ACT vs. SAT: A Comprehensive Comparison for College Admissions
For students navigating the college application process, deciding which standardized test to take-the ACT or the SAT-is a crucial decision. Most American universities require scores from either the ACT or the SAT, and even institutions that are officially "test optional" often consider these examinations as part of the admissions process, with very few exceptions. Both tests assess skills and knowledge acquired in school, evaluating readiness for college and career success. Understanding the nuances of each test, including their structure, scoring, and content, is vital for determining which exam best reflects a student's academic potential.
Test Structure and Format
Although there are some similarities in the ways the tests are organized, the ACT and the SAT each has its own unique structure. The ACT has required multiple choice sections on English, Reading, Math, and Science, plus an optional Writing section. The SAT has three sections: Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW), Math, and Essay, the last of which is optional. The EBRW section includes a Reading Test and a Writing and Language Test. The most obvious difference is the SAT's lack of a science section, but there is scientific content within the test's EBRW section.
Question Types and Timing
Aside from the Writing section, all ACT questions are multiple choice. The majority of questions on the SAT's two required sections are also multiple choice, but the Math section has 13 exercises that require test-takers to write in a numerical response and fill in the appropriate circles. The ACT has a total of 215 questions, while the SAT has 154. This allows test-takers an average of about 49 seconds per question on the ACT and 70 seconds per question on the SAT.
The SAT is 2 hours and 14 minutes. The SAT gives you between 41% and 44% more time per question than the ACT-depending on whether or not you take the Science section-so you can show what you know, not how fast you are. The ACT provides less time per question and there is more time pressure than the SAT.
Digital vs. Paper-Based Testing
The College Board has announced that they're going to offer a digital version of the exam for all students starting in 2025. You can take the digital SAT on the device you’re most familiar with-your own laptop, tablet, or school-issued Chromebook. When taking the ACT on a weekend, it’s still paper and pencil in most places. If you do take the ACT digitally on the weekend, you’ll be assigned a device you may not be familiar with.
Read also: Decoding Yale Admissions
The SAT is 2 hours and 14 minutes - split between a Reading and Writing section and a Math section. Your performance on the first module will dictate the difficulty of the second module. Students can take the test on their own laptop, tablet, or school-issued device at a testing center. The new ACT is 2 hours and 5 minutes and consists of three sections: English, Math, and Reading. Each section consists of two individual, “stage adaptive” modules. The level of difficulty of the questions in the second module is determined by the student’s performance in the first module.
Science Section
The ACT has an optional Science section. This is not included in the student’s Composite score of English, Math, and Reading. Students who opt to take the Science section will receive a separate Science score and a STEM score reflecting the Science and Math section scores. The Science test is all about data interpretation - rapidly interpreting and analyzing diagrams, graphs, and tables. The SAT has no separate science section; it integrates science reasoning into reading passages and math problems. Starting in spring 2025, that section will be “optional,” but it’s unclear how that will impact the total ACT score or how colleges will interpret it.
Scoring Systems
The ACT and the SAT both have complex scoring systems that evaluate students in several ways. At the sectional and composite levels, the ACT score range is 1 to 36 per multiple-choice section and a composite score that is the mean of these four sections (also 1 to 36). SAT sectional scores are reported between 200 and 800, and the composite score is the sum of the two (400-1600). Both exams score essays separately, from 2-12 on the ACT and 2-8 on the SAT.
The ACT scoring system includes reporting category scores within each multiple-choice section, which are given as percentages of correct answers. ACT students receive percentile rankings at the national and state levels and College Readiness Benchmark indicators. The SAT scoring system features subscores within the individual tests; these are similar to the ACT's reporting category scores. The SAT's cross-test scores, however, have no parallel in the ACT scoring system. Cross-test scores are drawn from questions on multiple SAT tests. SAT subscores and cross-test scores are reported on respective scales of 1-15 and 10-40.
Concordance and Score Conversion
The College Board, the administrator of the SAT, publishes yearly concordance tables that attempt to equate ACT and SAT scores. According to the most recent document, the overall average ACT composite score of 21 is equal to an SAT total score range of 1060-1090, with 1080 as the preferred single point of reference. The 90th percentile of the ACT score range is 28, which matches an SAT score range of 1300-1320. ACT scores of 30 and above and SAT scores of 1360 and up represent the top 5% of all test-takers.
Read also: SAT Requirements for LSU
One of the first thoughts you might have after getting back your ACT or SAT score is how well you would have done on the other test. ACT to SAT conversion can be extremely helpful for figuring out which test you're better at. It’s smartest to focus your efforts on just the SAT or ACT to maximize your score, rather than trying to score well on both tests.
