SAT or ACT: Is the Choice Becoming More Clear?

It has been said for some time that students in the Midwest prefer the ACT over the SAT when finally start preparation for these big tests.  Students in West Chester, Ohio, are no different.

Student Preparing for the ACT

I'm not the only one who has been asked what the difference between the SAT and ACT really is, but there are others out there who have actually made a chart to explain the difference.

Here it is:

SAT	ACT
10 sections: 3 Math, 3 Critical Reading, 3 Writing (one of which is the Essay), and 1 Experimental (either Math, Critical Reading, or Writing)	4 Sections, plus the optional Writing Test: English, Math, Reading, and Science Reasoning
Sections are given in a different order every time	Sections are always given in same order
3 hours and 45 minutes	3 hours and 25 minutes (including the Writing Test)
SAT tests math up to Algebra II	ACT tests math up to Trigonometry
SAT tests vocabulary directly	ACT does not test vocabulary (except in English test)
Scored out of 2400 points	Scored out of 36 points, with Writing scored separately on a 12-point scale
You may also need to take SAT Subject Tests Approximately 75 seconds per avg. question	You often do not need SAT II’s if you take the Writing       Approximately 45 seconds per average question
“Guessing penalty:” you lose 1/4 point per incorrect answer	No guessing penalty
Easier to get extended time for LD students	Much harder to get extended time
Each SAT test includes an unidentified Experimental Section	The ACT test has no Experimental Section

The chart, taken from the above link comes from the official ACT test website.  I'd say their analysis is correct. I've added to the chart the extra element of the amount of time given per question.  We can be specific and say that each reading question on the SAT is 75 seconds if we assume each sentence completion is done in 30 seconds.  While we have about 45 seconds to answer the average Writing (i.e. grammar) question on the SAT, we actually have about the same amount of time on the ACT's English test, the rough equivalent of what is on the SAT test.  However, the real difference comes down to the reading passages, 50 seconds on the ACT versus 75 seconds on the SAT, and math, 60 seconds ACT, 75 seconds SAT.  The Science test on the ACT can be compared to the Reading test on the SAT.  Few would quibble though, that the science section is a challenge to finish in time.  Juggling multiple variables, pictures, and situations, the moral holds true that one really should know his stuff before stepping into the test center on game day. 

So, the two variables that might be the biggest take away on test day are the time limits per question (in general less on the ACT) and per section (less on the SAT), and the general nature of the more content-oriented ACT. Critical thinkers with great vocabularies have a little more time to focus on the SAT exam, and those quick wits who have gone far in the math and science programs have a pretty good chance to do well on the ACT, given they have truly known the formulas and haven't merely memorized for a day, getting reading for their ACT preparation.

You can check out the video below for some other differences. But, don't overthink it.  Instead, prepare! Prepping for the ACT begins one step, one technique, one problem at a time.

Our Test Prep Service's Big Move to the Cincinnati Office to Serve West Chester, Ohio

Just when you thought test prep and tutoring for the ACT and SAT for our West Chester students was done for the year, we made our big move!  A+ Tutoring/ Test Preparation is happy to announce the opening of our new Cincinnati office near the Tri-County Mall.

Not many boxes, but a few tables and chairs and ACT and SAT books made our move to complete to the new tutoring center!

With the new location, closer to West Chester, we are now able to see students from the Lakota School District, Fairfield, and even Hamilton, OH.  In fact, we were happy to entertain our first ACT student for lessons here on Northland Blvd after we had helped him with his first increase of three ponits on his ACT.  The young man, who attends Cincinnati Christian School near West Chester, was able to get his increase through ACT preparation, though he did so in only 1/3 of a course.  Though we finished only 2/3 of the program before finishing prep for the test this Saturday, we hope to cushion his increase with an even bigger score.


Though A+ Tutoring primarily focuses on in-home tutoring for our private test prep students for the SAT and ACT, we will be doing more with our tutoring programs in the Cincinnati location, where we can accommodate up to three students at a time.

If you'd like to learn more about our specials for SAT and ACT courses in Cincinnati or West Chester, please give us a call. We've published a press release about the latest special, which will expire January 24th, 2014.  For $2400, we will help your student earn a 2400 on the SAT (certain conditions apply, read more for details) or a 36 on the ACT for $3600. We are offering this amazing special on the basis of our past prep on the SAT and ACT, in which those who have gone through our program have gotten perfect scores on SAT and ACT tests after tutoring.

We look forward to a great year ahead, and wish you a Merry Christmas if we don't hear from you!