

My son was able to raise his ACT math score 5 points between June and October by using a combo of re-taking old algebra and geometry exams and going through the Chalkdust SAT review (it works for both).

 

ACT science is mostly about reading comprehension of both text and information presented by means of graphs, tables, etc.

 

One tip I read that has proved useful is that a substantial number of SAT math errors are due to simple arithmetic/pre-algebra errors. I suspect that may also be true for the ACT. The speculation is that it's due to the fact that it's usually been awhile since most SAT examinees have formally reviewed negative numbers, rules for exponents, etc.

 

For language arts review, I like working through an English handbook. We used BJU's version because it has exercises and an answer key in the back. Another valuable resource for language arts is the old standby Elements of Style. (Strunk & White) Ds' ACT language arts scores improved the second time, too. He did not take the SAT twice, but he did significantly exceed his projected score based on PSAT perfromance.

 

What did the review and re-testing buy him? He was able to by-pass several first-term courses,theoretically making it possible to finish a 5-term A.S. degree plan in 4 terms. Those scores plus good cc grades will make him eligible for merit scholarships if/when he transfers to an in-state college or university.

 

I do think that learning the strategy of the test is more important and more complicated for the SAT than for the ACT. One other thing, I ordered the ACT score analysis after his first attempt and thought it was worth the money. It helped me decide how best to allocate our basic instruction and review time.

[Laurie4b]

I was looking on line and this article said that while you can usually do better on SAt with studying, you can't with ACT. Well I had my dd do a practice test about a month ago and she scored very averagely. WE went over the questions, told her not to assume she doesn't know and try anyway, and taught her a few things. WE did another one today. She improved in everything by a lot except English which dropped a point. I am buying her the Real ACT book, having her practice more tests, have her watch the relevant sections of the SAT prep course by CHalkdust, and then I think we will be set for FEb. Between the first practice test and the second, she improved from 23 to 27 composite score. I think she will be able to get a 28 composite if we keep working. That is all she needs to probably get into the level schools she wants along with her GPA and some good essays.

 

I think if anything, it would be the opposite. The ACT is an achievement test, so it makes sense that more learning, studying, etc. would improve the score. The SAT is a little different. Going over my ds's PSAT errors, I noticed several math problems in which the actual math was very minor, but you had to reason your way to the answer. That is harder to study for.

 

I do think practice with both kinds of tests is helpful before taking them.

[Kimm in WA]

So, if the college your kiddo is looking at attending accepts EITHER, is one better over the other, or give a higher score or is easier, more accurate, etc...?

 

He is interested in being an engineer w/ 2 years CC credits (engineering transfer degree program credits) and going to a State Univ.

 

Thanks,

Kimm

[Laurie4b]

So, if the college your kiddo is looking at attending accepts EITHER, is one better over the other, or give a higher score or is easier, more accurate, etc...?

 

He is interested in being an engineer w/ 2 years CC credits (engineering transfer degree program credits) and going to a State Univ.

 

Thanks,

Kimm

 

Some kids do better on one or the other; for others, the scores are pretty equivalent.

 

The ACT is more of an achievement test with straightforward questions. It also includes science, which the SAT does not. The science is basically science reading comprehension and interpretation of graphs. The essay tends to be nonacademic and can depend on knowledge of typical high school culture. (e.g. dress codes, whether fast food should be sold in the cafeteria)

 

The SAT is supposed to be more of an aptitude test, but of course there is some achievement inherent in it. The questions can be more reasoning questions or even deliberately tricky. The essay is more philosophical/academic than the ACT one.

[Kimm in WA]

Thanks for the info.

 

Do you all recommend a student take both the ACT and SAT and submit the score that is better to the colleges?

 

TIA!

Kimm

[newbie]

Thanks for the info.

 

Do you all recommend a student take both the ACT and SAT and submit the score that is better to the colleges?

 

TIA!

Kimm

 

That is a great question..

[Brenda in MA]

Thanks for the info.

 

Do you all recommend a student take both the ACT and SAT and submit the score that is better to the colleges?

 

TIA!

Kimm

 

Not necessarily. I'd suggest taking the time to find out which is the better test for your child. For my son, that turned out to be the ACT. He had taken the PSAT, so we knew roughly where his SAT score would be. We then got an ACT prep book from the library and had him take some sample tests. It turned out that he did much better on the ACT, so we bought the red ACT book, and he spent all of his prep time on the ACT. He took the ACT in April of his junior year, and he scored very well. He could have taken the SAT in May, but we decided to save the $$$, aggravation, and stress, and he never took the SAT.

 

All the schools he applied to accepted the ACT with no problems. Since I knew he was likely to score quite a bit lower on the SAT, I actually thought it would be detrimental to have him take the SAT and submit both scores. Since he had taken some SAT2 exams, had he taken the SAT, those scores would have been reported to the schools when we ordered score reports for the SAT2s. There was no way he could take the SAT and not report the scores. This was last year (before SAT score choice), but be aware that a lot of colleges are insisting that all scores be submitted despite the fact that the college board now offers score choice.

 

Even though the colleges say they take the better of the 2 scores, I personally don't believe that a lower SAT would not have a negative impact on the decision. No evidence to support that -- just a gut feeling.

 

Do make sure that you check that your son's school of choice would accept either the ACT or the SAT before deciding.

