ACT & SAT: Your Guide to College Entrance Exams 

Both tests are accepted by virtually every U.S. college and university. Choosing the right one comes down to your strengths and testing preferences. 

Not sure which test is right for you? The best way to decide is to take a free, full-length practice test for each and see which feels more comfortable. Colleges accept both equally. 

How to Register for Your Test

***Students are eligible to use their Advanced Opportunity Funds to receive reimbursement for exam fees. Use this form to get reimbursed for these tests. ***

📝 How to Register for the ACT

1. Create a MyACT account at my.act.org

2. Choose your test date and find a test center (register early — centers fill up quickly!)

3. Enter our School Code: 130142 as your School of Record 

4. Student Identification Number (If Needed) : Enter the student EDUID number or reach out to trixy.lind@malad.us to receive that

5. Decide on optional sections: Science (+$4) and/or Writing (+$25)

6. Upload a photo that meets ACT's guidelines (required at least 8 days before the test)

7. Pay the registration fee — $68 for the core test

8. Print your admission ticket — you'll need this on test day along with a valid photo ID

Helpful links:

• ACT Registration Homepage

• ACT Test Center Locator

• ACT Photo Requirements

📝 How to Register for the SAT

1. Create a College Board account at mysat.collegeboard.org

2. Pick your test date and test center

3. Enter our School Code: 130142 as your School of Record 

4. Student Identification Number (If Needed): Enter the student EDUID number or reach out to trixy.lind@malad.us to receive that

5. Upload a photo that meets the College Board's ID requirements

6. Pay the registration fee — $68

7. Download the Bluebook app on the device you'll use for testing (the Digital SAT is fully online)

8. Complete the exam setup in Bluebook the week before test day, and save your admission ticket

Helpful links:

• SAT Registration Homepage

• SAT Test Center Search

• Download the Bluebook App

🔍 What's on the ACT?

As of Fall 2025, the ACT uses an updated "Enhanced" format that is shorter, with more time per question. Science is now optional, and starting in Spring 2026, school-day administrations will also use this new format.

Required Sections (Core Test)

• English — 50 questions in 35 minutes. Tests grammar, punctuation, and rhetorical skills through short passages with underlined portions.

• Math — 45 questions in 50 minutes. Covers algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and data analysis. Answer choices were reduced from 5 to 4. No reference formulas are provided — memorize key ones!

• Reading — 36 questions in 40 minutes. Four passages covering literature, social studies, humanities, and natural sciences.

Optional Sections

• Science (+$4) — 40 questions in 40 minutes. Focuses on data interpretation from charts, graphs, and experiments (not memorization).

• Writing (+$25) — one 40-minute essay responding to a contemporary issue.

Scoring

• Each core section is scored 1–36.

• Your composite score (1–36) is the average of English, Math, and Reading — rounded to the nearest whole number.

• Science, if taken, is reported as a separate 1–36 score and is not part of the composite.

• Writing, if taken, is scored 2–12 and reported separately.

🔍 What's on the Digital SAT?

The SAT is now fully digital and taken on a laptop or tablet using the Bluebook app. The test is adaptive — your performance on the first module of each section determines the difficulty of the second module.

Sections

• Reading and Writing — 54 questions across 2 modules, 64 minutes total. Short passages (25–150 words) with one question each, covering craft & structure, information & ideas, standard English conventions, and expression of ideas.

• Math — 44 questions across 2 modules, 70 minutes total. Covers algebra, advanced math, problem-solving & data analysis, and geometry/trigonometry. Calculator permitted on every question (Desmos built in).

There's a 10-minute break between the two sections. Total testing time is about 2 hours 14 minutes.

Scoring

• Reading and Writing: 200–800

• Math: 200–800

• Total score: 400–1600 (the sum of both sections)

• No penalty for wrong answers — always make your best guess!

Free SAT Prep

• Official Digital SAT Practice on Khan Academy — The gold standard. Built in partnership with College Board, it offers thousands of official practice questions, instructional videos, and a personalized study plan.

• Bluebook App Full-Length Practice Tests — Four full-length adaptive practice tests that mirror the exact testing experience. Free from College Board.

• Student Question Bank (My Practice) — Thousands of official SAT questions, filterable by section, domain, skill, and difficulty.

• Schoolhouse.world SAT Tutoring — Free, live, small-group tutoring led by trained peer tutors. Official partner of College Board.

• SAT Question of the Day — A daily practice question from College Board to keep skills sharp.

Free ACT Prep

• Official ACT Free Test Prep (with Kaplan) — ACT's hub of free practice tests, quizzes, daily questions, and study guides. Includes live online events and on-demand classes with 99th-percentile Kaplan teachers.

• ACT Online Prep — Free Access via MyACT — Sign into your MyACT account to access free practice questions, section-specific tutorials, and KapAdvisor™ (a virtual college admissions counselor).

• Kaplan Free ACT Practice Test — A half-length practice test with real ACT questions and a detailed score report.

• ACT Question of the Day (via Kaplan) — A daily ACT-style question delivered to your inbox.

• Khan Academy ACT Math Prep — While Khan Academy doesn't offer a dedicated ACT course, its algebra, geometry, and trigonometry units align closely with ACT Math content.

Free Resources for Both Tests

• Union Test Prep — Free practice questions, flashcards, and study guides for both ACT and SAT.

• Varsity Tutors Free Practice Tests — A wide variety of free diagnostic and section-specific tests. (Best used for extra practice, not your primary prep.)

• Your Local Library — Most public libraries offer free access to online test prep platforms like Peterson's, LearningExpress Library, and BrainFuse (including live online tutoring). Check your library's website for your free account!

• YouTube Channels — Free instructional content from channels like SupertutorTV, The Princeton Review, and The Organic Chemistry Tutor.