ACT vs. SAT

[Brindee]

This may seem a silly question to some, but I just don't know the answer :001_huh: so thought I'd ask...

 

I've heard about both SAT and ACT, but it seems I've heard about only SAT that they get high scores and from that are more likely to get scholarships. The school my oldest is going to only does ACT. that's why I'm asking these questions.

 

Are the SAT and ACT equal? Is one better than the other? Do some people do both?

 

Any help is appreciated! Thankyou!

[Michelle in MO]

is that SAT scores are used more by colleges along the East and West coasts, whereas ACT scores tend to be used more throughout the Midwest. Here in Missouri, the ACT is pretty standard.

 

I think the SAT test is similar to the PSAT, which covers more critical reading, writing, and math. The ACT has four parts: English, reading, math, and science. The science portion is not primarily a test on how much science a student knows, but more of a test on the student's ability to interpret graphs and other types of data.

 

I don't know that one test is particularly better than the other. I think the type of test you would take depends more upon what your child's prospective college wants.

 

I know there's others on the boards far more well-versed in this than I am!

[Pamela H in Texas]

I did both. My kids will do both. I personally scored much higher on the ACT than the SAT so I kinda like it...LOL Of course, I don't even remember taking the ACT and was sick something awful (as well as a new parent) when I took the SAT. So....

[Laurie4b]

One difference is the ACT is an achievement test; the SAT is more a test of reasoning ability/aptitude.

[Laurie4b]

Also, the ACT will only send the scores you select to colleges; whereas the SAT sends all your scores. So it doesn't hurt to take the ACT as a practice. You just send your highest score.

[Ms. Riding Hood]

Oldest ds has done SAT (He's the only one in our town, I guess! The Dollars for Scholars committee has previously only reviewed applications w/ACT scores.) Next ds will do ACT; he is dyslexic and tests poorly, so I'm hoping that the ACT will be a little easier for him.

 

I've heard that ACT math is more like real high school math, though I've not looked at any samples or review books. I despise the SAT math questions (maybe because I could never figure them out myself?). They were always way too abstract for me, or at least written in an abstract way, even if testing a rather simple concept. That's why I'm hoping the ACT will be more appropriate for ds #2.

[Kelli in TN]

All of the colleges dd is looking at tend to prefer ACT scores. I don't know if we will even bother with the SAT.

 

My oldest took both, my next kid only took the ACT.

[Jane in NC]

Another consideration: my friend's son has dysgraphia and thus needs accommodation during testing. She found that the SAT folks were happy to accommodate, whereas the ACT organization was not making things easy, despite the fact that her son has had years of writing therapy so all of the paperwork is in place.

 

He ended up with a good score on his first SAT go around, so they decided to skip the ACT.

 

Jane

[Kelli in TN]

Another consideration: my friend's son has dysgraphia and thus needs accommodation during testing. She found that the SAT folks were happy to accommodate, whereas the ACT organization was not making things easy, despite the fact that her son has had years of writing therapy so all of the paperwork is in place.

 

He ended up with a good score on his first SAT go around, so they decided to skip the ACT.

 

Jane

 

That is good to know, as my 8 year old will most likely need accomodations. Not now, of course, in like 8 years or so!

 

I know one local college generally prefers the ACT but I was told that they will happily accept the SAT and there is a scale they use to compare the scores.

[ereks mom]

http://www.guidancenet.com/crc/code/article.asp?id=493&product=tp&sponsor=8814

 

ACT vs. SAT

 

ACT or SAT?

Are you facing the registration deadlines, feeling pressured to choose, and wondering which is better? Relax! The reality is that neither test is superior to the other. The decision of which one to take may be determined simply by whatever admission criteria is laid out by your school of choice. However, if the school doesn’t specify which test they want, making the “best†choice doesn’t have to be difficult.

 

Although there is no hard science that proves that the ACT or the SAT is easier, you probably want to determine which test format is better suited to your strengths. Each test has different emphases and familiarity with their individual structures may help you sort out which is better suited to you.

 

About the ACT

The ACT sports four trademark multiple-choice subject tests covering English, Math, Reading, and Science. These are designed to evaluate your overall educational development and your ability to complete college-level work. You’ll have 2 hours and 55 minutes of dedicated test time to complete the subject tests, not including breaks. As far as scoring goes, your subject test scores (ranging from 1 to 36) are determined after throwing out any incorrect answers — only correct responses count! The four areas are then averaged together to come up with your overall, or composite, score.

