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SAT vs ACT

04
Jan

SAT vs ACT

 

Having studied in different countries and following different curriculum, it becomes difficult for universities to come to a common platform to decide which student to be admitted in the college and whose application to be denied. To measure how ready a high school student is for the college, and to provide a common data point for the universities which is used to compare all applicants, certain exams are conducted. The most common of them are the SAT and the ACT.

Whether a particular country accepts both SAT and ACT scores depends on the program, specialization and the university. It cannot be generalized in all cases. Undergraduate applicants must make it a point to thoroughly check a particular university’s requirements to find out whether both the tests are accepted or only one of them is accepted. Example, The University of Oxford accepts both ACT and SAT scores, while the NUS Singapore requires SAT and SAT subject test scores from candidates who have studied class 12th from a board other than CBSE or ICSE. The details, similarities and the major differences for both the tests are discussed below.

 

SAT - The Scholastic Assessment Test is an entrance exam used by most colleges and universities to make admission decisions. This is a multiple choice paper created and administered by the College Board.

ACT – The American College Test is another standardized test to determine a high school graduate’s preparation for college level.

 

These tests are perceived to be similar in nature by many but that is not the case in entirety. Both the tests are different from each other in a lot of areas like the subject matter of the test, the duration, the conducting bodies and so on. But before we discuss the differences between the two, let’s see how similar they are.

 

  • Both are nationally recognized standardized tests and common admission requirements for US schools.
  • Both measure students’ proficiency in various critical skills such as problem solving, reading comprehension and contain similar sections in a pre-determined order.
  • No negative marking for wrong answers. Only the right answers are scored.
  • Both tests offer an optional essay section, whose marks are not counted towards the total score.
  • Contain entirely passage based reading and writing questions in English.

 

The paper pattern of both the tests looks something like this:

 

 

SAT

ACT

Duration

Without Essay – 3 hours

With Essay – 3 hours 50 minutes

Without Essay- 2 hrs 55 minutes

With Essay – 3 hours 35 minutes

Sections

Reading

Writing and language

Math – no calculator

Math – Calculator

Essay (optional)

English

Math

Reading

Science

Writing (optional)

Questions per Section

Reading – 52

Writing and language- 44

Math – no calculator- 20

Math – Calculator- 38

Essay (optional) - 1

English - 75

Math - 60

Reading - 40

Science - 35

Writing (optional) – 1

Time per Section

Reading – 65 min

Writing and language- 35 minutes

Math – no calculator – 25 minutes

Math – Calculator – 55 minutes

Essay (optional) – 50 minutes

English – 45 minutes

Math – 60 minutes

Reading – 35 minutes

Science – 35 minutes

Writing (optional) – 40 minutes

Additional info

  • 5 Reading passages
  • No science section
  • 4 Reading passages
  • 1 Science section – testing critical thinking skills and not specific science knowledge

 

Other than the test pattern, there are other significant ways in which these tests differ, which are mentioned below:

 

SAT

ACT

Test Style

Mostly evidence and context based with the motive of a focus on real world situations and multi step problem solving.

Mostly straightforward. Questions may be long but are comparatively easier to decipher.

Focus area

Major focus on Vocabulary, with many questions designed to take several reads to understand.

Major focus on Science section designed to test reading and reasoning skills and comparatively higher level Math than the SAT.

Scoring

Math and Evidence Based Reading and Writing are each scored on a scale of 200 to 800. Composite score ranges from 400 to 1600.

English, Math, Reading and Science scores range from 1 to 36. Composite score ranges from 1 to 36.

Ease of Questions

  • Math questions generally increase in difficulty level as you move through that question type in a section.
  • Reading passage questions generally progress chronologically through the passage, not by difficulty level.
  • Writing and language passage questions do not progress by difficulty level.
  • English and Reading sections, the difficulty level of the questions is random.
  • Math section questions increase in difficulty as progress is made through the section.
  • Science section questions increase in difficulty as you progress through the test and also as you progress through a passage.

Aid for Math section

  • Formulas are provided for Arithmetic problem solving, algebra, geometry, pre-calculus and trigonometry
  • Some questions don’t allow you to use a calculator.
  • No formulas are provided for Arithmetic, algebra, functions and geometry.
  • Calculator can be used for all Math questions.

Conducted when?

7 times in an year

March or April; May; June; August; October; November; December

7 times in an year

February; April; June; July; September; October; December

When to register?

About 4 weeks before the test date

About 5 to 6 weeks before the test date

Who should take the test?

A student who is:

  • More comfortable with English,
  • Good at imagining scenarios,
  •  Having a creative bent of mind
  • Accustomed to reading dense material on a regular basis

A student who is:

  • More likely to move quickly in an exam
  • Able to recall memorized concepts
  • Able to put things as they are without giving them any creative angle

Official Website

www.collegeboard.com

www.act.org

 

To make the final decision of which test is to be taken, you can always give a mock test and check your scores. Also check the parameters which match your personality and accordingly take the decision.