SAT / ACT
What are the ACT and SAT?
Making Sense of the ACT / SAT Scores
Many colleges consider standarized test scores from the ACT and SAT as part of their admissions process. Juniors and seniors in high school typically take these exams to demonstrate their readiness for college-level work.
What do the ACT and SAT Measure?
In general, the ACT and SAT are designed to measure college readiness to help predict future academic success; however, they do so in different ways.
- The ACT assesses what a student has already learned, covering material that is typically taught during high school.
- The SAT is more focused on a student's potential to learn, including material that may not have been directly covered in high school coursework.
As a result, some students perform better on the ACT, particularly those who are more comfortable with content-based testing, while others perform better on the SAT. Most colleges accept scores from either exam, and many students choose to take both to increase their college admission opportunities.
Which test should you take? Should you take both?
This document outlines each test and provides a comparison of the two. It offers a clear overview of what each test covers, as well as its similarities and differences.