SAT vs
SAT vs. ACT: How do the Tests Compare?
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| |[pic] |
| |SAT |
| |[pic][pic] |
| |ACT |
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| |When is it administered? |
| |Seven times per year |
| |Six times per year |
| | |
| |What is the test structure? |
| |Ten-section exam: Three Critical Reading, three Math, three Writing, and one Experimental. The Experimental section is masked to look like a regular |
| |section. |
| |Four-section exam: English, Math, Reading, and Science Reasoning. An Experimental section is added to tests on certain dates only, and is clearly |
| |experimental. |
| | |
| |What is the test content? |
| |Math: up to 9th grade basic geometry and Algebra II. Science: none. |
| |Reading: sentence completions, short and long critical reading passages, reading comprehension. |
| |Writing: an essay, and questions testing grammar, usage, and word choice. |
| |Math: up to trigonometry. Science: charts, experiments. |
| |Reading: four passages, one each of Prose Fiction, Social Science, Humanities, and Natural Science. |
| |English: stresses grammar. |
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| |Is there a penalty for wrong answers? |
| |Yes |
| |No |
| | |
| |How is the test scored? |
| |200-800 per section, added together for a combined score. A 2400 is the highest possible combined score. |
| |1-36 for each subject, averaged for a composite score. A 36 is the highest possible composite score. |
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| |Are all scores sent to schools? |
| |Yes. If a student requests a score report be sent to specific colleges, the report will include the scores the student received on every SAT taken. |
| |No. There is a "Score Choice" option. Students can choose which schools will receive their scores AND which scores the schools will see. |
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| |Are there other uses for the exams? |
| |Scholarship purposes. |
| |Scholarship purposes. Certain statewide testing programs. |
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| |Best time to register? |
| |At least six weeks before the test date |
| |At least four weeks before the test date |
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| |Need more information? |
| |Educational Testing Service (ETS) (609) 771-7600 |
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| |The College Board |
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| |ACT, Inc.: |
| |(319) 337-1000 |
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|Defining Differences between the SAT II, SAT I, and ACT |
|Adapted From: SAT II Biology For Dummies |
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|Who requires the tests? |
|The SAT Subject Tests isn't required by most universities (except in California). |
|The SAT Reasoning Test is accepted as an admissions requirement by almost all colleges and universities and is generally more popular with Eastern colleges than it is |
|with Western schools. |
|The ACT is accepted by most colleges and universities as an admission requirement and is generally more popular with colleges in the West than with those in the East. |
|! Find out from the colleges and universities which exams they require. They provide this information on their application forms, in their promotional material, and on |
|their websites. |
|What's tested by these exams? |
|The SAT Subject tests individual subjects, ranging from literature to biology to U.S. history to Japanese. |
|The SAT Reasoning tests reading (in the form of sentence completion and passage-based questions), writing (through an essay and questions that ask you to identify |
|grammar, punctuation, and construction errors), and math skills (arithmetic, geometry, and algebra). |
|The ACT tests reading comprehension, English grammar, science reasoning, and math (the same subjects as those on the SAT I, with a little trig thrown in). |
|Which test is the easiest? |
|The SAT Subject Test can be pretty challenging depending on your level of knowledge about a specific subject, so a good study tool is crucial. |
|The SAT Reasoning Test is easiest if you feel comfortable with writing and grammar, and you haven't had any trig classes. It's harder if you dread writing and grammar. |
|Ten of the math questions on the SAT II are grid-in rather than multiple-choice questions, which means you have to work out the answer to them and write in the answer on |
|your sheet. Some people don't like questions that aren't multiple-choice. |
|The ACT is easier for most people than the SAT I in the reading questions but a little harder in the math. The ACT grammar questions are a little easier than those on the|
|SAT I, too. |
|How are the tests scored? |
|The SAT Subject Test gives you a score of 200-800. You get a point for every right answer and zero points for every omitted answer. You lose 1/4 of a point for every |
|question you answer incorrectly. |
|The SAT Reasoning Test gives you a critical reading score of 200-800, and writing score of 200-800, and a math score of 200-800. You get your overall score by adding all |
