The ACT and the SAT are well-known exams that students stress over leading up to submitting their college applications. Test scores from one exam or the other are required to be included with each college application students submit, but students ARE NOT required to submit scores for both tests. So how do you decide which test you should take? Consider how the tests differ before you make that call. If you still can’t decide, we’ve put together this quiz to help you!

Both the ACT and the SAT are nationally recognized standardized college admissions exams and are universally accepted by American colleges and universities. Both exams test students on similar topics, so how do you decide which one to take? 

Throughout the country, 2.1 million members of the class of 2018 took the SAT, and 1.9 million took the ACT.

Neither test is easy. Each examines students on information and concepts from various subject areas, and each test requires students to work at a certain pace in order to complete all of the questions in the given time constraint. That being said, there’s not a clear “easier” test. Both tests require a significant amount of preparation and practice in order for students to expect to perform to their full potential on test day.

But there are some things that the tests do differently. Perhaps these differences will help you to determine which test might be the better choice for you.

How the ACT and the SAT differ: 

STRUCTURE

The overall structure of the exams is actually pretty similar. Both exams are broken up into sections based on the topic. The SAT is composed of a reading section, a writing and language section, and a long math section. In contrast, the ACT is broken into four sections: English, math, reading, and science. Both exams are multiple choice tests, and both tests have an optional fifth section: Writing.

TIMING

In terms of the total time that it takes to complete the exams, the SAT is a slightly longer test, lasting 3 hours, whereas the ACT takes 2 hours and 55 minutes to complete. The SAT has significantly fewer questions, totaling 154 across the different sections. The ACT consists of 215 questions. That means the time constraint is slightly less intense for the SAT, meaning students can work at a slightly slower pace on the SAT than on the ACT. 

CONTENT 

This is where the tests begin to have some more key differences. While the tests may seem to examine students on the same concepts, the actual question types and concepts tested can vary quite a bit.

English/Writing and Language

The ACT has an “English” section, whereas the SAT has a “Writing and Language” section.

The English section of the ACT focuses largely on conventions of standard English—or English GRAMMAR. Grammar questions make up 40 of the 75 questions in the ACT English section. In contrast, the SAT focuses more on development of language and writing and word choice, with a smaller emphasis on grammar.

Students who struggle with grammar may find that they perform better on the SAT Writing and Language test than they do on the ACT English section; Students who excel at grammar may find the ACT English section to be a piece of cake.

Math

There are quite a few important differences to note between the math exams of the ACT and the SAT. Where the ACT has one math section, the SAT has two: one 25-minute section that permits students to use a calculator and one 55-minute section that does not. The ACT allows students to use their calculator throughout the entire 60-minute math section.

Concepts Tested

Both tests examine students heavily on algebra, but the ACT has a heavier focus on geometry than the SAT, so students who struggle with geometry may find the SAT math section easier.

Grid-In Questions

The SAT also contains some “grid-in” math problems. These are problems that are not multiple choice. Instead, the student has to fill in their answer. There are 13 total grid-in questions on the SAT, which means that 22% of the questions in the math sections will not be multiple choice. In contrast, every one of the 60 questions on the ACT math section is multiple choice.

Level of Importance of Math Score

On the ACT, each of the four sections makes up 25% of your composite score. Since there is just the one math section, math will make up just 25% of your total score.

Since 2 of the 4 sections on the SAT are math sections, math makes up 50% of your final SAT score. That means that there is a much heavier focus on math on the SAT and half of your score is determined based on your math performance.

That being said, students who excel in math may find the SAT to be a better fit, whereas students who struggle with math may choose to take the ACT so that their test score relies less on their math performance.

Time Per Question

The ACT gives students 60 minutes to complete 60 math questions. That means students need to work at a pace of one minute per question to have time to complete all of the problems.

The SAT has a more generous time constraint. Students have 25 minutes to complete 20 questions in the no-calculator section of the SAT. They then have 55 minutes to complete 38 questions with the help of their calculators. This breaks down to 75 seconds per question on the no-calculator section and 87 seconds per question on the calculator section of the SAT.

The small time difference may not seem like it should make much of a difference in performance, but this extra time could allow you to complete all parts of the SAT math section, whereas many students struggle to complete the ACT math section due to its intense time constraint.

Reading

On the ACT, students are given 35 minutes to read 4 stories and answer 40 questions. On the SAT, students are given 65 minutes to work through 52 questions. That means that, once again, overall time per question is a little friendlier on the SAT than it is on the ACT. In fact, the most difficult part of the ACT reading section for many students is simply moving fast enough to complete the entire section. For students who prefer to read more slowly and work through the questions in-depth, the SAT may be more favorable.

