Should you Take the ACT or the SAT?
When students start working with me on their test prep, this is usually one of the first questions I get—is the ACT or the SAT better for my child?
I dive into this in a masterclass that you can register for below…
But, here are some bullet points. Note: I do go way deeper into this in the Masterclass, but I’m giving you some of the highlights here…
Who is the ACT better for:
Students who think quickly and are comfortable with the pacing
Students who are stronger in reading/writing
Students who have taken AT LEAST through Algebra II, if not through Pre-Calculus
Students who like more problems, but simpler questions
Students who know their formulas well
Students who are strong in geometry and trig
Students who prefer working problems out on paper over graphing
Students who want to test on paper
Students without accommodations—I only say this because accommodations are possible on the ACT, but they’re notoriously harder to get.
NOTE: I think the biggest thing with the ACT is the timing factor. Some students thrive in it and some students do not, so knowing how your student handles being under an intense time crunch is going to be a big factor here.
Who is the Digital SAT better for:
Yes, I will focus on the Digital SAT here because the paper SAT is now defunct and not offered anymore.
Students who need a more generous amount of time per question
Students who are stronger in Math
Students who prefer algebra over geometry/trig
Student’s who struggle to memorize equations—the SAT provides the majority of the equations you need
Students who benefit from being able to graph equations to answer questions
Students with accommodations—The SAT is historically easier to get accommodations for.
Students who prefer fewer problems, but more complex problems
Students who like computer testing
Inevitably, I recommend every student who is unsure and doesn’t have an obvious preference to take both exams and see which one they prefer OR which one they have a more natural inclination for. Student preference is oftentimes a big factor for what leads a student to pick one test over the other, so I highly recommend you take that into consideration!
If you need help, I offer 1-off consultations where I help families make that decision! Please contact me to organize one!
