Do I take the SAT or ACT?
Some colleges want you to send them your SAT score. Others would prefer an ACT score. But what do you do when a college gives you a choice? Your friends all tell you the ACT is easier, but your great-aunt says that admissions officers respect the SAT more. Who is right? What should you do?
Along with a transcript of your high school grades and your college application, most colleges require either scores from the SAT or the ACT tests. These two tests are called college entrance exams. Nearly every college in America accepts scores from one or both tests.
Before you sign up to take either test, here’s the low down on college entrance exams.
ACT and SAT: College Entrance Exams
The SAT is a standardized test administered by a non-profit organization called The College Board. There are three sections on the test: Critical Reading, Mathematics, and Writing. The test takes about four and a half hours. There are breaks in between the sections to give you a little rest and a section on the test that doesn’t count towards your score (but provides information back to the test makers). The SAT costs $45.
Another group of tests also given by The College Board has a similar name – the SAT II, or now called the SAT Subject Tests. Unlike the SAT reasoning test, the SAT Subject Tests are based on what you have learned in the classroom. So instead of testing your general ability to think and reason, the SAT II tests are tests of what you have learned about specific subjects, including the sciences, mathematics, history, and languages. Some colleges ask for your SAT test scores and many now require two SAT Subject Test scores in addition to the SAT.
The ACT is also a college entrance exam, administered by the ACT Organization, also a non-profit group. The ACT covers English, Math, Reading and Science. According to the organization’s website, the test takes a little over two hours. The Writing test, which is optional on the ACT, adds 30 minutes to the testing time. The basic testing fee is $31. The test with Writing section is $46.
For both tests, registering late, adding different scoring and sending options, and other factors may increase the test’s costs.
What’s The Difference Between the SAT and ACT?
If at first glance both tests seem remarkably similar – they are. Both exams give college admissions staff a way to compare a large number of students from different walks of life. Because every high school is different, and kids have different opportunities available to them, college entrance exams “level the playing field” and provide one way to evaluate all the different applicants. Both exams have a long history of use, and lots of research into how effective they are at predicting college success. Both exams ask reading and mathematics questions and are multiple-choice.
The key differences are:
- On the SAT, writing is required
- On the ACT, science is required and writing is optional
Most colleges do want the writing section, since the ability to write well can show that a student is prepared for college and more likely to do well.
Which Test Should You Take?
So back to our original question: If the schools you are applying to accept either test, which should you take?
To answer this question, think about your own specific strengths and weaknesses. Are you better at writing? Then you might consider taking the SAT. With its required writing section, you can shine on the essay portion. Are you stronger in science? Then the ACT, with its required science section, may be a better choice.
Is one test easier than another? Although the numerical score is different because the exams use different grading systems, educational researchers can figure out if the SAT and ACT scores are similar – and in most cases, they are similar for students who take both exams. Although students may perceive the ACT as “easier”, it’s probably more myth than fact.
The Bottom Line: Take Both
The bottom line is that most college admissions officers and guidance counselors suggest taking both tests. If you change your mind and decide to apply to a different college than your original list, you’ll have both scores ready and waiting.
Some colleges offer a choice of submitting scores from either a SAT exam and two SAT Subject Tests OR the ACT. Because the ACT tests the basics of reading and math, as well as science and writing, some colleges consider it the same as taking the general SAT and two SAT Subject Tests.
Although all of these tests may seem like a big time effort, they add to the complete picture you’re giving to colleges about who you are academically. Be sure to start preparing and practicing for both exams well in advance. You can’t “cram” for either the SAT or the ACT. Both The College Board and the ACT Organization have lots of information on their websites, as well as practice tests and tips. Investing some time now can set you up for a successful test later.