College Preferences and Score Ranges
Student preferences for one test or the other generally varies by institution. At Harvard University, for example, 67% of the most recent entering class chose the SAT, versus 53% for the ACT (obviously, many students took both tests). The latest class at Northwestern University, on the other hand, showed a clear preference for the ACT (77% compared to 35% who took the SAT). Students who are conflicted about their testing options should make choices based on their academic strengths rather than the statistics associated with an individual institution.
As we explore below, ACT-SAT conversion doesn't always line up exactly at schools. For a school, this phrase refers to the SAT/ACT score ranges for the middle 50 percent (or 25th to 75th percentile scores) of admitted students. Schools report this data since it's a clear way to present the average test score ranges of admitted students.
The truth is, at many colleges, the SAT and ACT middle 50 percent ranges don’t match up exactly. Using Table 1 to compare the scores, we see that ACT composite scores of 33-34 match up to SAT composite scores of 1450-1520.
For another highly competitive East Coast example, let’s look at Yale. According to Table 1, these SAT scores match with an ACT score range of 34-35, which is very close to Yale's actual ACT score range. Table 1 shows that these ACT scores convert to an SAT range of 1200-1380. Now for a southern example. According to Table 1, Georgia Tech’s SAT range would match up with 29-34 ACT composite. By converting these ACT scores into SAT scores using Table 1, we get an SAT score range of 1450-1560. There are definitely some slight but noticeable differences in certain colleges’ SAT and ACT middle 50 percent ranges compared with the expected conversions. This means that it doesn't make sense to base your testing strategy entirely on whether a school appears to go easier on ACT or SAT scores. In our test cases above, ACT and SAT ranges did not deviate from expected values by more than 10 -40 SAT points or 1-2 ACT composite points.
Read also: Decoding Princeton Admissions
It's still useful to look up the middle 50 percent test score ranges for your target schools. You can even use the conversion charts like we did to see if the school favors one test. Remember, the bottom line in college admissions is to play up your strengths.
Cost and Registration
The basic ACT and SAT fees are similar. The ACT costs $50.50 without the Writing section or $67.00 with the Writing section, while the SAT is $47.50 or $64.50 if the Essay is included.
SAT: $68. ACT: $68 Writing Add-On Fee: $25 Science Add-On Fee: $4. Additional score reports$14 for each recipient, including your choice of scores $20 for each recipient and each score.
Choosing the Right Test
Neither test is inherently more difficult, but due to the differences between the tests, some students find one more challenging than the other. It’s important for students to determine which test is a better fit for them.
Consider taking a free SAT practice test to check it out. The best way to determine which test will best reflect your academic potential is to do a trial run of both exams. We offer free practice tests for both the SAT and ACT under the same testing conditions as the actual exams.
Key Differences to Consider
We could provide a laundry list of all the little differences between the two exams, but, instead, we’ll focus on the key differences between the SAT and ACT.
Reading Passages: The reading passages on the SAT are typically short, and each has one question. The reading passages on the ACT are always long, and each has 9 questions. The SAT Reading and Writing section consists of 54 short passages (usually 2-4 sentences) followed by one question. The ACT English section has five passages and 44 questions.
Math Sections: Many aspects of the Math sections differ. Students use their own calculator for the paper-based ACT. Mostly multiple choice (four choices). The math section on the SAT gives you a built-in graphing calculator plus all necessary formulas. ACT encourages students to bring their own calculator, but it restricts which calculators may be used.
Test Preparation Resources
College Board has partnered with Khan Academy®-a not-for-profit-to offer Official SAT Prep, where you can further develop the knowledge and skills that are tested on the SAT. Students can also join free peer-to-peer SAT tutoring through Schoolhouse.world, where small groups of students learn together with guidance from top-scoring peers. By comparison, ACT practice materials are on different platforms than the ones used during the actual test. The ACT offers only 1 free downloadable practice test and 2 web-based practice tests (1 timed and 1 untimed). ACT also partners with various for-profit test prep companies to offer self-paced, live online, and in-person tutoring up to $4,140.
Official Practice: FREE in partnership with Khan Academy®-a not-for-profit. 7 free digital SAT practice tests directly in our testing app, Bluebook with tailored practice questions based on your score. FREE peer-to-peer SAT tutoring through Schoolhouse.world, with small-group sessions led by high-performing students.$159- $849 in partnership with Kaplan-a for-profit. $299−$4,140 in partnership with Revolution Prep-a for-profit. 1 free downloadable practice test. 1 free timed web-based practice test, 1 free untimed web-based practice test.
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