SAT vs. ACT

• Timing and Number of Questions

   Overall, the SAT gives an average of 70 seconds per question, compared to the ACT's 49 seconds. Think about whether you may need more time to complete one of the sections. For example, if you struggle with comprehending reading passages quickly, you might prefer the SAT since it gives nearly 20 seconds more per Reading question than the ACT does (though the former also contains 12 more Reading questions). 

• Scoring

   On the SAT, your total score out of 1600 is simply the sum of your Math and Evidence-Based Reading and Writing scores (the latter of which is a combination of your scores on the Reading section and the Writing and Language section). On the ACT, your composite score out of 36 is the average — not the sum — of your four section scores for English, Math, Reading, and Science. The optional essay is scored separately. This means your Math score counts for just one-fourth of your final ACT score but half of your final SAT score. If you struggle with math, the ACT may be a better fit for you.

• No-Calculator Math Section

   Unlike the ACT, the SAT splits its Math section into two subsections: one on which you may use a calculator and one on which you may not use a calculator. The Math (No Calculator) test comes before the Math (Calculator) test and consists of 20 questions.  You'll have 25 minutes, or about 75 seconds per question, to solve these problems by hand using scratch paper. By contrast, the entire ACT Math section allows you to use a calculator (though you don't have to).  If you're not sure about your ability to solve math problems by hand, the ACT may work better for you.

• Math Reference Guide

   Although the ACT allows you to use a calculator for every Math question, you won't be given any formulas on test day. 
The SAT is a little more forgiving in this regard. On the SAT, you'll get a reference guide at the beginning of both the Math (No Calculator) and Math (Calculator) sections, which you can use during the exam.  This guide contains a variety of math formulas, mostly for geometry problems, which make up less than 10% of SAT Math questions. With this reference guide, there's less pressure to memorize common math formulas for the SAT than there is for the ACT.

• Number of Answer Choices on Math

  ACT Math questions have five answer choices each, whereas SAT Math questions have four. This means you'll have a slightly higher chance of choosing the correct answer on SAT Math than you will on ACT Math (a 25% chance of guessing correctly versus a 20% chance).

• Science Section

  Unlike the SAT, the ACT includes a dedicated Science section, which counts for one-fourth of your composite ACT score. To do well on the Science section, you must know how to interpret experimental data and hypotheses and how to evaluate scientific models. While the SAT does not include a separate Science section, many of its questions reference scientific experiments and therefore also require a deep understanding of how to interpret scientific data. These questions, which may be found on all SAT sections, make up your Analysis in Science cross-test score.

• Evidence Questions

   Both the SAT Reading and Writing sections include evidence-based question types, which the ACT does not. With this question, your answer depends exclusively on your answer to the question directly preceding it. In other words, you need to provide "evidence" from the reading passage to show how you found your answer to the previous question. Typically, you'll be asked to identify a specific line in the reading passage from which you drew your conclusion.

• Chronological Reading Questions

   On the SAT, Reading questions generally appear chronologically, that is, in the same order in which ideas are presented in the passage. This is not the case for the ACT. On the ACT, Reading questions, though sometimes chronological, more often follow no clear order and can apply to any part of the passage. This could confuse test-takers and make it harder to answer questions quickly.

• Historical Documents and Older Reading Passages

   If you're taking the SAT, be prepared to come across a few older reading passages from before the 20th century or early 20th century.  On the Reading section, you'll always get at least one historical document, which can be tricky to understand. What's more, the literature passage is often excerpted from an older work of fiction.  ACT reading passages, in comparison, are almost always contemporary, often written within the past few decades.  Test-takers who struggle to understand old-fashioned language may prefer the ACT over the SAT.

• Optional Essay

   Originally, both the SAT and ACT included an optional essay component, which required you to compose an original essay based on a given passage.  As of summer 2021, however, the SAT no longer offers an optional essay. If you want to write an essay, your only option going forward will be to take the ACT. 

If you're still struggling to decide whether to take the SAT or ACT, consider taking a full-length SAT practice test and ACT practice test to see which one you score better on and feel more confident taking.