The ACT Exam

The ACT (American College Testing) focuses on skills learned in the high school curriculum. It has four main sections plus an optional essay:

• English: Measures usage, mechanics, and rhetorical skills.

• Mathematics: Covers topics up to pre-calculus, with a greater emphasis on geometry and trigonometry than the SAT.

• Reading: Assesses reading comprehension in four prose passages.

• Science: Measures interpretation, analysis, and problem-solving skills related to scientific data and passages.

• Optional Writing Test (Essay): Assesses skills in planning and writing a short essay.

The ACT uses a scoring scale from 1 to 36, with the composite score being the average of the four main section scores.

The SAT Exam

The SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test) focuses on analyzing and solving problems based on knowledge and skills developed both in and out of the classroom. It has two main sections:

• Evidence-Based Reading and Writing:

  • Reading: Tests comprehension and reasoning using passages from literature, history, social studies, and science.

  • Writing and Language: Focuses on editing and revising text to improve grammar, punctuation, and expression of ideas.

• Math: Tests problem-solving and analysis, covering topics primarily in algebra, with some data analysis and advanced math.

The SAT uses a scoring scale from 400 to 1600, with each main section (Reading/Writing and Math) worth up to 800 points. The optional essay component has been discontinued by the College Board as of 2021.

Key Difference in Focus

Historically, the main difference was:

• ACT: More curriculum-based, including a dedicated Science section.

• SAT: More reasoning and vocabulary-based.

However, recent revisions have made the two tests structurally and content-wise more similar than ever before. Most colleges accept scores from either exam without preference.

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