ACT or SAT: How should students choose?
By: Ari Worthman, director of college counseling at Lakeside School, Seattle, WA, and a member of the Coalition’s Counselor Advisory Committee.
This is an important question that many students and families ask. For an answer, I spoke with my colleague and good friend, Jed Applerouth, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Applerouth Tutoring. Watch our nine-minute conversation here or read a summary below.
Ari: For each test, which courses should students have taken in math, at least partially, before testing?
Jed: Students should have a foundation in certain math classes: Algebra I, Algebra II, and some Geometry. Students taking Algebra II as a junior should wait until spring when they’ve been substantially exposed to Algebra II topics. Students who find Geometry challenging, or who have had limited exposure to it, might consider the SAT, which typically has fewer than a handful of geometry questions. One quarter of the ACT math section focuses on geometry.
Ari: What courses should they have taken in Reading, English, or Language Arts?
Jed: The ACT Reading passages are at a ninth grade level whereas the SAT passages are at an 11th grade level (higher level vocabulary, old English texts, etc). Additionally, there is more reading in the SAT Math Section where students read problems and “pull out” the math. Therefore, unless students are in advanced Reading, English, or Language Arts classes, they should wait until spring of junior year for the SAT. For students who struggle with critical reading, or are in remedial reading classes, the ACT might be a better option.
Ari: I’ve heard there is a difference in pacing between the exams. For a student that works slower or needs more time for each question, which exam would you recommend?
Jed: The SAT has fewer questions, which means students have, roughly, 40 percent more time per question than on the ACT. That means the ACT is a much speedier test, which could be challenging for students who move at a slower pace.
Ari: Are there ways students can sample both exams to determine which is better for them?
Jed: Absolutely. Khan Academy partners with the College Board (producer of the SAT) and has free practice tests. The ACT makes free practice tests available, too. There are also SAT practice books and ACT practice books students can purchase or borrow from local libraries with prior tests that the College Board and ACT publish. Also, many high schools offer the Preliminary SAT (PSAT) or the Pre-ACT, which are great opportunities - students should ask their school counseling office about them. Finally, for students who want to take timed and proctored practice tests, most test prep companies offer these opportunities for free. When possible, students should be sure the practice tests are real exams (ones produced by the College Board and/or ACT) rather than tests created by the test prep company.
For students and families interested in learning more about this or other topics related to standardized testing, read Jed’s blogs on the Applerouth website.
