SAT vs. ACT: which one is right for you?

Should you prioritize studying the ACT, the SAT, or split your time between both? I’ve been prepping students for stadardized tests for 20 years, and my advice is usually to focus on the ACT. Why? Because of the ACT easier to study for and easier to improve on. To understand why, let’s look at the different natures of the two tests.

The SAT grew out of the IQ tests of the 1920’s. It was originally designed to test innate intelligence, not knowledge acquired through studying. Many people today dispute whether the SAT really tests intelligence, including me, but its origin helps understand why it’s harder to study for. SAT questions are tricky and subtle. They’re designed to test skills that aren’t easily studied, like the ability to understand complicated writing easily, and the ability to see mathematical strategies that aren’t obvious. The SAT is a shorter test (now 2 hours), and gives the students much more time per question than the ACT. Because the students need the time: SAT questions are hard! Students can improve their SAT scores, especially if academics come easy to them. Just not as much as you might think.

The ACT, on the other hand, was introduced in 1959 as a competitor to the SAT. The idea was that knowledge and study skills are the best indicators of college readiness. So the ACT tests how much English the students know, how much Math, etc. Students can improve on the ACT through study, review, and practice. One difficulty with the ACT, though, is that there is time pressure. The ACT is longer than the SAT (about 3 hours), but there is much less time per question. Students often struggle with the time pressure the first time they take the ACT. In my experience, though, it’s easy tog et fast at the ACT. The trick is to get better at the ACT. The more you know, the more you practice, the faster you’ll get.

So, overall, I direct more students toward the ACT. That said, some students really are better suited to the SAT. If academics come easy to you, and reading difficult material is your jam, you may be better off studying the SAT. If you think that’s you, take a practice test and see which is a better fit. You can reach out to us here to sign up for one of our free practice tests.