What is SAT and ACT?
The SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) and the ACT (American College Testing) are both standardized tests serving as comparative yardsticks of interpreting students’ overall academic performance in relation to the national applicant pool, acting as a comparative yardstick of a student’s performance to qualify for the undergraduate admission criteria in some colleges/universities of the U.S.
What is SAT?
The SAT is wholly owned, developed, and published by the College Board, a private, not-for-profit organization in the United States. It is administered on behalf of the College Board by the Educational Testing Service, which until recently developed the SAT as well.
What is ACT?
The ACT is currently administered by ACT, a non-profit organization of the same name. The ACT test covers four academic skill areas: English, mathematics, reading, and science reasoning. It also offers an optional direct writing test.
Verdict
Unlike ACT which has 35 minutes allotted for 40 questions on science, SAT doesn’t have a science section and is more preferred by student who are not inclined towards science. Moreover, the time crunch is more for ACT than SAT. SAT is 15 minutes longer than ACT. SAT Reading questions come in the sequential order of the progression of each passage, complete with line numbers to help find the point of reference unlike ACT which challenges a student with random questions. SAT is heavy on Algebra and light on Geometry and Trigonometry unlike ACT which focuses on Geometry. There are some math concepts like logarithms, matrices, and graphs of trigonometric functions which are all absent from the SAT (but present on the ACT). When it comes to creative handling of essays, SAT would look for a lucid explanation on the thought process, whereas ACT would want the student to evaluate, critique, back up personal opinions with evidence, invite rebuttal and express a cogent understanding of the subject matter into consideration.
