QUESTION:
Do you have any guidance, in terms of ACT vs SAT, for students that are slow readers. My student has a learning disability and does qualify for time and a half on tests, but wonders which test would be better. After taking practice tests on The Princeton Review’s website, she feels that SAT is a better fit.
ANSWER:
On the Reading Test, the ACT is more of a time crunch than the SAT. The ACT Reading Test has 40 questions and a time limit of 35 minutes, which is a little less than a minute per question. The SAT Reading has 52 questions and a time limit of 65 minutes, which is 75 seconds per question. If a student is a slow reader but has the stamina to focus for the longer reading section, then the SAT may be a better fit. However, the passage types and questions differ between the tests, so it’s always best to try a proctored practice test for each of them to see which one is better for you.
Here’s what you need to know to compare the SAT vs ACT.
QUESTION:
Do you have any tutors or special instruction for students with Learning Disabilities (i.e. Dyslexia)?
ANSWER:
Our SAT and ACT tutors are equipped with the proper training to help all students maximize their ACT/SAT potential - no matter if there are learning challenges to work with.
QUESTION:
For National Merit Scholarships, only the PSAT will be considered correct? Not PreACT?
ANSWER:
Correct. The PSAT is the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test used by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.
QUESTION:
For the English and Math section, would I be able to study for one test (say the SAT) and then in turn be prepared for the ACT?
ANSWER:
For ACT English vs SAT Writing & Language, you very well could. We teach very similar techniques for each of those tests. For Math, though, while topics may be very similar, our students employ different enough techniques in both that each must be prepared individually, especially with regards to the no-calculator SAT Math section.
QUESTION:
Do certain universities value one test over another?
ANSWER:
No! No college or university prefers one test to the other.
QUESTION:
How does super-scoring affect submitting the SAT vs ACT to colleges? Will there be a benefit of submitting one over another?
ANSWER:
There is no benefit of submitting one score over the other as colleges and universities have no preference. Learn more about ACT and SAT superscores.
QUESTION:
How much time should I give to prepare for the SAT/ACT?
ANSWER:
Realistically, we suggest at least 4 – 8 weeks. Ideally, at least 8 – 12 weeks. Of course, this is entirely dependent on starting score and goal score. If you don’t have a baseline score, The Princeton Review offers complimentary full-length, proctored practice tests at all of our offices to help you figure out where you’re starting in terms of an ACT or SAT score.
QUESTION:
When is the earliest a student should take the PSAT or PreACT?
ANSWER:
High schools take care of both PSAT and PreACT registration. Check with your school administrators as to when they might be administering either – or both – of them.
QUESTION:
I know for the SAT, most colleges look at the highest score, but is that the same for the ACT?
ANSWER:
Yes. Schools will always consider the highest test score on a student’s application.
QUESTION:
Is there a downside to taking either the ACT or SAT multiple times?
ANSWER:
There is no downside other than the time and cost to do so. Of course, we believe that students should only take the test when fully prepared (expert instruction, consistent homework and practice tests completion), so students shouldn’t have to take the test more than 2-3 times.
QUESTION:
What are the months both tests are administered?
ANSWER:
SAT Test Dates : January (ends after 2017), March, May, June, August (begins in 2017), October, November, December
ACT Test Dates : February (except for New York), April, June, September, October, December
QUESTION:
Recently I have heard about SAT Subject Tests and I'm not exactly sure what they are or whether I have to take it. Could you explain them?
ANSWER:
View our details on the SAT Subject Tests
QUESTION:
For ACT Science, would it be necessary to review past science information? Are there any questions directly asking about certain scientific information?
ANSWER:
There are not! In fact, as mentioned during our webinar, one does not need to be expert in – or even extensively comfortable with – any particular science field. Of course, it greatly helps if a student is familiar with a topic (e.g., angular momentum), but that knowledge won’t explicitly be needed to answer any question.
QUESTION:
Is it better to focus on one test and have a higher score or to do both with lower scores?
ANSWER:
Absolutely better to focus on one test to give yourself the chance to earn a higher score. That is why we mentioned during our webinar that it behooves you to take your time and do your research as to which test may be better for you. We provided you several tools during the webinar to help you make that decision, but taking a full-length, proctored practice test in each is our strong recommendation.
