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The SAT and ACT Tests
Virtually every college and university in the country will accept either the SAT or ACT. You don’t need both. One of the test myths is that you need the SAT for certain schools and the ACT for others. Nope: Princeton (home town of the SAT) will take the ACT and the University of Iowa (home state of the ACT) will take the SAT. Note that schools can do whatever they want, and their criteria can change from year to year. So make sure you check with the schools directly to confirm what they require.
Only the most competitive schools will also require, in addition to the SAT OR ACT, the SAT 2’s. These are content tests in high school subjects. Most students will not have to worry about these. For those who do, they are very easy to prepare for.
Question: When do I start taking the tests and should I take them more than once?
You should start at the beginning of junior year, earlier if you’re very motivated. The more often you take the tests and the more you prepare for each one, the better you will do. And you have every incentive to do so, because colleges will take the best score you send them.
Question: Can I take it TOO many times?
In a word, no. Many students take the tests 5 or 6 times, even 8 or 10 times. If you took them 12 or 20 times (rare and a bit odd!), the colleges might think you were a bit overzealous, but probably wouldn’t hold it against you. They might even be impressed with your dedication. But, in reality, 5 or 6 times should be enough to get the result you need—and colleges will think you are dedicated AND reasonable.
Remember: most students start too late and don’t take the tests enough.
Question: How high can I score?
You can bet you won’t score your best on the first try, even if you prepare well for it. You will get better and better as you take more tests and prepare for each one. Of course, you might have a result that stays the same or goes down, but hang in there: your trend is always up, so get back in there and keep trying. Theoretically, an average student could keep going and eventually get a perfect or near-perfect score, but that would likely take years and scores of tests—not really an option.
But it’s nice to know that you are always getting better as you prepare and take tests. Remember: the more you prepare and the more you take the tests, the better test taker you are.
Question: What’s the difference between the SAT and the ACT?
Actually, they are more similar than they are different.
They both test the fundamentals you learn in elementary school, not really high school.
Both tests test grammar, reading, and elementary math. The SAT throws in a few vocabulary questions, and the the ACT throws in a so-called Science section (that tests no science: just your ability to read charts and graphs.)
Both have an essay section, in which you write an essay in about half an hour on a prompt.
However, there ARE differences:
Although both tests are very different from tests in school (the content is the same--it’s the way the content is tested that’s different), the ACT is a bit closer to what you actually see in school. Both are curriculum and reasoning tests, but the ACT is a bit more curriculum based, and the SAT a bit more reasoning based.
The SAT can feel harder, because it is trickier.
The ACT is harder to finish, because it is more time-pressured.
Question: I hear a lot about the guessing penalty on the SAT. I’m confused. Should I guess, or not?
Bottom line: always guess, and always guess quickly. The SAT has a so-called guessing penalty, but it is really a guessing CORRECTIVE. It only deducts the points you got when you guessed right. It’s based on a simple statistic: there are 5 choices, so you will randomly guess one right for every 4 you guess wrong. The SAT deducts a quarter point for each error you make. So, with 4 errors you lose one point, the point you got when you guessed right. Pretty simple.
It means it can’t hurt you to guess, especially because you rarely guess randomly. You usually guess intelligently by eliminating clearly wrong or unlikely choices. So your odds go up, and so do your points. So you should be aggressive on the SAT and guess, but guess quickly, so you don’t waste time.
On the ACT, if you guess right, it’s a free point: there is no guessing penalty. So, obviously you should absolutely guess every time you’re not sure of the answer, but, again, guess quickly!
There are a lot of good tips about how to guess on specific types of questions: all of those are in our College Prep Coach SAT & ACT Test Prep Kit.
Question: So which test should I take?
Whichever one you’re better at, of course! You find that out by taking practice tests and deciding which seems easier for you. You may very well feel the ACT is easier. That’s because it is less tricky. (It is more time-pressured, though. But you will get faster with practice.) If you’re a great test taker, feel free to take both tests multiple times. If you’re closer to average, remember you only need one or the other, so focus on the one you’re better at.
Question: How are the tests scored? And how do you compare their scores?
The SAT has 3 parts, each scored from 200 to 800. The top score is 2400. An average score is 500 on each part, for a total of 1500. 1650 is a “good” score”. 1800 is a “very good” score. 1950 is an “excellent” score. 2000+ is a "great" score. 2100 is Ivy League territory. 2200 is often good enough for full scholarships for schools that offer them.
The ACT has 4 parts, each scored from 1 to 36, which are averaged for a composite score, also from 1 to 36. 20 is average. 24 is good. 26 is very good. 28 is excellent. 29+ is great. 30 is Ivy League territory. 32 is often good enough for full scholarships for schools that offer them.
Both have an essay section, scored from 2 to 12. This score is combined with the Writing part of the SAT and with the English part of the ACT; in both cases, the essay score counts 1/3 of the total of that combination. The ACT is offered with or without the Essay section, but most colleges will want you to take it. (Again, check with your schools.)
To compare the SAT and ACT, you can use a simple rule of thumb. Beginning with 2400, deduct 60 SAT points for every point lower than 36 on the ACT. It’s not exact, but it’s close enough.
Question: How do I register for the tests?
Go to their official websites to register online: act.org for the ACT and collegeboard.com for the SAT. You can also register by mail by getting a registration packet from your guidance counselor.
Question: What about the PSAT?
The PSAT is a shorter version of the SAT. It is given to sophomores and juniors, who are usually automatically signed up for them through their schools, where the test is given. It is used as the basis for National Merit Recognition. You probably hear a lot about this. The first thing you should do is: relax. The PSAT can't get you into college, and by itself can't get you a scholarship. You need the SAT and ACT for that. If you're a very good to great test taker, by all means prepare for the PSAT and go for National Merit recognition. But if you're closer to average, don't worry about it: take the PSAT in stride and treat it as a little warm-up for the SAT, which is really what it's designed for.
The reason you hear so much about the PSAT is that high schools use National Merit recognition as a key measure of their quality. Whether that is reasonable or not, it certainly doesn't have much to do with a student's college plans.
Please feel free to email us with any other questions you may have. In the meantime, we wish you the best with your test preparation. Remember: start early, take the tests often, and prepare for each one!
Click here to purchase the College Prep Coach SAT & ACT Test Prep Kit.