 

Best wishes,

Brenda

[TravelingChris]

If your child does substantially better at one test versus the other, only do that one. WIth my oldest, he had similar equivalent SAT and ACT scores. I don't remember which he submitted but I think it was SAT because it may have been slightly higher. That was before the writing exam was introduced. Now my middle will only do the ACT. She scores so much better on it. On the ACT she is scoring on practice tests about as well as her IOWA and Stanford percentage scores go. Not so with the psat. SHe scored well below what would be the expected score. Since some colleges insist on all test scores (SAT and ACT), she won't have any SAT to give them, just ACT. She is also a very practically minded child and would rather write about policy than philosophical arguments. SHe will be taking the ACT without writing in Feb and with writing sometime later (I think that at least one of her colleges wants the writing test but others don't).

[ereks mom]

I think the key to doing well on both tests is to learn how to take that particular test.

 

ER took both the SAT & ACT as a junior, and was much more comfortable with the ACT. As a first-time tester, he scored a 1900 on the SAT and a 30 on the ACT a few weeks later. The prep he did mostly involved learning strategies, not studying content. As a senior, he opted to take the ACT again, but not the SAT. He did a lot more studying, reviewing content AND strategies. He went up a couple of points in some areas and down a couple of points in others, so the net result was that his overall score stayed the same.

Edited December 12, 2009 by ereks mom

[newbie]

ER took both the SAT & ACT as a junior, and was much more comfortable with the ACT. As a first-time tester, he scored a 1900 on the SAT and a 30 on the ACT a few weeks later. The prep he did mostly involved learning strategies, not studying content. As a senior, he opted to take the ACT again, but not the SAT. He did a lot more studying, reviewing content AND strategies. He went up a couple of points in some areas and down a couple of points in others, so the net result was that his overall score stayed the same.

 

What do you mean by strategies?? And where did he learn them. What resources??

[ereks mom]

What do you mean by strategies?? And where did he learn them. What resources??

 

for the ACT:

The Real ACT Prep Guide (from ACT)

Cracking the ACT (from Princeton Review)

 

for the SAT:

The Official SAT Study Guide (from College Board)

Cracking the SAT (from Princeton Review)

 

The Cracking the ACT/SAT books provide strategies for taking the respective tests... such as how to save time, whether to leave answers blank, how to approach certain sections of the test (such as the infamous science portion of the ACT), how to approach particular types of questions (such as the grid-ins on the math portion of the SAT), etc. The "official" publications from the ACT and College Board provide practice tests and also important information about how the tests are scored, etc., as well as practical information about exactly what types of questions are on the tests.

Edited December 12, 2009 by ereks mom

[Kimm in WA]

Anyone know how long it takes to get ACT test results? My son who is a junior is scheduled to take the SAT on 5/1/10 and I think I want him to take the ACT first to see how he does. He got a 181 on the PSAT, which is in the 89th percentile. Generally on standardized tests he scored higher, so perhaps he'd do better on the ACT....??

 

Kimm

[Brenda in MA]

Kimm,

 

I remember that it took about 3 weeks before getting my son's ACT scores on-line. The mailed report came later. So we got his ACT scores before the SAT test date, but I had to sign him up for the SAT weeks before, so we basically had to eat some of the SAT fee since he didn't end up taking the SAT. They were able to transfer some small portion of the fee to his SAT2 exams that he took in June.

 

Brenda

[Kimm in WA]

Thanks Brenda.

 

Kimm

[Kimm in WA]

Also, does anyone know of something online that compares ACT and SAT scores to see how they compare so I know which my son will do better on, or do I just go by the % on the PSAT vs. the ACT?

 

TIA!

Kimm

[ereks mom]

http://phs.prs.k12.nj.us/guidance/SAT_ACT_Comparison.pdf

 

or

 

http://professionals.collegeboard.com/profdownload/act-sat-concordance-tables.pdf

[Kimm in WA]

Thanks Erek's Mom.

 

One last question: do colleges require that the student submit all ACT and SAT scores? One of the state colleges that my son is interested in attending states that they ask or recommend that students send all scores...

 

Thanks,

Kimm

[LibraryLover]

Good thread. Thanks!

[Janet in WA]

This information wouldn't have mattered to us. Our sons took both the ACT and the SAT, and studied/practiced for both. I will say that as they studied and practiced, their scores improved on both tests. But our strategy was to take both tests and use the scores to our best advantage.

[ereks mom]

Thanks Erek's Mom.

 

One last question: do colleges require that the student submit all ACT and SAT scores? One of the state colleges that my son is interested in attending states that they ask or recommend that students send all scores...

 

Thanks,

Kimm

 

 

For those not familiar with superscoring, it is when a college takes the highest subscores from various test dates to get a new higher "superscore". For example, assume that a student takes the April ACT and gets a 29 reading, 27 math, 28 English and 31 science subscores. This give a composite score of 29. That same student then takes the June ACT and gets a 32 reading, 25 math, 29 English and 29 science. Again, the student has a composite score of 29. However, if a college superscores the tests they combine the best scores from each test giving a 32 reading, 27 math, 29 English and a 31 science. This combined superscore gives a new composite of 30.

 

Read more at http://www.collegeadmissionspartners.com

[TravelingChris]

I think my dd will have to take the ACT twice. That is because some schools want the writing and others don't. She will do the ACT without the writing in Feb and I am not sure now when she will take it with the writing.