WHAT’S THE SAME? WHAT’S DIFFERENT? The SAT & ACT are both standardized college entrance exams administered throughout the school year. They both test substantially the same skills and content. WHAT’S THE SAME?  Colleges accept both equally. WHAT’S DIFFERENT?  Students can score better on one or the other, despite the major similarities between the two tests.

READING WHAT’S THE SAME? WHAT’S DIFFERENT?  Both test passage-based reading skills.  Vocabulary is less important than ever. WHAT’S DIFFERENT?  The ACT tests advanced graphical literacy through the Science section, while the SAT includes less complex graphs and tables throughout all sections.

GRAMMAR WHAT’S THE SAME? WHAT’S DIFFERENT?  The ACT English and SAT Writing sections test conventions of standard written English. WHAT’S DIFFERENT?  Hardly anything, unless you count the SAT graphs.

MATH WHAT’S THE SAME? WHAT’S DIFFERENT?  Both test an array of concepts from arithmetic, algebra, statistics, geometry, and trigonometry.  Problem solving and conceptual understanding matter most. WHAT’S DIFFERENT?  The SAT includes a No-Calculator section.  Each test emphasizes different topics at the upper range of difficulty.

ESSAY WHAT’S THE SAME? WHAT’S DIFFERENT?  Each test provides a timed assignment graded on different aspects of writing and analysis. WHAT’S DIFFERENT?  The ACT essay is persuasive, while the SAT essay is analytical in nature.

SCORING WHAT’S THE SAME? WHAT’S DIFFERENT?  Both calculate raw scores, which are converted to scaled scores based on the testing population.  No penalties for wrong answers on either test! WHAT’S DIFFERENT?  Each test uses a different scale for scores.  Colleges may consider superscores for one or both tests.

ACT SCORING

SAT SCORING

SCORE POLICIES ALL SCORES REQUIRED FOR REVIEW SCORE CHOICE SUPERSCORE  Only send the SAT or ACT scores you want schools to see. Send by test date, not by section. SUPERSCORE Best E + M + R + S Best EBRW + M

PSAT SCORING

NMS SELECTION INDEX

HOW DO YOU CHOOSE?  More emphasis on reading speed, science reasoning, and graphical literacy.  Reading contributes more than 50% to total score.  More emphasis on mental math and problem solving, and critical reasoning.  Math contributes 50% to total score.

WHY DO THEY MATTER?

 College admissions  College scholarship  College choice  NCAA eligibility

WHAT CAN YOU DO ABOUT THEM?  Commit to the form of test preparation that works best for you.  Arrive ready to earn your best scores when it counts!  Take the highest quality practice tests you can, and learn from each one.

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