<p>I took both the SAT and the ACT. I did well on the SAT- just a few points shy of 2000, but I did very well on the ACT - 33. For me, the ACT was just more fun to take. Plus, I’m in Michigan so it was required. IIRC, the ACT was also a lot cheaper than the SAT which is why I decided to retake the ACT and not the SAT. </p>
<p>They each have their perks, but for whatever reason- I did far better on the ACT. I kind of liked how the ACT had 4 subsections + writing rather than the SAT which only had 2 + writing. I don’t know, I guess it felt a little more holistic. </p>
<p>Also, between SAT subject tests, SAT tests, and AP tests- I feel as though I have given far too much money to CollegeBoard during my high school days :p</p>
<p>I think the name of this thread should be changed to " ACT overcomes SAT" because the graduating class of 2010 has taken the ACT more times than the SAT</p>
<p>and this is what i think ACT is better than SAT: </p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Source: I just started school at UC Berkeley i scored a 33 on it and made this guide, my twin brother was just started at USC he scored a 32, and my yougest brother is a rising senior who scored a 28 and is going to take it in october and december hoping to score a 30+ and is probably going to get accepted to one of the middle UC’s </p>
<p>The ACT has worked for my family and it can work for anyone. My brothers and I all scored sub 180 on the SAT</p>
<p>My D took the SAT twice then took the ACT to compare scores. She did much better on the ACT then retook it to gain a point, which she did. I agree that the ACT is based on information previously learned in school and is more straightforward. We purchased a study guide for ACT preparation and to understand the test format. An ACT to SAT conversion showed that she scored 150 points higher. </p>
<p>It appears that some students do better on the ACT while others do better on the SAT. Any advantage that can be gained by taking both tests should be taken.</p>
<p>Sample Question Time! Straight from their respected official sites. Yes I know there’s bias and all that fun stuff that keeps this not objective. Oh well. </p>
<p>SAT: a-b=b-3=6 , what is the value of a ?</p>
<p>ACT: What is the value of x when 2x + 3 = 3x – 4 </p>
<p>Both are testing basic algebra skills, and arguably the same content wise. Personally, the SAT question is more awkward to understand compared to the ACT question. The ACT question could come straight from an algebra I book where the SAT question could be from…an SAT test. </p>
<p>Imagine, if you will, that there are NO national standardized tests. How will colleges measure students? How will students measure themselves? Will learning become more important than test-achievement? How will learning be demonstrated? Will more aspiring college students find themselves writing books, writing science papers, taking on vast artistic projects, or opening small businesses to satisfy their creative energy and stand out in the college app crowd? </p>
<p>OK, I’m awake now, but it was a nice dream. Too bad we can’t see the forest for the trees…</p>
<p>For those that are saying you do not gain anything by taking the SAT or “become any smarter after learning to take it”, I would have to disagree. Although I may not be any smarter by practicing and or prepping for it, I have noticed that my critical thinking skills have improved. I have also noticed that I have become more careful when taking test in school because making a small mistake on a math problem on the SAT will most likely lead you to the wrong answer. So after taking many practice SAT’s and real SAT’s I do feel it does have its advantages. Whereas I cannot say the same about my experience with the ACT.</p>
<p>The SAT question may seem more “awkward” only because students are so used to solving an algebraic problem like the one seen on the ACT. They have become like programmed robots and they don’t even realize what they are doing. The point of learning is to be able to understand something fully and see its different applications. The SAT question makes the point that something can be equal to many different things and then using all of that you can figure out what the original letters equal. So I don’t think it is any better that the ACT problem is more straightforward.</p>
<p>Agreed. The SAT math question truly tests mathematical reasoning, the type of intelligent skill that colleges want to see in their advanced math classes. Even my high school teachers aim to teach us how to critically think and solve our math problems, such as deriving formulas, not to give us the derived formula and just mindlessly shoot numbers out of nowhere.</p>
<p>^
I think that if universities want to have people that are going to do well in advanced math classes, then they should look at the grades of calc classes and/or calc AP tests. If they want people who are going to every other field (other than math or math-heavy science) and they just need people to pass their basic math classes, then perhaps the ACT would be a better indicator of that.</p>
<p>personally i think people who tout the ACT as superior are simply those who prefer to regurgitate information, like they are taught in school, instead of applying other skills such as logic and reasoning. examplified by the…
ACT math which is regurgitation of highschool math
as opposed to the
SAT math which is applying logic and reasoning to highschool math</p>
<p>as some have complained both tests are also testing how well one tests
but then again highschool, college, and life is a series of tests so its imperative that everyone learn to test well</p>
Your perspective is colored by the CC-standard preoccupation with elite, highly-selective college admissions. For the vast majority of students, standardized tests create a clear benchmark that must be passed prior to enrollment and actually simplify the process.</p>
<p>The SAT is the intellectual test. The ACT is the vocational test. Can’t we just leave it like that?</p>
<p>;)</p>
<p>Joking aside, I have little right to compare one vs. the other - I only took one of them (the SAT), whereas I’ve seen maybe a handful of ACT problems in my friend’s prep book. But based on this limited look (ACT Reading vs. SAT Critical Reading) I would be hard-pressed to say that the ACT in terms of measuring reading skills comes anywhere close to the bar set by the SAT CR section. I really don’t have any first-hand knowledge of the other 3 ACT sections.</p>
<p>The ACT caught up because the ACT is easier to do well on. Do you know anyone who took the SAT because they didn’t do well on the ACT? I don’t, but I know plenty who did the reverse.</p>
<p>For what it’s worth, I did better on the ACT this year (as a senior) than I did on the SAT sophomore year, but I did better on the PSAT as a junior than I did on the ACT this year (again, as a senior).</p>
It should be easier to get a high ACT percentile score because the ACT is administered state-wide in several states while the SAT is mostly taken by college-bound students. I wonder if SAT/ACT score comparison charts take the test taker demographics into account?</p>
<p>The difference between SAT and ACT is small, at least for the few kids that I know of (barely). All of them got 35-36 on ACT and 2350-2400 on SAT. How times they took either tests or whether they prepared more for one test than the other is unknown to me.</p>
<p>Is there anyone here who, for example, got ACT 35-36 but SAT <2100, or SAT 2350-2400 but ACT <32?</p>
<p>Well the first time I took ther SAT I got a 1550. The First time i took the ACT i got a 25 (1700+ SAT Equivalent). Then after much prep I eventually scored a 33 on the ACT.</p>