QUESTION:
Some people say that if you're better at science/math you should take the ACT and if you're better at reading/writing you should take the SAT. Is that true?
ANSWER:
Not necessarily. The Science Test on the ACT has a lot of similarities to the ACT Reading Test, so a student who is strong in reading and writing but weak in math may perform well on the ACT’s Science Test. There are also a lot of other factors that determine which test each student is better suited for, some of which are how a student handles time pressure and what types of questions they find most challenging. The best way to determine which test is better for you is to take proctored practice tests in each and compare your scores and experiences.
QUESTION:
What type of calculator can be used on the SAT or ACT?
ANSWER:
View the SAT calculator policy
View the ACT calculator policy
QUESTION:
Which math is easier? SAT or ACT?
ANSWER:
This question actually doesn’t have a definitive answer as “easier” can mean different things for different students. SAT Math has slightly more wordy questions and a no-calculator section that consists of twenty questions. ACT Math has more of a time crunch in which sixty questions are to be completed in sixty minutes.
QUESTION:
Will colleges look at your PSAT score in your sophomore year?
ANSWER:
No, colleges will not see your PSAT scores.
QUESTION:
True or False: ACT is more literal while the SAT is more abstract.
ANSWER:
Without context, this is a tough question to answer. If asking about the Reading sections, for example, SAT Reading answer choices can sometimes be interpreted by students to be a little bit more abstract whereas ACT Reading answer choices may be interpreted by students to be more straightforward.
QUESTION:
Is it advisable to hold off on sending the scores until after we receive them, or should we send the scores not knowing what the results were?
ANSWER:
For the SAT, all official scores will be sent to colleges unless you participate in the Score Choice program. You will find more information about that here. For the ACT, you can choose which scores to send to colleges. However, some colleges will state in the admissions requirements that they require the applicant to submit all scores.
QUESTION:
How many times student can take their SAT?
ANSWER:
While there is no stated maximum number of times a student can take the SAT, we recommend that a student take the test no more than two or three times - in extenuating circumstances, maybe four times. However, there is a significant time and cost investment into taking the SAT multiple times, and the student also needs to be focused on grades, extracurricular activities, etc.
QUESTION:
If my school doesn't register us for PreACT, what should I do?
ANSWER:
If your school does not offer the PreACT, then you don’t need to worry about taking it. Colleges will not use those scores in admissions decisions nor is there a scholarship competition associated with it. The primary purpose of it is practice, and you can get this practice through classes, tutoring, and practice tests.
QUESTION:
If both tests are acceptable then why take both? Does it help, or is it useful?
ANSWER:
Some students may end up getting quite a good score on one test but then have an “itch” to take a stab at the other test. As some of our students say, “just to see” because it doesn’t hurt them since they’ve already earned a good enough score on the other test. However, submitting good scores for both the ACT and SAT does NOT enhance a student’s prospects into getting accepted at any particular university any more than submitting a good score on just one of the tests does.
QUESTION:
If you are planning to take AP tests, should you still take the SAT Subject Tests?
ANSWER:
Check with your prospective colleges to see whether they even require that you take SAT Subject Tests. They are independent of the AP tests. If you are planning to apply to schools that will require you to take SAT Subject Tests then you may want to take them in the spring while you are already preparing for the AP tests in that subject.
QUESTION:
If a student is aspiring for aerospace engineering, what kind of community service will be helpful?
ANSWER:
Very exciting choice for a potential career! While it’s tough to find internships or volunteer opportunities at aerospace engineering firms, a student can demonstrate strong interest in that particular field by participating in activities that are related to aspects of aerospace engineering. Thus, working (or volunteering) at a space museum or observatory could be an option. Raising awareness or demonstrating the coolness of mechanics (e.g., constructing cars or robots) to middle-school students could also be something worth considering.
QUESTION:
My kid is in eighth grade, is it too early to start preparing now?
ANSWER:
It is indeed a bit too early to prep for either the ACT or SAT, especially with regards to Math topics (e.g., Geometry, Advanced Math, Algebra II, etc.). We laud thinking about test prep at this stage in the student’s academic career, but a smooth transition into high school would – at this point – be more important, both academically and socially. Formal standardized test prep can then begin the summer after sophomore year.