SAT vs. ACT: What Is The Difference?

The ACT and the SAT are both used in the same way in the college application process: to assess your readiness for college and compare you to other applicants. However, they are not the same, and individual students tend to do better at one test than the other.

Before jumping into a section-by-section comparison, it is useful to get an overview of them both and then look at them side by side.

The ACT includes four multiple-choice tests — English, mathematics, reading, and science — and an optional writing test. The timing and question breakdown for each section of the ACT is as follows:

English: 45 minutes for 75 questions

Math: 60 minutes for 60 questions

Reading and Science sections are each 35 minutes for 40 questions.

If you decide to take the optional Writing section at the end, you will have 40 minutes to write the essay, and a five-minute break given after the Science section finishes.

At a glance we can see that the two tests have a lot in common, including testing your English and mathematical ability, but there are some key differences meaning one may favour your learning approach and strengths more than the other.

You may already have a feeling which one you prefer. For example, if essays are something you truly love and excel at, the ACT immediately provides you with a chance to shine that the SAT does not.

However, it is still worth delving a little deeper before making a decision.

Your SAT score is on a scale from 400-1600. The highest SAT score anyone can possibly get is 1600, and the lowest is 400.  The total score for your SAT is comprised of a score for your Math section and a score for your Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section. Each of these is scored between 200 and 800 points, which are then added together to give your total score.

The ACT test score is on a scale from 1-36. The ACT Math, Science, English, and Reading test scores and the Composite score range from 1 to 36. For each test, your number of correct answers is converted into a score within that range. Your Composite score is the average of your scores on the four subjects rounded to the nearest whole number.

At first glance, the top score possible on the SAT being 1600 and on the ACT being 36 might make you think the tests and their scoring are very different. But in practice, they are both carefully scaled to compare applicants fairly, and colleges use conversion charts provided by the College Board and the ACT Body so they can compare the two test scores.

Both the SAT and ACT have a math section and the content is similar in terms of it based on mathematical concepts that will be familiar from your high school courses. However, the style of the questions does vary somewhat.

• The SAT does test some concepts not on the ACT, like complex functions, and also has a no-calculator section, which might suit you if you are relatively confident in your mental mathematics ability and can recall formulae.
• The ACT emphasises visual problem-solving including geometry, graphs, angles, and shapes.

One difference between the two, which students often have a preference about, is the different grammar rules tested.

Both tests require you to read through a piece of writing and to try to fix it. The difference is that the ACT tests punctuation errors, including commas, but the SAT does not.

The ACT also spends more time on structural errors, such as missing sentences, compared to the SAT where only the last 5 questions of the 35 question module are on improving paragraphs.

Another difference is that the ACT English section is the most intensive as it has the most questions (75) and this must all be completed in one go with no break, unlike in the SAT. Even though there is more material in the English section of the ACT compared to the SAT, the SAT often tests more complex issues in writing.

Only the ACT has a dedicated Science section, which looks for your ability to reason logically and interpret data. You don’t need a huge memory of scientific formulae, but should be confident reading charts and understanding scientific reasoning.

The SAT does not have a separate Science module, but this type of analysis does appear in passages throughout the SAT, such as reading about a research study or interpreting a graph.

If you do at least one practice test of both, you will likely get a sense of which suits you better. For example, the ACT’s detailed Science module might be good for you if you are good with scientific facts, but find reading a lot of text and interpreting it quickly relatively hard.

By contrast, if you are more confident analysing long passages and interpreting them quickly, then you could be at an advantage with the science concepts in the SAT’s EBRW module.

Comparing the number of questions and the time allowed, we can see that the SAT allows slightly more time per question compared to the ACT. This does not mean that it is easier or that you can work more slowly! SAT questions generally involve more steps and the analysis of complex pieces of text, and cannot be rushed.

Contrasting this with the ACT, you need to move quickly through the questions and sometimes can get the correct answer simply by eliminating wrong choices. So it really comes down to how you think and work at your best: do you process things quickly or are you better at deeper analysis?

Taking practice tests of both types will help answer this question for you.

Do colleges think one is better than the other?

Both tests are accepted equally at all colleges and they factor your score into your overall holistic profile as explained, for example, by the Harvard admissions office. Generally, colleges treat the two tests the same and do not prefer one over the other as neither one is more difficult or has a better reputation than the other.

Should I take the SAT or the ACT?

The most useful way to figure out which test you should take is to take a timed, full-length practice test of each.

Get in touch with our Client Service team today to schedule your diagnostic test and receive a complimentary testing report.

Should I do the essay if I’m doing the ACT?

The ACT's optional essay allow you to show a particular strength that the SAT no longer offers. If you are a really great outstanding writer, the essay is an excellent opportunity for you to show this, in a way that standardised test scores alone may not capture. However, it is optional so if preparing for it is going to undermine your preparation for the rest of the test, or writing is not your strength, consider skipping it and focusing your energy on the rest of the test.

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