The ACT is the SAT's chief competitor in the world of standardized college testing. The test originated in the Midwest and has always been more common there while the SAT has dominated the East and West Coasts. By 2000, however, every four-year college in the United States accepted the ACT, making it the most universal college exam in the United States. By numbers and by percentage, most graduating high school students still take the SAT; however, the ACT is gaining ground rapidly and is number one in about half of states1. New Jersey and Pennsylvania still have some of the lowest rates of usage. In fact, few in this area are even familiar with the ACT.

What is the ACT?

The ACT is a college admissions test with the same goal as the SAT. It is a multiple choice exam that tests student aptitude and is taken during senior or junior year of high school to be used for college admissions. The ACT claims that it has the additional goal of helping students choose a major that best suits their talents and interests. This goal is achieved by administering a survey to students that scores their personality and aptitude types and matches them to careers the way a guidance counselor would. These aptitude scores do not affect college admission; however, they are merely an extra service to the student and are intended to make the test more useful. In several states, boards of education are moving towards making all students to take the ACT as a requirement for graduation from high school.

The test is administered six times a year and is scored on a scale from one to 36 using a curve and percentiles very similar to the SAT. The average score is around 21. This score corresponds to a 1500 on the new 2400-point SAT. The score the student receives on the exam reflects their achievement in relation to other students not necessarily the raw score. All four sections of the ACT are used to determine the overall score the student receives. However, college admission boards can see all of the scores. There are 215 questions in total and test administration takes just over four hours; very similar in time and length to the SAT.

Differences between the ACT and SAT

The ACT and SAT are very similar. However, there are a few key differences. The most noticeable difference is that the ACT has a science section in addition to English, Math, and Reading. The writing section is still optional, unlike on the SAT which has made the section mandatory. The science section of the ACT mostly tests simple high school physical sciences, and focuses on interpreting data from graphs and understanding methods and comparing view points. For English reading, and science sections, there are only 4 choices to choose from, and calculators that can do algebra functions are not allowed on the Math section. The Reading section focuses on reading comprehension (passages from prose, social science, humanities, and natural science, in that order), while the writing section focuses on sentence corrections. The reading, English writing and math sections are otherwise similar to the SAT. The ACT administrators claim that their test is more closely based on what is learned in school then on general aptitude2 (which they believe differentiates them from the SAT) but it is hard to see a difference looking through sample questions. Most students who take both achieved in the same percentiles on both exams, including myself. However, many students I have spoken to prefer the ACT as they believe there are less trick-questions.

Should a student take the ACT test?

This is a very common question in high schools across the United States, and is increasingly being answered “yes”. It is generally a good idea for competitive high school students to take the ACT for several reasons. First, some students simply do much better on the ACT then on the SAT. Particularly, if a student is better at memorizing methods (as opposed to applying them) or particularly good at science, they may do better on the ACT. Even if a college prefers the SAT, high scores on any exam will impress them. It is also strongly recommended that you take the ACT if you are applying to any schools in the Midwest or Rocky Mountain region. It is also a good idea to take the ACT exam if you have no idea what you want to major in at college. While many people are wary of computerized guidance tests, the survey and evaluation attached to the ACT test can serve as a useful guide to help a student initially choose a major that best fits with their skills.