Additionally, the SAT is friendlier in another way: the SAT provides all questions in chronological order. That means the earlier questions will ask about early on in the story, and the later questions will ask about information from later in the story. This can be very helpful when working through the questions, as you have a good idea of where you need to be looking for your answer. In contrast, each story on the ACT is accompanied by 10 questions that are ordered randomly. Oftentimes the first question will ask about the story as a whole, and mixed into the questions will be others that ask about certain parts of the story in no particular order.

Science

The ACT has an entire section devoted to science, so science makes up 25% of your score on the ACT. While this section is deemed the “Science” section, there is very little scientific background required for students to do well on this part of the ACT. This section mainly examines your ability to read and interpret data from charts, graphs, and tables, and analyze and understand experiments, hypotheses, and research. Students who find data interpretation to be easy may find the ACT science section to be an asset to their overall score.

In contrast, the SAT does not have a section focused solely on science. It does, however, incorporate science questions throughout the other parts of the exam. For this reason, students who dislike or have trouble with science and data may find the SAT to be a better fit since it lacks this focus.

Writing

Both exams include an optional writing section. While both of these sections examine a student’s ability to construct an essay, the types of essays are incredibly different.

The SAT has students read a passage and then analyze it in an essay. You’ll have to dissect the author’s argument and use evidence and reasoning in your writing to analyze the author’s viewpoint and purpose.

In stark contrast, the ACT writing section requires students to construct an argumentative essay in which they offer their own opinion of a given subject. Students are given a topic and three perspectives; you’ll select a perspective you agree with and make an argument for it, using examples and persuasion in your essay.

Although the writing portion of each test is optional, it is recommended to take the writing portion at least once on whichever exam you decide to focus on. The main reason for this is that there are many schools that require you to include your writing score with your college application package. Imagine that you skip the writing section and later find out that it is required for one of the schools you want to apply to. To avoid that disaster, plan to take the writing section at least once.

SCORING

Despite the numerous similarities between the ACT and the SAT, the scoring could not be more different.

The SAT is scored in a range of 400 to 1600. The ACT is scored in a range between 1 and 36.

The score conversion chart below will help you understand how the scores on each exam match up.

(Note: the new SAT scoring started in March 2016) 

So...which one should you take? 

Many admissions officers and high school counselors actually recommend that students take BOTH the ACT and the SAT at least once, even if it’s just a practice test. If possible, it’s a good idea to start with a practice exam for each. That could give you an idea of which exam is easier for you.

However, since the tests do have a lot in common, it is possible that your original practice scores for the two tests will be pretty similar. If that’s the case, there may not be a clear “winner” right from the start. If you find yourself unsure of which path to take, consider the information we’ve discussed about in this post. What areas are easy for you? Which are difficult? You can use our quiz below to help you decide what may be the better choice for you.

ACT vs SAT quiz

If you still can’t determine which test you should focus your time on, consider the ACT vs SAT quiz below. Read the statements and determine if you AGREE or DISAGREE.

• I am good at geometry and trigonometry.

• I struggle with solving math problems without a calculator.

• Science is a strength of mine.

• It’s easier for me to explain my opinion than to analyze something.

• I normally do poorly on math tests.

• I can recall math formulas easily.

• I like relying on multiple choice options for math questions.

• I have no problem moving quickly and working within tight time constraints.

• I struggle with finding evidence to back up my answers.

• I am good at reading comprehension, even if questions are asked out of chronological order.
  
  

Once you’ve gone through all the statements, count up how many times you answered AGREE and how many DISAGREE.

Mostly AGREEs — Focus on the ACT
If you agreed with most of the statements above, the ACT will be more geared toward your strengths. The ACT score is less focused on math, and you’re given multiple choice options throughout all parts of the test.

Mostly DISAGREEs — Focus on the SAT
If you mainly disagreed with the statements above, the SAT will be a better fit for you. The SAT gives you more time to work through each question, and, although it more focused on math, you won’t need to worry about working through a ton of geometry questions. Additionally, there is no science section to worry about.

Equal number of AGREEs and DISAGREEs - Either test will work
If you chose “AGREE” and “DISAGREE” an equal number of times, there will likely not be a clear divide between the two tests for you. Either test will work well for you. As a starting place, consider taking an official practice test of each exam to determine which one you want to take on and where to focus your efforts.

Still not sure if you should take the ACT or the SAT?

You do not need to submit both test scores with your college applications, so you shouldn’t worry about working on obtaining your goal score on both tests. Instead, focus your time on one or the other.

Before you make any decisions about which test you should or shouldn’t take, make sure to consider the specific requirements of your state and any schools you plan to apply to. There are some states that require one test or the other. You want to make sure you have a plan to fulfill those requirements, so you aren’t stressing out and trying to get your requirements together at the last minute.

No matter which test you decide to lean on, remember that these are not meant to be easy exams. Know that you will need to spend a lot of time practicing and preparing for either test if you want to perform to your full potential and reach your goal scores. You can do it!