<p>I took the SAT and got an 1890. A lot of people say that if the SAT is not your thing, then the ACT is. Meaning that ACT is easier if SAT is hard. Is this true? I want a higher score but want more opinions.</p>
<p>It’s not necessarily easier, but I think that the SAT and the ACT cater to different types of people. The ACT is nicer in the way that it has only 4 sections (5 if you do writing) and there is no penalty for guessing.
If you feel you could do better then I suggest taking BOTH tests. The SAT again and the ACT.</p>
<p>Most people tend to do slightly better on one than they would on the other since the tests are slightly different.</p>
<p>Some key differences include…
- ACT math includes trigonometry, SAT math does not
- ACT has a science reasoning section, SAT does not
- ACT writing is optional, SAT writing is mandatory
- ACT has less time per question than the SAT</p>
<p>Pick the one that suits your strengths. If you really struggle to finish on time, your best bet is with the SAT. If you excel in math/science, ACT is a better way to showcase your strengths. </p>
<p>I would recommend taking both tests, or an official practice test under real conditions for both so which you do better on. Then focus on that test if you want to take it again.</p>
<p>Definitely take the ACT also to see where you stand. I studied a little for both and got a 2090 on my SAT first time and 34 composite on my ACT first time (about 2250 SAT equivalent). What I thought was interesting was I thought I killed the SAT (like 2300+) but thought I bombed the ACT. I didn’t finish 2 sections on the ACT (just filled in C for the ones I didn’t finish) and barely finished a third. Just some perspective.</p>
<p>There was a 500 point disparity between my ACT and my PSAT.</p>
<p>I feel like most people either score slightly better on the SAT, slightly better on the ACT, or much better on the ACT. I don’t know anyone who has a much higher SAT score.</p>
<p>i got only 2060 on the sat, but i got a 33 and a 35 on the february and april act tests respectively. it goes to show that one of the tests can really suit your talents!</p>
<p>Everything you guys are telling me is very beneficial and supportive! Is the science section any hard? I feel like the ACT requires more studying. </p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>Should I take the ACT? I haven’t had much luck with SAT (2110) but I feel like I already invested so much time into SAT that maybe the third time is the charm?</p>
<p>The SAT is considered a reasoning test - basically, you are using (somewhat) simple skills to solve problems. </p>
<p>The ACT is considered an achievement test and measures more on what you know rather than just deductive reasoning. </p>
<p>I feel it is always good to try both and see which one suits you. Even if you have spent time studying for one more than another you can still get a high score on the other.</p>
<p>I didn’t study for the ACT and took it the summer returning my sophomore year and didn’t study and got a 29 (I think this was pretty amazing since I had only taken freshman classes and didn’t know precalc yet). </p>
<p>The ACT may require more prep but the science isn’t typically anything that is super niche. A lot of it is simply reading graphs and interpreting them. On my test I remember there was only one niche question that wasn’t reading a graph.</p>
<p>Not sure about the SAT, but the ACT is extremely easy cept the science part. And the Math section requires you to move with a fast pace, though it’s basic alg & trig.<br>
For the science … Firstly, let me say that you do NOT need to know ANYTHING about science. But there is a strategy to take it… Basically u needa be good at interpreting graphs and data… Focus on science… And math a bit… U should nail English… BTW go for the writing…</p>
<p>It really depends on the person, I’m more of an SAT person (done both tests), but that’s just me. There’s a lot of press on how the ACT is better, but again, it really boils down to the individual learning style of the student</p>
<p>Quite the opposite, rather. The SAT examines knowledge, while the ACT determines how well you analyze and perform under nerve racking conditions.</p>
<p>There isn’t any precalc on ACT.</p>
<p>I took trig in 9th grade (3 years ago) so I pretty much forgot it all. And i also bombed my SAT II Math Level 2 with a 620. Is ACT still the route to go?</p>
<p>In the ACT, there were quite a few trig / precalc questions when I took it, so just review a little bit and I’m sure that you’ll be fine! A lot of the questions are just simple sine, cosine, tangent, etc.</p>
<p>Thank you npswimmer44! i’ll try :)</p>
<p>You’ll do fine! Also just review a little but over some geometry and algebra formulas and you’ll do fine! A lot of it is very very straightforward! </p>
<p>Good luck! :)</p>
<p>When I took the PSAT, I got a 202. I felt absolutely awful about the entire test. I tried a practice SAT test from the blue book and didn’t even score it because I knew I had gotten so many questions wrong. I tried the ACT and the first time I got a 34. After doing a few practice tests, I got a 35 the second time. My essay scores were 9 and 7 respectively, so the SAT would have hurt me in that regard. I always didn’t like that the SAT takes more studying with the question formatting and vocabulary. The SAT has so many short sections that really break my concentration. I prefer the long chunks of time for each section in the ACT. It’s very similar to my state’s required standardized testing, except with a time limit. The ACT just felt more straightforward, whereas the SAT felt like it was always trying to trick me. I think that most people will have a test they are better at, so I’d definitely try the ACT if I were you. Good luck!</p>
<p>I got a 2240 on the SAT and 33 on the ACT, so I did slightly better on the SAT.</p>