SAT v. ACT: Which is best for you?

October 26, 2010 | Filed underThe425| Posted by Tanner Gregory 
Heidi  Lara-Flores | HAWKEYE

Whether a student is a freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior, sooner or later, he or she will most likely experience the pressures of taking standardized tests for college admissions. When it comes to taking standardized tests for college, the Collegeboard-owned SAT probably comes to mind.

For those who might not know, the SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) is the most widely 
used college admission test in the world. It tests a student’s skills in 
reading, writing, and math; many people take the SAT for the first time in their 
junior or senior year of high school. Most colleges in the United States use the 
SAT as a major admissions factor.

Although another form of college-admission standardized testing known as the ACT 
(American College Testing) has been around since 1959, it didn’t attract major 
attention until 2007 when every single four-year U.S. college began to accept 
ACT or SAT. Twenty years ago, 1,093,833 students took the SAT while 817,000 
students took the ACT in the United States. For the class of 2010, 1,547, 990 
students took the SAT while 1,568,835 students took the ACT.

 The ACT might be a better choice for those who just can’t seem to get the hang of 
the SAT. However, if a student has not taken either, how does he or she know 
which test is the right one for him or her?

The SAT focuses mainly on problem solving and general reasoning skills, while the 
ACT is more curriculum based. While colleges swear that they do not prefer the 
SAT over the ACT and vice versa, some college counselors still believe 
otherwise.

Here are some tips and questions that will help determine which test is better suited 
for students who are not sure which test to take.

The most important thing to consider when deciding to take the SAT or ACT is 
checking to make sure if the desired college(s) require one test or the other. 
Many colleges will accept ACT scores, but still require the SAT to be part of 
the admissions application.

If the college accepts either, then the student should take the test that is better 
suited to his skills. Be aware of all options; it is always smart to carefully 
look over the college requirements before registering for any test.

People with different approaches to learning are separated into two groups by college 
counselors. Depending on which group a student belongs to, he might score higher 
on one test or the other.

According to MTHS counselor Pam Salvatore “One out of five [students] will do 
significantly better on one or the other. In those cases it can help a student 
get into the college of their choice.” Salvatore then went on to point out that 
“Most importantly I recommend juniors take the ACT and/or SAT in spring of 
junior year because college admissions dates are sooner, so if they want to 
retake in the fall [as a senior] they still have time.”

 Although the SAT and ACT are meant to test a student’s knowledge of the basic principles 
that are taught in high school, both tests are backed by different philosophies, 
formats, and subject matters. The SAT strives to test innate test taking skills 
through the use of tricky and confusing phrases, as well as the ability to 
identify what the question is really asking.

The  ACT, on the other hand, tries to assess the exact knowledge that has been 
acquired through the student’s high school curriculum. When deciding which test 
to take, one should consider his personal strengths as well as the subjects 
tested by both tests. The ACT tests a larger range of subjects, so it might seem 
harder.

However, questions on the SAT are deliberately worded in a way that might confuse the 
test taker, though it may deal with simpler topics than the ACT. Another thing 
is that ACT scores can be improved simply by studying the actual subjects, but 
in order for SAT scores to improve it is necessary to understand the tricks of 
test-taking.

Format-wise, there really is not that much of a difference. There are 4 sections on the ACT 
with a total time of 175 minutes (plus an optional 30 minute writing test). The 
SAT has 3 sections (plus 1 experimental section) and lasts for a total of 225 
minutes (plus a 25 minute experimental section).

Money and time permit, a student should consider taking both the SAT and ACT. This 
way, not only can the higher score be chosen to submit to colleges, but 
re-takers will also have the experience of taking both tests and be able to 
decide which one will benefit scores and chances at college admissions the 
most.

While there are differences between the SAT and ACT, both ultimately test the ability 
to think and a student’s knowledge of the fundamentals of high school education. 
In the end, choosing to take the SAT, ACT, or both, is really a matter of 
personal skill and preference. 

Published under the Hawkeye from Mountlake Terrace High School

Nadine Underbrink, M.Ed
College & Scholarship Counselor
713-447-0064

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