Tutor Yourself #3: The Tests

What exactly is on the SAT and ACT? What’s the difference between the two? Let’s dive in!

Both tests claim to measure what students learned in high school and how prepared they are for college. While the evidence on those claims is mixed at best, colleges still use these scores to evaluate students quickly. Neither test is better than the other, although there are tiny differences that mean one test or the other may better suit a particular student.

SAT

  • Reading: 65 minutes, 52 questions. The entire section is reading passages and questions about those passages. There are often different types of passages on each test, including literary, historical, and science. There is usually a double-passage, which also includes questions that involve comparing the passages.

  • Writing and Language: 35 minutes, 44 questions. This is the section that tests grammar. Questions ask students to evaluate and improve the writing in a few short passages

  • Math - No Calculator: 25 minutes, 20 questions. The last 5 questions ask students to bubble in the answer. The questions generally get harder as the section goes on, although the last 5 are usually on the easier side.

  • Math - Calculator: 55 minutes, 38 questions. Same as above, but with the calculator. The types of questions are often different from the previous section, but generally aren’t harder or easier.

  • Optional Essay: 50 minutes. Students will read a passage and write an essay about the literary and argumentative strategies in it.

ACT

  • English: 45 minutes, 75 questions. This is the grammar test and looks similar to the SAT writing and language section.

  • Math: 60 minutes, 60 questions. Calculator is allowed. Questions get harder as the test progresses and all questions are multiple choice.

  • Reading: 35 minutes, 40 questions. Similar to the SAT. There are four passages: literary, humanities, natural science, and social sciences. There is also a double-passage.

  • Science: 35 minutes, 40 questions. Although it looks intimidating, the science section is quite easy. It includes several reading passages with questions on each passage. Most questions are either reading comprehension or interpreting graphs, tables, and figures. There are a few science content questions on each test. This is my favorite section. I know it so well I could write a book on it.

  • Optional Essay: 40 minutes. Students will read a prompt and write a persuasive essay.

Comparison

  • The tests are very, very similar. They are both created by big companies and competing directly with each other. They have both changed over the years to become more like each other.

  • The SAT tends to be a bit trickier.

  • The SAT has more reading, although there is additional reading in the ACT science section.

  • The SAT has a no-calculator section and provides math formulas.

  • The ACT has more questions in a similar amount of time.

  • The ACT has a science section.

  • The ACT has more practice tests available.

  • The optional essays are different.

  • Colleges accept either score.

Students who are more comfortable doing math without a calculator, students who don’t get easily tricked by test questions, and like to take a little more time per question, may prefer the SAT.

The ACT has a science section, although it is very similar to the reading section and requires very little science knowledge. The ACT has a few more questions than the SAT. Students who enjoy science and like to move more quickly through questions may prefer the ACT. 

I recommend that students take a practice test of each, to get an idea of the slight differences and see if there is a preference.

At the end of the day, there aren’t any significant differences when it comes to college applications. It’s a matter of the student’s preference.

Next up: The basic strategies, or what you might get in a test prep class.

ACT/SAT, Test PrepRobin SattyComment