The Value of Taking the SAT and or ACT

Greetings fellow Rosemead High School students, especially those who are about to or have taken the SAT and or ACT! 

Although one’s high school grades, overall GPA, and extracurriculars are essential for college applications, standardized test scores can also be important, especially when it comes to university placement. The SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) and ACT (American College Testing), which are separate from your transcripts and high school records, are meant to measure a student’s skill level in core subjects along with how well some course curriculums (math, science, and English) are covered in high school.

The SAT 

This test is scored out of a possible 1600 points, and 400 is the minimum score a student can earn. The exam contains two sections: an Evidence Based Reading/Writing section (English) and a math section, which can be very challenging. These two categories are then added up to give each student a composite score. Questions on the exam also vary in their level of difficulty, and some problems are worth more than others towards the composite score.

To study, students should be familiar with and have many skills to do well. Some of them are as follows: logically completing a text with strong inference, understanding the main idea of text, breaking down data in the form of graphs/pie charts, being able to identify textual evidence to support a claim, cross-text connections, have a strong working knowledge of standard English conventions, transitions, boundaries, rhetorical analysis, and word in context clues. Mathematically speaking, students should have a solid understanding of algebra, such as expressions, polynomials, factoring, parabolas, linear equations, functions, word problems, rates, area/volume of shapes/polygons, and interpreting x/y charts; basically everything besides advanced calculus. 

The test is 2 hours and 24 mins long, and there are 27 questions for the English module, and 22 math questions for each module; each subject has two modules.

The ACT

This test is scored from a score of 1 to 36 for every subject, and the composite score is averaged out of 4 subjects: English, Math, Reading, and Science.

When it comes to the English section, one must be familiar with standard English conventions, writing development, sentence order and completion, transitions, punctuations, and author’s purpose. There are 75 questions, and the section is timed at 45 minutes. In the math section, it is just like the SAT; there are 60 questions, and students have 60 minutes to complete it. For the reading section, students must be able to infer, interpret “global texts”, locate textual details (evidence) to support claims, and identify the author's purpose. There are 40 questions in this section, and students have 35 minutes to complete it. Lastly, in the science section, students must be able to identify conflicting research, interpret data, make predictions, and evaluate lab results. There are 40 questions in this fourth and final section, and students have 35 minutes to complete it.

As far as the need for all college applicants to take either the SAT or ACT, California Public Universities (UCs and CSUs), they are “test blind”, which means they do not consider these tests for admission purposes. Private and out-of-state universities either have it optional or require either test; otherwise, Advanced Placement exam scores by subject are used for placement. 

One of the biggest questions students have regarding each exam is “What is a good score”? The answer is that it depends on what university the student is attempting to apply to. Most universities are looking for an average score, or something in the 50th percentile, such as a 1040 SAT score, and a 20 on the ACT. Ivy League schools and prestigious universities would want a very competitive score, like a 1500 on the SAT, and a 34 on the ACT.

Generally, taking Advanced Placement courses and or taking rigorous courses are encouraged for a student in high school, especially if they are looking to be prepared for challenging courses in college. These tests are usually not as essential to define one’s skills and intelligence, but universities value these scores as a supplement, especially if GPA or one’s extracurriculars are not as competitive as other students.

Below are calculators you can use to help determine your score:

• https://www.albert.io/blog/sat-score-calculator/ - SAT score calculator

• https://www.albert.io/blog/act-score-calculator/ - ACT score calculator