You may be wondering, Should I take the SAT or ACT? No need to worry, cause you’re not alone. The SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test) and ACT (American College Testing) are the two most widely recognized standardized tests used in the college admissions process in the U.S. In the end, it doesn’t matter which one you submit since both tests are considered and accepted equally by all colleges, with the exception that some colleges are test optional. Both standardized tests assess what you learn in school: the same skills and knowledge you would need to showcase your readiness for college. However, there are many varying distinctions between the two, meaning it’s really up to personal preferences as to which one you should take. 

Here’s a breakdown in several key areas of the tests in order to give you some insight into the test-taking process:

Registration Fee/Test Dates:

Taking the test costs $68 for both. The ACT has the option to register for the writing section for an add-on fee of $25 and the science section for an additional $4. Both tests are offered 7 times throughout the year.

Test Format:

The SAT is exclusively a digital test, with the only exception for paper testing offered to students with related accommodations.

This contrasts with the ACT, which tests on paper for most centers, with the online version not being available everywhere.

Timing:

The SAT affords you a relatively slow-paced test, with 98 questions over 134 minutes (or 1 minute 22 seconds per question—41% more time per question than the ACT with Science, and 44% more time per question than the ACT without Science). There are no options for timing with the exception of accommodations. 

The ACT has varied timing depending on what sections you choose to take. The timing varies from 131 questions over 125 minutes (or 57 seconds per question) without the optional Science section or 171 questions over 165 minutes (or 58 seconds per question) with the optional Science section.

Breaks during testing: 

The SAT affords you 10 minutes between the Reading and Writing section and the Math Section, while the ACT offers 15 minutes after the Math section and 5 minutes before the Writing section (optional section). 

Reading Passages in the tests:

The SAT offers shorter passages with just one question per passage, while the ACT has long passages with 9 questions per passage.

Capping Scores on the tests:

SAT: Can cap your score based on how you do on the 1st module for both sections. If you do well on the first module on both sections, you can get a maximum score of 1600. However, if you do poorly on both/either section, the maximum score you can earn is significantly lower.

ACT: Doesn’t cap scores (score determined through the average of scores of all sections—composite score is final score with maximum score of 36).

Additional Score Reports & Answer Key

SAT: $14 for each score report, as well as the option to choose which scores.

ACT: $20 for each recipient and score, and the option to purchase an answer key to test to better prepare for future tests.

Official Practice and Test Prep:

The SAT’s official practice offers free access to Khan Academy (not-for-profit partnership) and 7 free digital SAT practice tests and question banks on College Board.

The ACT has less test preparation materials when compared to the SAT,  with it offering free access to Kaplan (for-profit partnership) and Revolution Prep (for-profit partnership) with 1 free downloadable test, 1 free timed web-based practice test, and 1 free untimed web-based practice test.

While it is widely stressed for students to take either the SAT or ACT, don’t overstress the importance of these tests to yourself, as it’s only one of the many aspects that colleges look at when considering your application. You can even take these tests multiple times if you don’t end up doing as well, and even superscore your score (as most colleges accept this)! Personally, I prefer the SAT (more students take this over the ACT), but it’s really up to you to choose which one you would like to take and submit. If you are still unsure of which to take, you can even take both in order to get a more nuanced understanding of the tests. So, which one would you rather take?