Wednesday, December 10, 2014

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:

SATACT
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 timeSections are always given in same order
3 hours and 45 minutes3 hours and 25 minutes (including the Writing Test)
SAT tests math up to Algebra IIACT tests math up to Trigonometry
SAT tests vocabulary directlyACT does not test vocabulary (except in English test)
Scored out of 2400 pointsScored 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 answerNo guessing penalty
Easier to get extended time for LD studentsMuch harder to get extended time
Each SAT test includes an unidentified Experimental SectionThe 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.


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