As
the 2014- 2015 school year begins, seniors and juniors are burdened with the
question, “Should I take the SAT or the ACT?” For colleges, each test is
weighed similarly; therefore, it makes no difference to the admissions representatives.
The difference between the tests lies in the hands of the student and their
test taking ability.
The SAT is the older of the standardized tests. Established in 1952, the SAT was aimed to test a student’s level of intelligence in reading comprehension, analogies, antonyms and sentence completion questions. More and more students began taking the SATs and the College Board responded to the increase in test takers by adding a math and writing section.
Overall, the SAT has a larger emphasis on
vocabulary and the test is broken up into ten sections consisting of: one
twenty-five minute writing section, six twenty-five minute sections varying in
subject matter from math to critical reading to an experimental section, two
twenty minute sections in both math and critical reading, and finally one ten
minute grammar section. The test is totaled to last three hours and 45 minutes.
The student usually receives their test scores two weeks after the date of
their test. The SAT is currently based on a grading scale of 2400 points.
The ACT, therefore, is the more modern of the tests being established in 1959. The ACT is more popularly taken in the mid-western part of the Country whereas the SAT is taken more by students living in and around the coasts of the country. The ACT is said to be more straight forward and less wordy than the SAT. Consisting of four multiple choice sections, the ACT tests a student’s intelligence in English, Mathematics, Science and Reading. Unlike the SAT, this test allows the student to choose whether or not to take a writing section, although most colleges require it.
If a student excels more in mathematics and science, most of the time they will achieve more by taking the ACT. The ACT tests more advanced mathematical topics such as trigonometry, a student’s ability to read and reason upon a given a set of scientific facts. The test is based on a composite score of 0-36: each section is graded 0-36 and each score is incorporated into making a composite score.
The question to which test is more beneficial to a student lies in the ability in the way the student prefers to take tests. Senior Lauren McCarthy chose to take both the ACT and the SAT to determine which test was better suited to her test taking ability.
“I think the main difference between the ACT and the SAT is that the ACTs are longer in general although the time limits for each section were shorter than the SATs and the ACTs also had a science section. Despite the differences, I preferred the ACTs because I thought the test was more straight forward and practical. I felt that it was testing my intelligence on a more practical level,” McCarthy said.
When it comes down to deciding which test will be more beneficial to a student, (s)he should think about the subjects in which the student excels. If a student does significantly better in math and science than in vocabulary and reading comprehension, then (s)he should take the ACT. If (s)he excels in vocabulary and reading comprehension, they should take the SAT.
As a student contemplates which test to take (sh) may also question whether or not to even take the test. Should one test dictate whether or not a student gets into the school of his or her choice? This question has not only crossed the minds of the students, but also many administrators. Colleges and Universities are now adopting a test-optional policy and instead focusing on the student’s academic achievements throughout their four years of high school.
The test-optional policy has become more popular over this past year, as colleges and universities have come to a conclusion that one test should not dictate a student’s overall academic potential. Senior Michael Stone, along with many other students, finds tests stressful for this reason.
“One test should not dictate your entire life. Someone might just not be an excellent test taker and they might receive a 1650 on the SATs although they might have an almost perfect GPA of a 4.0. The acceptance into a school should be based on your grades throughout high school and your overall performance in and out of school during those four years,” voiced Stone.
Whether a student decides to take the ACT, the SAT, or take no test at all, (s)he will likely be accepted into a college. Don’t fret! Always remember to take time to prepare for the tests, and, if one does poorly on his or her first try, (s)he can always try again. For more information on the SAT or the ACT and to find out when and where tests will be held log on to www.collegeboard.com or www.actstudent.org.
The SAT is the older of the standardized tests. Established in 1952, the SAT was aimed to test a student’s level of intelligence in reading comprehension, analogies, antonyms and sentence completion questions. More and more students began taking the SATs and the College Board responded to the increase in test takers by adding a math and writing section.
 |
| This chart shows the significant differences between both tests.
photo from Cardinal Education Blog
|
The ACT, therefore, is the more modern of the tests being established in 1959. The ACT is more popularly taken in the mid-western part of the Country whereas the SAT is taken more by students living in and around the coasts of the country. The ACT is said to be more straight forward and less wordy than the SAT. Consisting of four multiple choice sections, the ACT tests a student’s intelligence in English, Mathematics, Science and Reading. Unlike the SAT, this test allows the student to choose whether or not to take a writing section, although most colleges require it.
If a student excels more in mathematics and science, most of the time they will achieve more by taking the ACT. The ACT tests more advanced mathematical topics such as trigonometry, a student’s ability to read and reason upon a given a set of scientific facts. The test is based on a composite score of 0-36: each section is graded 0-36 and each score is incorporated into making a composite score.
The question to which test is more beneficial to a student lies in the ability in the way the student prefers to take tests. Senior Lauren McCarthy chose to take both the ACT and the SAT to determine which test was better suited to her test taking ability.
“I think the main difference between the ACT and the SAT is that the ACTs are longer in general although the time limits for each section were shorter than the SATs and the ACTs also had a science section. Despite the differences, I preferred the ACTs because I thought the test was more straight forward and practical. I felt that it was testing my intelligence on a more practical level,” McCarthy said.
When it comes down to deciding which test will be more beneficial to a student, (s)he should think about the subjects in which the student excels. If a student does significantly better in math and science than in vocabulary and reading comprehension, then (s)he should take the ACT. If (s)he excels in vocabulary and reading comprehension, they should take the SAT.
As a student contemplates which test to take (sh) may also question whether or not to even take the test. Should one test dictate whether or not a student gets into the school of his or her choice? This question has not only crossed the minds of the students, but also many administrators. Colleges and Universities are now adopting a test-optional policy and instead focusing on the student’s academic achievements throughout their four years of high school.
The test-optional policy has become more popular over this past year, as colleges and universities have come to a conclusion that one test should not dictate a student’s overall academic potential. Senior Michael Stone, along with many other students, finds tests stressful for this reason.
“One test should not dictate your entire life. Someone might just not be an excellent test taker and they might receive a 1650 on the SATs although they might have an almost perfect GPA of a 4.0. The acceptance into a school should be based on your grades throughout high school and your overall performance in and out of school during those four years,” voiced Stone.
Whether a student decides to take the ACT, the SAT, or take no test at all, (s)he will likely be accepted into a college. Don’t fret! Always remember to take time to prepare for the tests, and, if one does poorly on his or her first try, (s)he can always try again. For more information on the SAT or the ACT and to find out when and where tests will be held log on to www.collegeboard.com or www.actstudent.org.
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