With the reformatting of the SAT in March , the vocabulary tested is no longer as challenging as it was previously. The Math section on the SAT requires a deeper understanding of algebra, but the test provides basic formulas. Calculators are only allowed on the second half of the math section, and not all questions are multiple-choice. Neither one. It all depends on your student and how they think. Then focus your study efforts on the higher-scoring test.
The SAT allows more time per question, which may help slower readers or those who tend to panic with time limits. But if you excel at science, the ACT might be right for you. Get your Essay Reviewed. US Boarding School Program. Crimson Research Institute. About Us. Our Mission. Our Story. Our University Admissions Strategists. Our Co-Founders. Our Alumni. Student Success.
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You can use a calculator on all math questions. Essays None Optional. If you have a strong grasp of higher math formulas and concepts, prefer straightforward questions, and like to use a calculator, then the ACT is better for you. If you have a broader but less deep understanding of math and have a hard time remembering formulas, then consider the SAT.
The essay section of both the ACT and SAT is the written portion of each exam that tests your ability to read, analyze, and create or explain an argument. The essay is optional, and it does not affect the scores you receive in the other test sections. While you do not have to write the essay on either test, many selective schools require it.
The ACT requires you to write one essay in 40 minutes. You will receive one writing prompt that describes an issue and three individual perspectives. After you read the prompt, you then select and develop one of the provided perspectives or develop your own. The SAT requires you to write one essay in 50 minutes.
The SAT uses the same writing prompt on every test, but changes the reading passage. Your ACT essay is graded with a single subject matter score on a scale of 2 lowest score to 12 highest score. The score is a rounded average of four separate domain scores , which test your proficiency in:. Ideas and Analyses — here, you will be evaluated on whether you generate productive ideas and engage critically with multiple perspectives. Development and Support — this grade measures your ability to construct an argument with details and supporting information.
Language Use and Conventions — you will be graded on your ability to use grammar, syntax, word choice, and mechanics to communicate your main ideas clearly. Two different people grade the SAT essay. Each person will score your essay on a scale of 1 to 4 in three areas or dimensions : reading, analysis, and writing.
Those scores are added up to produce three final essay scores in the ranges of 2 lowest score to 8 highest score , one in each area. Reading — you will be evaluated on how well you comprehend and correctly interpret the text and make skillful use of textual evidence to support an argument. Analysis — for this, you will be graded on how well you grasp the text and focus on relevant ideas that support the argument.
Writing — here, you will have to demonstrate your command of English. Your essay has to have a central claim, introduction, and conclusion and must use a variety of sentence structures. The ACT prompts are shorter, you can use personal experience to support your argument, and you have less time to finish the section. The SAT reading passage is from a published piece of nonfiction. You must use the rhetorical, stylistic, and logical reasoning from the passage to support your argument.
The SAT also gives you 10 extra minutes to work on it. If you are comfortable reading longer passages and using the standard five-paragraph essay format taught in high school, then the SAT essay is right for you. If you are more comfortable using personal examples to support your point of view, and need more time reading and understanding English, the ACT essay is more appropriate. Data Representation — this section tests your skills using graphics and tables to measure your ability to compare, measure, and extract information.
Research Summaries — these test your ability to interpret experiments and experimental hypotheses. Conflicting Viewpoints — these test how well you provide two interpretations of the same scientific phenomena and analyze and draw conclusions. The three categories above are judged on interpretation of data, scientific investigation, and evaluation of models, inferences, and experimental results. There is a lot of reading in the ACT science section, which may surprise some students.
You will have seven passages to read and a series of questions for each one. You will have approximately 53 seconds per question.
We have discussed the sections of the SAT and ACT exams and have covered the similarities and differences between them. Now it is time to look at the tests in general. Both the SAT and ACT start with an introduction and end with optional essays, but the section progressions in their middles are different. After you take the ACT exam, you will receive a report with your scores on each section, as well as your composite or total score. Your ELA score represents overall performance on the English, Reading, and — if you wrote it — the optional essay section.
Your STEM score represents your overall performance on the science and math sections. The ACT is scored on a scale of 1 to 36, with 36 being the highest score you can receive. Your composite score is the average of your grades on each mandatory section. Your essay is graded on a scale of 2 to The ACT provides an interactive version of the score report , which you will receive after taking the test. It is worth reviewing and familiarizing yourself with the meaning of each metric before you take the test.
You usually get your scores back from the ACT within two weeks of your test date. SAT scores are on a scale of to , with being the highest score you can receive. Your total score is a composite of your scores on the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section and the Math section, both with a range of to points.
Your report is then broken down into subtest scores and cross-test scores, which provide similar information as the additional reports on the ACT. The SAT uses three categories to grade your essay : reading, writing, and analysis, each on a scale of 2 to 8. It generally takes two to three weeks to get your SAT scores back. If you are looking for an SAT to ACT conversion chart, a concordance table is released annually that maps a score from one test to the other.
The SAT has a registration deadline of about a month before the test and a late registration deadline, which is generally a week before the test. If you register late, you will have to pay an additional fee.
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