JUNIORS

Which test should I take?

 Years ago, colleges in the Midwest and South favored the ACT, while schools on both coasts preferred the SAT. Now, every college will accept either test. While both are used for the same purpose, they are very different tests.

 The SAT is considered a reasoning based test, requiring critical thinking and problem solving. The ACT is a curriculum based test which is often more closely aligned with what students have learned in school.

 The pacing is also different on the two exams. The ACT has fewer sections, but each one is longer. While the SAT is 20 minutes longer in total, students who like a faster pace and get impatient working on one section for a long time may prefer the SAT. Longer sections on the ACT do not mean you can take your time – as the ACT actually allows less time per question.

 The ACT essay prompt is usually more related to life in high school, and while it asks for your opinion, a successful essay includes creative thinking rather than just agreeing or disagreeing with a premise. Test preparation companies often suggest that students prepare for the SAT essay by coming up with several books and moments in history that can be used to support an argument in response to prompts that are often more broad.

 On the multiple choice writing section, the SAT requires more vocabulary, whereas the ACT emphasizes punctuation. If your reading skills are stronger than your vocabulary, you may do better on the ACT. While the ACT has a science section, the questions ask you to read graphs and interpret data rather than to apply scientific knowledge. The science section is actually a form of critical reading and the scores are often similar.

 The math section of the SAT is not difficult – but it is tricky. A few SAT math questions require intermediate algebra, but most can be solved with basic arithmetic, algebra and geometry. The ACT includes more advanced math, and a few questions require some trigonometry. If you do well in math classes, the more straightforward ACT could be a better fit. Students who are problem-solvers and who use short cuts often do well on the SAT. Although time-consuming, a student who can work backward, trying out each of the five answer choices rather than struggling to come up with an algebraic equation for a word problem may be less likely to make mistakes.

 Because the SAT does not look like tests you take in school, students may panic when they first encounter the exam. But since the SAT is less dependent on years of accumulated knowledge, it is possible to raise your scores fairly quickly. After five or six practice tests, you will start to recognize types of questions, and once the test is more familiar, anxiety levels tend to go down.

 While most students apply to colleges that require standardized tests, more colleges (about 800 currently) have adopted test-optional admissions policies in recent years.

 Finally, unlike the SAT, there is no penalty for guessing wrong on the ACT!

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