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Should I focus on the ACT or SAT?

stanford200381stanford200381 256 replies28 threads Junior Member
in SAT and ACT Tests & Test Preparation
So I’ve recently taken a practice ACT and SAT, and I am wondering which one I should focus studying for. I’m aiming for a 1490 SAT/34 ACT. I scored a 27 on my practice ACT (30M, 27 R, 26 W, 26S); however, I scored a 1350 on my practice SAT (680 RW, 670 M). I have not started prepping for either. Which test should I focus on studying for?
7 replies
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Replies to: Should I focus on the ACT or SAT?

  • momofsenior1momofsenior1 10110 replies118 threads Senior Member
    Based on the concordance table, your SAT is higher so I personally would focus on the SAT.
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  • Accuracy1017Accuracy1017 11 replies4 threads Junior Member
    Since you did better on the SAT it's probably a good idea to stick with it.
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  • RichInPittRichInPitt 2232 replies36 threads Senior Member
    edited September 2019
    From the official concordance, an ACT 27 is 1260-1290 SAT.

    26.5, 26.75, 27, 27.25 (which all round to 27) would roughly correlate to 1260, 1270, 1280, and 1290.

    If you felt comfortable with both, and feel the scores are representative, then the SAT seems the better choice.

    If you took the SAT after the ACT, it’s possible that familiarity with testing helped. Maybe take a second set of sample tests in the opposite order. The tests are similar enough that all practice will help for either one.
    edited September 2019
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  • BKSquaredBKSquared 1635 replies8 threads Senior Member
    What year are you? If you have yet to take the junior year PSAT, I would study for the SAT first as part of your PSAT prep (and vice versa).
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  • MeryWillMeryWill 6 replies0 threads New Member
    You should focus on your strong but not on weak points.
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  • happy1happy1 23961 replies2403 threads Super Moderator
    edited September 2019
    ^^^Disagree with the above (if I understand it correctly). You should absolutely focus on improving on your weak areas (as well as improving on your strengths) when you study for any standardized test.
    edited September 2019
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