Very confused on ACT vs SAT scoring

[Carolyn in Ohio]

My older daughter took the PSAT and SAT and did very well on them, and didn't bother with the ACT. I have no experience with the ACT either or any idea what scores might be comparable to SAT. I am having my 16 ds, 10th grade, do some test prep out of on ACT book and a PSAT book - I don't at the moment have an unused SAT book around. I wanted to see which test might be better for him, as I have heard that some kids do better on one than the other.

 

I had him do an ACT Reading and he scored a 28. On a PSAT Critical Reading, he scored a 72. Are these roughly comparable, or is the 72 or a 720 on the SAT, better than a 28 on the ACT?

 

On ACT English he scored a 26, and on PSAT Writing a 68. Same questions as above.

 

Or is he just doing better on the PSAT because it is the PSAT instead of the SAT?

 

thanks

Carolyn

[EKS]

These links should have what you're looking for.

 

ACT percentiles:  http://www.actstudent.org/scores/norms1.html

 

SAT percentiles:  http://research.collegeboard.org/content/sat-data-tables  (select "SAT Percentile Ranks")

 

 

[Kalypso]

This may help, too.

 

http://www.act.org/solutions/college-career-readiness/compare-act-sat/

[Carolyn in Ohio]

Thanks for the links. I found one for PSAT as well. According to those, he is in a higher percentile on PSAT/SAT than ACT?

 

Why would there be such differences? Just different ways of thinking? Even to me, the ACT seems harder than the SAT, and that is just looking at the Reading/Writing sections.

 

thanks

Carolyn

[Janice in NJ]

Thanks for the links. I found one for PSAT as well. According to those, he is in a higher percentile on PSAT/SAT than ACT?

 

Why would there be such differences? Just different ways of thinking? Even to me, the ACT seems harder than the SAT, and that is just looking at the Reading/Writing sections.

 

thanks

Carolyn

Hi Carolyn,

 

In general, the ACT is a speed round.  Can your son read and comprehend quickly?  If not, that may be the issue.  

 

In general, the content on the ACT is more straight-forward (math covers more ground, but the questions aren't as tricky; fewer grammar topics, etc.); however, for a lot of kids, it can be like a lightening round as far as the pacing.

 

The best thing to do - and it looks like you have done it - is to have the child sample each test.  If there is a clear winner, focus your prep there.

 

Peace,

Janice

 

Enjoy your little people

Enjoy your journey

[creekland]

What Janice said... :)

 

Two of mine did better on the ACT as they prefer the straight-forward info without the tricks AND can do it quickly.

 

My youngest did the same on either test and preferred the SAT, so stuck with that.

 

Colleges accept either equally.  The only time it could matter is for some schools that require additional SAT 2 tests with the SAT, but not with the ACT.  There aren't too many of those, but there are some, so 'tis always best to check individual school policies.

[snowbeltmom]

 

The best thing to do - and it looks like you have done it - is to have the child sample each test.  If there is a clear winner, focus your prep there.

 

:iagree:

And if there is not a clear winner, I would focus on the SAT because a larger percentage of colleges superscore the SAT than the ACT.

[Carolyn in Ohio]

Thanks for everyone's help. At this point it looks like SAT is the winner - unless 10th grade is too early to write off the ACT?

 

He may be on the edge for National Merit on the PSAT - he would have to take the SAT in that case, right?

 

thanks again

Carolyn

[Brenda in MA]

He may be on the edge for National Merit on the PSAT - he would have to take the SAT in that case, right?

 

thanks again

Carolyn

Yes, if he gets a NM semifinalist score on the PSAT in your state, he will need to take the SAT to "verify" that score. If he is on the borderline for NM, you might have him study like crazy this summer for the SAT & PSAT, and then take the SAT on the October test date and the PSAT a week or two later.

 

Brenda

[Belacqua]

Yes, if he gets a NM semifinalist score on the PSAT in your state, he will need to take the SAT to "verify" that score. If he is on the borderline for NM, you might have him study like crazy this summer for the SAT & PSAT, and then take the SAT on the October test date and the PSAT a week or two later.

 

Brenda

 

So how does the "verifying" SAT score work? Does it have to parallel that kid's specific PSAT scores (PSAT x 10)? Or does it just have to be at a certain level, same for everybody? 

[Laura in CA]

So how does the "verifying" SAT score work? Does it have to parallel that kid's specific PSAT scores (PSAT x 10)? Or does it just have to be at a certain level, same for everybody? 

 

I have never known the specifics -- just that the "verifying" SAT score had to be in the same general ballpark, not exactly equal to the student's PSAT score x 10 -- but just yesterday I saw a thread at College Confidential in which they said there *is* a cutoff score, and it's the same for everyone -- something like 1960. HOWEVER (I also didn't know this) -- it's not simply the CR + M + W ... the essay score is disregarded and the Writing grammar sub-score is multiplied by 10 -- making this qualifying SAT more like just a longer version of the PSAT, I suppose.

 

I'll dig up that thread ... here's a quote from post # 6 :

 

 

In order to achieve a "confirming" SAT score he needs to get at least a 1960 using the formula of M+CR+(10 x Writing Multiple Choice sub-score). Note that the actual writing score is not used; you'll have to drill down into the "Understanding My Score" portion of his score report to see his MC sub-score. Don't look at the number of MC questions he got correct...look for a 2-digit sub-score and multiply it by 10.

 

... The confirming score has been 1960 for the last several years at least, including last year when scores rose 3 or more points in many states. 

[Belacqua]

Thanks, Laura. That makes sense. 

 

I was wondering because just yesterday I was talking to a girl who scored extremely high on the PSAT, then very well but not spectacularly on the SAT. She was worried that her super-high PSAT score would end up preventing her from making Finalist if she couldn't match it on the SAT. That didn't seem fair to me, but I wasn't sure of the process. 

[Carolyn in Ohio]

Yes, if he gets a NM semifinalist score on the PSAT in your state, he will need to take the SAT to "verify" that score. If he is on the borderline for NM, you might have him study like crazy this summer for the SAT & PSAT, and then take the SAT on the October test date and the PSAT a week or two later.

 

Brenda

 

Wow, what a good idea!. The thought being that if the SAT score is satisfactory at that point, that the student is over and done with it? That might be be very motivating . . .

 

thanks

Carolyn

[Brenda in MA]

Wow, what a good idea!. The thought being that if the SAT score is satisfactory at that point, that the student is over and done with it? That might be be very motivating . . .

 

thanks

Carolyn

Yes, this is what my son did. One and done on the SAT in fall of junior year. We were all so relieved because he had two AP exams to prepare for last spring and didn't want to have to worry about the SAT any more. I hope it works out for you if you choose to go this route.

 

Brenda