ACT prep. vs. SAT prep.

[BlsdMama]

Essentially, apart from differences on writing for the essay portion, would studying for SAT "cover" prepping for the ACT? 

[klmama]

Strategy is a little different.  There's no penalty for a wrong guess on ACT; you just don't get any points.  Also, because of the ACT science section you'll want to review how to read graphs, analyze data, etc. 

[Barbara H]

The pacing is really different. Students seem to run out of time more often the ACT and learning to work faster, particularly on the science section, is an area where practice can make a big difference.

[hsbeth]

The math is more similar than other sections of the two tests. Organization of the two tests (easy, medium, hard content) is different. Strategy is MUCH different. As another poster mentioned there is no guess penalty and time management is much more critical. While many students finish SAT sections with time to spare it is much more difficult to manage time on the ACT. Students need to practice working quickly on the reading and science sections in particular.

 

My recommendation is to prep. lightly and separately for 1 try at each test. Then focus on further prep. and testing on the one that your child does better on and/or prefers.

[ThatHomeschoolDad]

ACT is different enough to warrant separate prep.  Get the "Real ACT Guide" for that one.  I use McGraw Hill and the Blue Book for SAT clients.  In a nutshell, the SAT uses funky logic in their questions to stress students, while the ACT uses time (more questions in the allotted time).   From my business standpoint, the SAT is more prep-able; I used to prep ACT, but it was just as effective for the kids to get the book and do it solo, since ACT content is much more similar to school content.