Our D21 just took a practice SAT and ACT and her scores perfectly match up on the concordance tables. She’s having a hard time deciding which test to choose to focus on for the summer. Her plans are to start taking one of these tests in the fall and hopefully be done after one to two real tests. She got a 30 and a 1350 without studying. Shooting for a 33 or high 1400s.
How should she decide which test to choose? Which test is easier to improve on? I think she’s typical in that she doesn’t like the rushing on the ACT but finds the questions easier but really hates trying to figure out the science section.
She has taken AP Euro and her English teacher last year had them practicing AP Lang type tests so she is familiar with the types of questions asked in CB type tests. She prefers the two math sections on the SAT to the one math section on the ACT.
I’m a tutor but I haven’t had a student whose two scores concord like this and it’s always been obvious which test to choose. I’m leaning towards the SAT since I feel like the resources for studying are better but then I’m also worried about how goofy the test has been lately with some having easier curves and some not.
My daughter had the same concordance scores as well. She chose to take the ACT. We felt there were more available practice tests, as SAT had just changed their format, and fewer testing irregularities with ACT in general.
@makemesmart she did and it did not go well. She got a 1200. Not sure what happened there since this practice SAT was higher. I do agree that prepping for the SAT also preps for the PSAT. I don’t think she will be able to get to the NMF score so that’s not really a consideration.
My D20 found improving her score on the ACT easier. For her, though, she preferred not having math, her weakest subject, account for half of her score, which is different from your daughter.
Also, I think ACT scoring is more stable. It seems SAT scoring is more variable.
Two reasons that I think my S did better on the ACT than the SAT: After a few practice tests at home, he decided that the ACT science section was more reading comprehension than science. He was a dreadful science student but a good reader. You’re a tutor so know more about this than I do, but can you convince your daughter of the same?
Also, S was never a kid who’d take much time at the end of a test (any test!) to double-check his work, so the ACT time constraint was good for him. He picked what seemed like the best answer and stuck with it. Finished every section (or so he told me) with little time to spare, but did finish.
Also want to note that he was an average student (ended up with a 27, which was better than we’d hoped for) so what was a plus for him about the ACT format may not hold for a higher stats student.
I would go with whichever one she liked more (or hated less, as the case may be). The less she despises the test, the more willing she’ll be to sit down and take practice tests, thus resulting in a higher score in the end. If she’s unsure which she prefers, ask her about the essay section; most kids have a clear preference there.
My initial practice tests were equivalent, so I chose the ACT for the above reason.
@wisteria100 D likes the math better on SAT as well but reading is harder. Writing a toss up. That may bode well for the SAT if she can get her reading score higher. I just don’t want her to spend much time studying for the “wrong” test. I guess, if she starts studying for the SAT in earnest for the next few weeks and she’s not seeing improvement, she can switch back to ACT.
@scholarme thx! Just ordered the book. I’ll have her look at it and see what she thinks. I agree with @mathhappy and she might just have to choose which test she’s willing to spend more time with. If we find a really good ACT prep book that demystifies the science section that could help a bit. Also, math seems weird on the ACT with more data analysis and questions where the only option to finding an answer is trial and error. The SAT math is more algebra 2 and trig and she’s solid on those.
I studied for the ACT fairly extensively, and I don’t recall any math questions for which the only possible strategy is trial and error. Perhaps you could give me an example so I can help out if possible?
As you probably already know, the science section is all about speed and requires virtually no previous knowledge. I got a 36 on that section and my strategy was to go directly to the questions and spend zero time reading or attempting to understand anything that was not directly asked about. The one exception is the differing perspectives passage (or whatever they call that), which I left until the end so as to manage my time most effectively.
Because the ACT is about working fast, smart practice is likely to pay off. She might need to invest more in learning new material for the SAT to improve. In general, kids who are stronger in English get a bigger bang for their buck with the ACT.
If her math scores were lower or if she didn’t finish questions on the ACT, I would choose the ACT.
But at some level, it also depends on what she’s comfortable with as it’s her time and effort that have to go into it.
My kid focused on the SAT but had to take the ACT in school. Her scores are the same on both as well, 31 and 1400. She got a 1420 on her PSAT though. She decided to take the SAT one more time this fall. Which test is offered at her school? The SAT is offered at our school while the ACT is farther away.
The timing of the science section was an issue for D but she got a tip to read the questions first and then pull the answer from the charts/graphs Basically skipping reading all text. She got that section score up from a 28 to a 32 using that approach.
Look st colleges your D likely to consider. Also merit money at them. Where does she do better? It’s not an unusual situation. Most kids I know come close in those equivalency charts. When I last took a hard look at them for my youngest, ACT was favorable. At the colleges my kid was considering, he would do better with the ACT and that was not as close at all