What are some pros and cons of the ACT?
I hear that people score better on the ACT than on the SAT…I am going to take it for the first time in September. Any prep ideas? I have the red book and Barron’s ACT flashcards
ACT is very clear, but timing is important. Save time where you can. If it suits you, familiarity with the format and the main test taking tips should see you right.
Cons: You need to be extremely fast on the sections compared to the SAT.
Pro’s: easier to study for imo than sat.
Pros for ACT:
-It’s an alternate option for people that may do bad on the SAT.
-Some of the question types are easier because you learn them in school. For example, the reading section on the ACT is more about direct text reading and applications, while you might see more inference based questions on the SAT.
-The math isn’t logic based on the ACT (it is on the SAT); it’s all stuff you learn in school.
-The writing is pretty easy and logical.
Cons for ACT:
-The science section can be a pain in the butt.
-You need to be fast. And I mean fast.
-Alot of questions.
-For the SAT, you don’t need to know complicated formulas for math. On the ACT, something like the law of cosines might come up.
ACT:
Pros: Questions are straightforward and generally easier than the SAT questions.
Cons: Pretty harsh curve (-1 on reading sometimes is even a 34 which is kind of ridiculous), even when there’s so many questions.
A ton of questions. You have to be a fast reader and be used to the pace of the ACT.
Just practice practice practice. Practice pacing yourself (use a stopwatch) as a huge problem on the ACT is that people rush towards the end.
Also, get used to the long drawn out sections. SAT has breaks every 1-2 sections (25-50 minutes), but the ACT has very long sections. You have to get used to that and make sure you don’t fall asleep or something during the middle of a section.
Pros and Cons for me personally. I was always more STEM-orientated, so if that’s you I hope my advice is helpful.
ACT
Pros: Math section(harder math topics, but generally straightforward)
Reading section is basically a game of I-Spy rather than insane amount of interpreting like the SAT
Science section was a breeze for me… Just don’t get overwhelmed by the info and make sure to underline important info
Cons: English was my hardest section lol. I just never did well on it even on practice tests when I wasn’t under pressure.
Also, NOTE that I spent a year and and half on SAT prep. Even though my SAT was weak, I feel like that preparation carried on to my ACT results. Without the SAT knowledge I gathered, I wouldn’t have done as well on ACT.
@nevergiveupp Thank you so much! That is very good&interesting that your SAT prep helped you with the ACT. I’m glad to hear it because I dwelled on the SAT for 1.5 years and now I am deciding to take the ACT because I am not doing well with the SAT.
No problem! I totally understand the situation you’re in right now. I actually waited to start preparing for my ACT mid-March of my junior year(really bad idea haha). My parents told me from the beginning that I would be more better at ACT because it incorporated my strengths, but I ignored them for a long time(also a really bad idea). Then March of my spring break I finally started just looking at the Red Book. Just doing some of the exercises and getting a feel for the test. And once I saw rapidly improved results, I realized this was the test for me. The week of my June ACT I took all the real ACT tests I could find. I ended up taking around 14 practice tests(2 to 3 a day) all in one sitting. It was TORTURE. But it payed off in the end. I ended up only one question off a 36. My breakdown was (34E, 36M, 35R, 36S). I did the same thing for SAT doing the whole blue book, but I only got a 2140 on the real thing. (710CR, 710M, 720WR). I guess I was just fooled into one of SAT’s trap answers.
Anyways that’s my story. I sincerely hope you take the ACT and see how you do on it. Youll do awesome, I’m sure of it. Good luck!
This is not true-
“It’s an alternate option for people that may do bad on the SAT.”
Many students/parents think The ACT is “easier” than the SAT. This is a common myth – pitting one test against the other and even asserting that colleges value one over the other. However, all colleges and universities equally consider both tests. No test is “easier” than the other. The factor that students must consider when choosing which test to take and prepare for is which one is a better fit for his or her abilities.