<p>Which test would be better for my son? The ACT or SAT? He's very weak in math (hates it) and an average student in everything else. He does enjoy history and English (he's in AP). Is either test more "math friendly"?</p>
<p>math questions on the ACT are more straightforward. it's more of a beat-the-clock test, whereas the SAT is a beat-the-clock and watch your step test.</p>
<p>take both and see how he does</p>
<p>If you take the ACT, you can choose which scores to release to colleges - or none if you want.</p>
<p>If you take the SAT I and II, colleges will see all your scores because they're all on the same report.</p>
<p>If you're having trouble deciding, I'd say do one (or more) of the following:
1) Take practice tests, understand what's on each test, and decide which one will be easier to study (and raise your score) for.
2) Take the PLAN and PSAT junior year and pursue the one you do better on.
3) Take the ACT first, and then the SAT if you don't do as well as you'd like.</p>
<p>I'm probably like your son because I'm better and english and writing than math. I took both but ended up doing much better on the ACT and it seemed to better reflect my abilities. I dont know if this is true or not but I've heard that people who are more creative types do better on the ACT. Good luck with whichever one you take!</p>
<p>My son is most definitely an english/history person and NOT math/science. He took the SAT and although he got a 2000, he got a 620 in math. I urged him to take the ACT because I read here a lot about how much better kids did on the ACT and how they thought it was easier. Plus, I figured he didn't really have anything to lose by taking the ACT since he didn't have to submit the scores if he did badly. When he came out of the ACT test he told me he bombed it, he said he hated it and that the test in his opinion is great for math/science kids and he liked the SAT better. He got his ACT scores and got a composite of 31, but in math he got a 28 and science a 25. So he was right but he did so well on the english and reading that it made for a decent composite score. He told me that despite being in honors science (and math) he knew very little of the science and unprepared for it. So I conclude that it is hard to judge - some kids do much better on it than SAT, some worse. The way I see it is that since he doesn't have to submit the ACT scores if he is not pleased then it is definitely worth taking it because you never know - he good do much better, why not see?</p>