 

The ACT also includes an optional 30-minute writing test designed to measure your skill in planning and writing a short essay. This segment is your chance to highlight your writing skills! If you opt to take it, the additional scores will be reported, along with comments about your essay. These scores are reported separately. So, if writing is a weak area, you might want to take the ACT and skip the writing section, since it’s currently optional (although some schools require it). If writing is your strength, having extra kudos passed on to your choice schools may benefit you.

 

About the SAT

In contrast to the ACT, the SAT is designed to evaluate your general thinking and problem-solving abilities. It kicks things off with a required 25-minute essay. This is the start to the Writing section, which you’ll complete in addition to the Critical Reading and Math sections. The SAT differs from the ACT in terms of the amount of time you’ll have to complete it (3 hours and 5 minutes) and the format in which you provide your answers.

 

Similar to the ACT, the SAT has multiple-choice areas, but it also has a part in the Math section where you’ll be required produce your answers — no chance of guessing from a set of choices here! And unlike the ACT, the SAT doles out a slight penalty for wrong answers on the multiple choice questions (but not on the student-produced ones).

 

Both tests allot ample time for completion. For students who crack under pressure, it may be worthwhile to know that the SAT has fewer questions — 140 compared to the 215 on the ACT. The SAT also focuses heavily on vocabulary, while the ACT hones in on grammar and punctuation.

The SAT also provides you with the chance to take Subject Tests. A few schools may require you to take some of these tests as additional requirements to your admission application. It’s possible you won’t need to take any, but you may want to consider it if you have strengths in particular areas. All of your scores from these additional tests will be reported, whether they were required or not. If you’re concerned that your scores on the required SAT sections may be less than stellar, consider registering for additional Subject Tests in areas that can demonstrate your skills in specific subjects like English, history, mathematics, science, and various languages.

 

It all depends on you

In spite of their differences, neither test is more likely than the other to produce a great score. In fact, the vast majority of students perform comparably on both tests. However, if you’re short on time and money and want to put your efforts towards preparing for only one of the tests, your best bet is to take a few practice exams. There are free and low-cost practice exams available electronically and in-print. If you’re undecided about which test to take, you may feel more strongly about one or the other once you become familiar with the format of both. You can then evaluate your test performance before heading off for the real thing.

[Michelle in MO]

informative post, Erek's mom! Thanks for sharing! I'm printing this one out and saving it!

[ChrisN in NY]

I've heard about both SAT and ACT, but it seems I've heard about only SAT that they get high scores and from that are more likely to get scholarships. The school my oldest is going to only does ACT. that's why I'm asking these questions.

 

Are the SAT and ACT equal? Is one better than the other? Do some people do both?

 

This is the answer a young friend gave me, which helped dd very much in choosing to take the ACT and not the SAT:

 

The SAT is "tricky" (her word), but the ACT is more straight-forward.

The content, in her opinion, was at a higher level on the ACT.

 

I was concerned that the ACT would be too hard for dd, who just took the test on Saturday, but she didn't think it was too hard -- just LONG!

We'll find out soon enough.

[Brindee]

Thankyou soooo much everyone! I think I'll head to the Library and/or Barnes & Noble one time this week and see if they have practice books for the ACT. I feel better about his school only offering the ACT now! :) You guys are great!

 

Do any of you know how often you can take the tests and WHEN you should take them? They didn't give ds the forms to fill out in time, so he wasn't able to test this year. He'll be a senior next year. How soon do results get back from ACT?

[ChrisN in NY]

Do any of you know how often you can take the tests and WHEN you should take them? They didn't give ds the forms to fill out in time, so he wasn't able to test this year. He'll be a senior next year. How soon do results get back from ACT?

 

I think you can take it as many times as you want, but I think most only do it twice.

 

The ACT website will tell you more, will show you where you can take the test, and so on.

;)

[happykids]

The ACT has you work on one subject at a time. You do the whole English section first (75 questions in 45 min.), then the whole Math section (60 questions in 60 min.), then there is a 15 minute break, then the whole Reading section (40 questions in 35 min.), and last the whole science section (40 questions in 35 min.)

The SAT has smaller sections of writing, reading, and math all mixed up throughout the test.

 

Ds took the SAT and then the ACT. He thought he was going to score better on the ACT, but ended up scoring better on the SAT.

On the SAT his highest score was writing, but unfortunately his college does not count the writing part.

 

Dd just took the ACT, and will stick to just that, retaking it next year if her score is lower than what she hopes for.

 

I think the ACT is a much friendlier test, except some of the science passages and questions are very hard to comprehend.

 

~Sabrina in NY

[readwithem]

We visited Rice this afternoon (we live nearby and I thought this would be a good "trial run" for my rising junior), interestingly they want SAT and two SAT II scores - or the ACT. She said the reason is the ACT tests the other subjects that would be covered on SAT subject tests.