|three scores together. Each correct answer counts one point, and each omitted question counts zero points. A wrong answer can have no penalty (grid-in math questions) or |
|can cost you 1/4 of a point (all the multiple-choice questions). |
|The ACT scores range from 1-36 for all four areas, English usage, reading, math, and science reasoning. The overall score comes from an average of all four scores. The |
|ACT doesn't subtract any points for wrong answers, so you should always guess. |
|How long does each test take? |
|The SAT Subject Test takes one hour for each subject test. |
|The SAT Reasoning Test takes over three and 1/2 hours. You have six 25-minute sections (two writing, two reading, and two math), two 20-minute sections (one reading and |
|one math), and one 10-minute writing section with just grammar questions. |
|The ACT takes almost three hours (45 min. - English, 60 min. - math, 35 min. - science, and 35 min.- reading). |
| |
|Defining Differences between the SAT II, SAT I, and ACT |
|Adapted From: SAT II Biology For Dummies |
|[pic]Printer-ready version |
|Many people are befuddled about how the SAT II, SAT I, and the ACT compare — and how they're decidedly different. The following points |
|can help you keep these three tests straight. |
|Who requires the tests? |
|The SAT II, or the SAT Subject Tests, isn't required by most universities (except in California). |
|The SAT I, the general SAT, is accepted as an admissions requirement by almost all colleges and universities and is generally more |
|popular with Eastern colleges than it is with Western schools. |
|The ACT is accepted by most colleges and universities as an admission requirement and is generally more popular with colleges in the |
|West than with those in the East. |
|Find out from the colleges and universities which exams they require. They provide this information on their application forms, in their|
|promotional material, and on their websites. |
|What's tested by these exams? |
|The SAT II tests individual subjects, ranging from literature to biology to U.S. history to Japanese. |
|The SAT I tests reading (in the form of sentence completion and passage-based questions), writing (through an essay and questions that |
|ask you to identify grammar, punctuation, and construction errors), and math skills (arithmetic, geometry, and algebra). |
|The ACT tests reading comprehension, English grammar, science reasoning, and math (the same subjects as those on the SAT I, with a |
|little trig thrown in). |
|Which test is the easiest? |
|The SAT II can be pretty challenging depending on your level of knowledge about a specific subject, so a good study tool is crucial. |
|The SAT I is easiest if you feel comfortable with writing and grammar, and you haven't had any trig classes. It's harder if you dread |
|writing and grammar. Ten of the math questions on the SAT II are grid-in rather than multiple-choice questions, which means you have to |
|work out the answer to them and write in the answer on your sheet. Some people don't like questions that aren't multiple-choice. |
|The ACT is easier for most people than the SAT I in the reading questions but a little harder in the math. The ACT grammar questions are|
|a little easier than those on the SAT I, too. |
|How are the tests scored? |
|The SAT II gives you a score of 200-800. You get a point for every right answer and zero points for every omitted answer. You lose 1/4 |
|of a point for every question you answer incorrectly. |
|The SAT I gives you a critical reading score of 200-800, and writing score of 200-800, and a math score of 200-800. You get your overall|
|score by adding all three scores together. Each correct answer counts one point, and each omitted question counts zero points. A wrong |
|answer can have no penalty (grid-in math questions) or can cost you 1/4 of a point (all the multiple-choice questions). |
|The ACT scores range from 1-36 for all four areas, English usage, reading, math, and science reasoning. The overall score comes from an |
|average of all four scores. The ACT doesn't subtract any points for wrong answers, so you should always guess. |
|How long does each test take? |
|The SAT II takes one hour for each subject test. |
|The SAT I takes over three and 1/2 hours. You have six 25-minute sections (two writing, two reading, and two math), two 20-minute |
|sections (one reading and one math), and one 10-minute writing section with just grammar questions. |
|The ACT takes almost three hours (45 minutes for the English test, 60 minutes for the math test, 35 minutes for the science test, and 35|
|minutes for the reading test). |
|When are the tests given? |
|The SAT II is given six times a year, usually in October, November, December, January, May and June. The SAT I and SAT II are held on |
|the same day at the same time, so you can't take both exams on the same administration date. |
|The SAT I is given seven times a year, usually in October, November, December, January, March, May and June. |
|The ACT is held five times a year, usually in October, December, January, March, May and June. |
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