Should you take SAT or ACT when studying in the US?

When it comes to going to college in the US, most students think of taking SAT. However, in recent years, ACT has emerged as a college-required alternative to SAT. So what’s the difference? Should you take SAT or ACT?

1. What are SAT and ACT certificates?

1.1. SAT exam

SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test), administered by College Board, is an important test that assesses the natural and social knowledge needed by American and international students to study a bachelor’s degree program at a university.

The test is designed in a multiple choice, paper-based test and lasts 3 hours. The maximum score for each section of the SAT is 800 points, and the total SAT score is also the sum of the scores of 2 sections Math and Language. The highest possible SAT score is 1600 while the lowest is 400.

• • Math includes arithmetic, algebra, geometry, probability, and calculus.
  • Language will have analogies – assessing the ability to understand the meaning of words and relationships between words, completing sentences – assessing the ability to complete sentences logically, analytical reading – assessing the ability to read texts and deductive thinking.

See also: SAT certificate

1.2. ACT exam

ACT (American College Testing), administered by ACT, is a standardized test for applying to colleges similar to SAT. In the past, most students took SAT, but recently the popularity of ACT has been increasing. ACT is completely computer-based with 4 sections: Math, Verbal, Reading, Science, and Writing (optional).

• • Verbal is the first part that must be completed, including language skills and rhetoric.
  • Math assesses students’ Math skills throughout the high school curriculum through the beginning of grade 12.
  • Reading assesses the ability to read in-depth, infer from the information contained in the text, requires students to have skills in analyzing and synthesizing from many different sources of information.
  • Science assesses the interpretation, analysis, evaluation, reasoning, and problem-solving skills required in the natural sciences.
  • Writing is 40 minutes long, is intended to assess writing ability and is an optional part of the test. However, some universities or academic programs require this test for scholarship consideration. Therefore, students are encouraged to do this essay.

See also: ACT certificate

2. Comparison of SAT and ACT

Structure	SAT	ACT
Math	– Time: 80 minutes – Number of questions: 58 questions – Including calculator allowed and no calculator allowed	– Time: 60 minutes – Number of questions: 60 questions – Calculator allowed
Reading	– Time: 65 minutes – Number of questions: 52 questions – Areas: US and World Literature, History or Social Studies, Science	– Time: 35 minutes – Number of questions: 40 questions – Areas: Social Studies, Natural Sciences, Literacy Narrative / Prose Fiction, Humanities
Verbal	– Time: 35 minutes – Number of questions: 44 questions – Questions about analogies, completing sentences, and analytical reading	– Time: 75 minutes – Number of questions: 45 questions – Questions about language skills and rhetoric
Science	None	– Time: 35 minutes – Number of questions: 40 questions – Areas: Data Representation, Research Summary, Conflicting Viewpoint
Writing	Since 2021, the section has been suspended	– Time: 40 minutes (optional) – Write an essay using opinions and arguments to answer the problem

3. SAT and ACT: Which test is more difficult?

The difficulty of SAT is in the vocabulary of Writing & Language about synonyms, words close to the meaning and context of words in the sentence. While the Verbal section of ACT mainly tests English grammar ability, SAT has very high requirements on language perception and thinking ability. Most students have the most difficulty in this part.

If vocabulary is the main pressure of SAT, time is the biggest pressure of ACT, especially in the Math, Science, and Reading sections. Students only have a maximum of 1 minute, or even less, to do 1 sentence. When encountering difficult sentences that take a lot of time, they must do it quickly and make mistakes in the following sentences.

In addition, ACT also requires more general knowledge than SAT. SAT is designed as an aptitude test for language abilities, reasoning beyond what you learn in high school. Meanwhile, ACT is a test to assess what you have learned at school.

See also: SAT preparation materials for reference

4. Should you choose SAT or ACT?

SAT and ACT both have their own set of difficulties. So which is the most suitable exam? You have many advantages in SAT if you have the ability to calculate quickly and accurately. So, if you are observant and able to spot “traps”, then SAT will be a good fit. In addition, if you do not possess the ability to manage time and work well under pressure, SAT is also the right choice with a longer test time.

Conversely, people who can read quickly and organize their time well will do better on the ACT. If you have the ability to analyze data and plan next steps, that will also be the highlight of ACT. Although there is a Science section, you don’t have to be very good at Physics, Chemistry and Biology to do well.

When the admissions committee reads an application, the first things considered are your GPA and standardized test scores (SAT or ACT). If the test score is high enough, your application will continue to be considered for the rest. Therefore, you should not be too important whether it is SAT or ACT, what you should care about is choosing the right exam with your strengths to practice effectively and achieve high scores.

Intertu Education is currently enrolling students for SSAT exam preparation, SAT exam preparation, ACT exam preparation, GMAT exam preparation, GRE exam preparation, GED exam preparation. If you have any questions about should you take SAT or ACT, please contact us directly, via email or hotline for a free consultation.