What is Better: The SAT (March 2022) or The ACT (February 2022)?

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The Majority of Students will Score Higher on either the SAT or ACT. Deciding to take the correct test may help students get into their school of choice. Is it difficult to find the preferred exam SAT or ACT for your students? Did you accurately pinpoint students’ subjects or topic-wise strengths and areas of improvement? When you’re physically using your calculator and manually grading the test, always be sure to double-check your work.

Both tests are about the same length, but the SAT has fewer, longer sections while the ACT has more, shorter sections. ACT is a good choice if you have difficulty focusing on long tasks, but SAT is a better choice if you get easily distracted.

ACT and SAT Pros:

One test might suit you better than the other

The ACT and SAT are set up differently—the ACT tends to be a little more straightforward in what it asks, while the SAT encourages some critical thinking to discover the right answer. Of course, it may be hard to tell which type of test you’d prefer until you take both of them. Depending on the kind of student or learner you are—technical, visual, interpretive, etc.—you might score better on one or the other, so it doesn’t hurt to try out both and see which one works best.

Studying for one can help you prepare for the other

Oftentimes the material both exams test on is similar, even if they ask the questions in different ways. Therefore, brushing up on your algebra skills will be beneficial to both exams. This means you can streamline your studying and reinforce different content.

Impress admissions officers

What’s better than a good score on the ACT? A good score on the ACT and the SAT. Twice the entrance exam, twice the kudos. While colleges have no preference between either test, turning in scores from both shows your dedication to academics, which is a big highlight on your application. Plus, the more information you can give to a college, the better—this will allow them to better assess you and your potential fit at their institution.

ACT and SAT Cons:

More / different studying

You know how we said earlier that sometimes the material can translate from one test to the other, well that doesn’t necessarily go the same for how to study all of it. For example, the more math-formula intensive ACT will allow you to use the calculator on the whole test, but won’t give you a formula-cheat sheet. The SAT, however, restricts your use of a calculator but gives you a formula guide. So, if you’re planning on taking both, you can’t always rely on the format of one.

Time commitment 

In addition to the extra studying required, you’ll have to attend multiple several-hour-long tests. That will eat up a few weekends—even more, if you consider taking either or both for a second time to increase your scores. This time commitment can draw focus away from other important things, like homework, normal tests, and filling out college applications.

Custom SAT/ACT Diagnostic Report

  • Provides test recommendations as per test performance analysis.
  • Provides a side-by-side comparison of SAT and ACT performance.
  • Pinpoints the topics and concepts that need attention.
  • Helps create a roadmap for excelling on the actual exam.
  • The firm name, logo, and contact information can all be customized in the report.
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