I just took the ACT for the first time today. I had about 17 hours of preparation beforehand. I thought the english, reading, and science questions were pretty easy, but I felt crunched on time. The math section was kinda brutal for me because I’m not strong in math, so I’m hoping my other scores make up for it. Should I take the ACT again or the SAT? I have heard that the ACT is better for people who are not as strong in math, because you have three other sections to make up for it in comparison to the SAT where you only have one section to make up for a crappy math score. Is this true? I am leaning more towards the ACT, especially after all the recent college board cheating stuff and odd scoring going on.
In my opinion SAT is better for people who need more time. I always feel rushed on the ACT, but on the SAT I am able to finish with time to double check my work. I would say that the SAT math section tends to be somewhat more difficult than the ACT math. I would say you should take the SAT at least once and see how you do. I took the ACT 3 times and my score was around the same each time even with studying. I took the SAT once and found it to be much easier. It made me wish I would have taken it earlier and not have wasted so much time on the ACT.
I did take the SAT in March, but I only scored a 1110. This was without any prep. While I was taking it, I honestly thought it wasn’t as bad as people made it out to be. I was expecting at least a 1200. So, I was very disappointed when I got that score back.
https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/pdf/guide-2018-act-sat-concordance.pdf
1110 SAT is supposed to be like 22 ACT. Comparing your ACT score to the equivalent from your SAT score (22) should help you determine which test is better for you.
Okay. So, I should definitely stick with the ACT then. I talked to my guidance counselor yesterday, and she told me students in our school do a lot better on the ACT then the SAT. There are less people in my school who take the ACT, but more positive reactions to it compared to the SAT.
Just got my ACT scores back and I’m not happy. I got a 25 C, 31 E, 21 M, 22 R, and 24 S. I was totally expecting the lower Math score this time around because math isn’t my strong suit. And my English score is actually where I expected it to be. But, I was totally not expecting those really low reading and science scores. Those were the sections I continuously scored really high on (30+) on the practice tests. I didn’t even leave any questions blank besides 5 for the english, and that was my highest score. It doesn’t make any sense to me. Now, I feel like I need to take both the ACT and SAT again. Has anyone else heard of this happening?
What year are you in high school? What math are you currently taking?
If you are not finishing all the questions on the ACT, or struggling/rushing to finish them, the SAT is probably a better test for you. Regardless of the test you choose, daily focused practice is necessary. In addition you have to do timed practice tests. You can do practice section tests (timed) but you have to do at least one full timed test too. These tests are like anything else, one needs to practice to get results.
I’m a senior. I did take 2 or 3 timed full practice tests. My scores don’t make any sense. 
While that may be the case for many, the OP got a 1110 SAT which is supposed to be like 22 ACT according to the concordance tables. This is lower than the OP’s actual ACT score of 25.
@ucbalumnus That is true, that’s why I qualified my statement by saying probably. OP said s/he didn’t prepare for the SAT, while they did prepare for the ACT. Also took the SAT 6 months prior to ACT, so those 2 facts are germane. As OP is a senior, I stand by my comments on the other thread s/he started today.
I think I’m just going to take the SAT again. I already have a big practice book, and my gc was able to get me a fee waiver easily. I’d rather not have to study for both tests. Especially considering I have to keep up with my school work, deal with college applications, and I actually want to have a little fun my senior year and not overstress myself too much.