The ACT or SAT that is the question.

The SAT (www.collegeboard.org)  and ACT (www.act.org) tests are continuously evolving as they compete for the share of space in the college admissions testing market.  It used to be that the SAT was predominant in the East Coast while the ACT was predominant on the West coast as per the origins of each test.  These tests started expanding geographically and as colleges starting accepting either test for admissions, students had a choice on which test to submit.    

Historically, the ACT had been a test which was very analytical, including graph and data analysis in the Math and Science sections. It also included English and Reading sections and the Essay writing was optional.   Scoring ranged from 1 to 36.  The SAT, on the other hand, focused on aptitude to read, write and do mathematics.  Its sections included Critical Reading, Essay Writing and Math.   Scoring ranged from 400-1600 (or 600-2400 with Writing included).

In 2016 these tests implemented changes which resulted in both tests converging as they seem to mimic each other. To start, both tests are more aligned with the Common Core and are reporting additional subscores.   Experts estimate a 90% overlap because of the changes implemented as noted below:

 ·       SAT

o   Math – incorporates reading comprehension and higher level math (up to Trigonometry)

o   Added Science, graph analysis

o   Essay writing is optional, evaluated for analytical thinking

o   Penalty for guessing is eliminated (and there 4 multiple choice answers to choose from)

o   The median score is higher than the old SAT (about 8%)

o   Grammar in context – dropped sentence completion

·       ACT

o   Compare and Contrast reading passages

o   Broader context of Math

o   Higher level of Science with time constraint

o   More rigor, memorization required

In sum, while these tests are more similar than ever, the difference in reading comprehension, math rigor and essay analysis continues to be significant enough for you to assess one versus the other.  It is advised that you complete sample tests before deciding on which one to focus during the Spring of your junior year to submit in your college applications.  Remember that you will be very busy taking Subject Tests, AP and/or IB test during this time, thus as tempting as it may be to do both SAT/ACT multiple times, it would be best to choose one and move on.