These are the two types of tests that colleges use to gauge your academic ability. During COVID, many schools went test-optional, but in the past year, colleges have started to require students to start submitting them again.
The Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) is one of the tests used to determine your skills. The exam is 2 hours and 15 minutes long and taken online.
It consists of one reading and writing, and one math section. Each of the two sections is broken up into two modules. The reading and writing section consists of 54 multiple-choice questions, and the reading section is composed of 44 multiple-choice questions.
The reading and writing section consists of passages and questions to test your understanding of craft and structure, information and ideas, standard English conventions, and expression of ideas, according to The Princeton Review.
The math section is meant to test your knowledge of Algebra 1 and 2, Geometry, and some Trigonometry. This section takes a total of 70 minutes to complete.
Between both sections, you are allotted a 10-minute break.
You can sign up for the SAT through your CollegeBoard account. You have the ability to select your date and location for the test. The average cost for the test, according to The Princeton Review, is $68.
You typically receive your score 13 days after taking the test. The SAT is graded out of 1600 points.
The American College Test (ACT) consists of an English, reading, and mathematics section, with the option to take a science and writing section.
According to ACT.org, 40 out of the 50 English multiple-choice questions are graded. You are given 35 minutes to complete that section. For the mathematics section, 41 out of the 45 questions are graded, and you are allotted 50 minutes to complete them. There are 36 reading questions, 27 of which are graded, and you receive 40 minutes to complete this section. The optional science section consists of 40 multiple-choice questions (34 are scored). You have 40 minutes to complete these. One essay comprises the optional writing section.
You are given a short break after the second test, according to ACT.org.
You can register for the exam on ACT.org. It cost $68 for the standard test, and it is an additional $25 for the optional writing section and $4 for the optional science section. Also, on this website, there are practice questions for each subject.
The test is out of 36 points. According to ACT.org, the national average score in 2024 was 19.4.
Some differences between the two tests are that the reading passages for the SAT have one short passage for each question, while the ACT has a longer passage but has nine questions attached to that passage. And, the SAT has a built-in math reference sheet, while the ACT does not, according to collegeboard.org
Ultimately, you should take the test that is best for you and where you believe you can best display your academic ability.
