SAT vs' ACT

1
SAT vs. ACT

• Helpful hints pointers! (because your counselor
  is SO NICE)
• October 18, 2007

2
Perspective!

• SAT 50 of high school students take the SAT at
  least twice.

• ACT Getting 50 of the questions correct results
  in an above-average score for juniors.

3
The SAT
4
SAT Writing

• Number of minutes (total) 60
• Number of sections 3
• Two 25 minute sections, one 10 minute section
• Types of questions
• 18 of identifying sentence errors
• 25 of improving sentences
• 6 of improving paragraphs

5
SAT Mathematics

• Number of minutes (total) 70
• Number of sections 3
• Two 25 minute sections, one 20 minute section
• Types of questions
• 44 of multiple choice
• 10 of student-produced responses

6
SAT Critical Reading

• Number of minutes (total) 70
• Number of sections 3
• Two 25 minute sections, one 20 minute section
• Types of questions
• 19 of sentence completions
• 48 of passage-based reading

7
SAT Essay

• Number of minutes 25
• Essay is always FIRST
• REQUIRED

8
The ACT
9
ACT English

• Number of minutes 45
• Types of questions
• 40 of usage and mechanics
• 35 of rhetorical skills

10
ACT Mathematics

• Number of minutes 60
• Types of questions
• 60 of multiple choice

11
ACT Reading

• Number of minutes 35
• Types of questions
• 40 of multiple choice
• Reading passages topics Fiction, Social
  Sciences, Humanities, Natural Science (in this
  order)

12
ACT Science

• Number of minutes 35
• Types of questions
• 40 of multiple choice
• Strategies
• Based on graphs, tables, and descriptions of
  experiments
• Rely on what the passage is giving you, even if
  you know that there is more current research

13
ACT Writing

• Number of minutes 30
• Essay is always LAST
• OPTIONAL, must register for it

14
Comparison SAT vs. ACT
15
Order of Sections

• SAT Order of sections is always different, but
  the essay is always FIRST.

• ACT Order of sections is always the same
  English, Mathematics, Reading, Science. The
  essay section (called Writing) is always last
  if the student chooses to sign up for it.

16
The Essay

• SAT
• Section called Essay
• REQUIRED

• ACT
• Section called Writing
• OPTIONAL
• Costs extra, must choose to take it during
  registration process

17
Experimental Sections

• SAT
• One section of the SAT is experimental (used to
  develop new SAT questions)
• Not part of the final score.
• Student will never know which section was
  experimental.

• ACT No experimental sections.

18
Mathematical Formulas

• SAT Mathematical formulas that appear on the
  practice test will appear in each section of
  mathematics.

• ACT Mathematical formulas are not provided, but
  programming them into your calculator is allowed.

19
Guessing

• SAT
• ¼ of point is subtracted for incorrect answers, 1
  point is added for correct answers, 0 points are
  added or subtracted for blanks
• Only make educated guesses

• ACT
• Points are not deducted for guessing
• DO NOT leave any questions blank fill in a
  bubble even if you never read the question

20
Testing Time

• SAT
• Total testing time 3 hours, 45 minutes
• Bring food!
• Extended time different for each student

• ACT
• Total time (including directions) 4 hours, 15
  minutes
• Bring food!
• Extended time different for each student, up to
  5 hours or 5 hours and 45 minutes with Writing

21
Easy to Difficult?

• SAT
• Questions are arranged from easy to difficult in
  a section
• EXCEPT Critical Reading section and Improving
  Paragraphs questions that are part of the Writing
  section

• ACT Questions are not arranged from easy to
  difficult

22
Mathematics Section

• SAT
• 20-25 Number and Operations
• 35-40 Algebra and Functions
• 25-30 Geometry and Measurement
• 10-15 Data Analysis, Statistics, Probability

• ACT
• 75 Algebra I and Geometry
• 25 Algebra II and Trigonometry

23
Sending Scores to Colleges

• SAT
• Student CANNOT choose which scores to send to a
  college
• When a student gives SAT the name of a college,
  SAT will send scores from ALL past tests (but not
  tests in the future)

• ACT
• Student can choose which score to send to a
  college
• Student must pick entire test (cannot send
  Writing section of one test and Science section
  of another test)

24
Cost

• SAT
• Registration 43
• Change fee 21
• Late fee 22
• 4 score reports are included in registration,
  9.50 for each additional report

• ACT
• Registration 30
• Registration with writing 44.50
• Late registration 19
• 4 score reports included in registration, 8.50
  for each additional report

25
Websites

• SAT
• www.collegeboard.com

• ACT
• www.act.org

26
Testing Dates Registration

• SAT
• Registration online (see website for registration
  deadlines)
• Dates
• December 1, 2007
• January 26, 2008
• March 1, 2008
• May 3, 2008
• June 7, 2008

• ACT
• Registration online (see website for registration
  deadlines)
• Dates
• December 8, 2007
• February 9, 2008
• April 12, 2008
• June 14, 2008