<p>Hello! I am a high school counselor and I am writing something on how someone should decide to take either the SAT or ACT test. I do not have much familiarity with the ACT yet I know some people do better with that test than the SAT. Can anyone please offer suggestions to high school students on why they should take one test over the other? Thank you!!</p>
<p>Take a practice test for each and compare the results.</p>
<p>ACT = academic achievement test
SAT = attempts to test ability\potential</p>
<p>^This is generally what most sources say. It can be debatable though.</p>
<p>Tell people to take both to find out which test suits them better because it’s hard to say exactly what makes one test better for a certain person or another…</p>
<p>Remember that both tests now offer score choice, which allows the student to choose which scores to have sent to colleges from multiple administrations of the tests (i.e., the highest scores attained). As such, your students have nothing to lose by taking both the SAT and the ACT (and more than once, if necessary) to see how they do. As to the difference between the two tests, very generally:</p>
<ol>
<li> The ACT is a content based test; the SAT is more of a reasoning test.</li>
<li> The SAT is longer, but the ACT has more time pressure.</li>
<li> The score on the SAT writing sample is factored into the overall score (although many colleges and universities disregard it); on the ACT, the writing sample does not factor into the composite score, although a separate score is issued for it, as well as a combined score with the English section.<br></li>
<li> The ACT tests some material at a higher level than the SAT (e.g., math) and tests some material (e.g., science reasoning) that the SAT does not test at all.<br></li>
<li> In some cases, the ACT will substitute for both the SAT and the SAT II subject tests (when the latter are required by a given college or university).<br></li>
</ol>
<p>The most important thing to remember is that virtually all colleges and universities will accept either test. Although most students score in about the same range relative to their peers on both tests, some students do significantly better on one test than the other, so it’s usually to a student’s advantage to try both. Hope this helps.</p>
<p>I think if you are a good test taker the ACT is easier and that is why I like it better. The SAT tries to trick you but the ACT is more straightforward and if you can interpret information fast, you should do very well on the ACT but you might still struggle with the SAT. If, however, you are slower but very careful and precise, you might do better on the SAT and run out of time on the ACT.</p>
<p>Take both and see which you do better on</p>
<p>The ACT factors in science reasoning so if someone is well suited in the science and math fields, I would suggest they take the ACT. Also if someone is a good test taker i would suggest the ACT… the SAT is more general and more basic than the ACT, but the questions are somewhat tricky. Also the SAT takes of a 1/4 point for getting a question wrong, making it more strategical because the ACT does not take points off for getting a question wrong, rather only counting the number correct.</p>