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ACT vs. SAT?
What is on the ACT?
Test |
Time |
Content |
| English | 45 minutes |
Standard written and rhetorical skills. |
| Mathematics | 60 minutes |
Mathematical skills students have typically acquired in courses taken up to the beginning of grade 12. |
| Reading | 35 minutes |
Measures reading comprehension |
| Science | 35 minutes |
Measures the interpretation, analysis, evaluation, reasoning, and problem solving skills required in the natural sciences. |
| Writing (Optional) | 30 minutes |
Measures writing skills emphasized in high school English classes and entry-level college composition courses. |
What is on the SAT?
Test |
Time |
Content |
Critical Reading |
70 minutes |
Reading Comprehension, Sentence Completion, Paragraph length critical reading |
| Math | 70 minutes |
Numbers and Operations, Algebra and Functions, Geometry, Statistics, Probability and Data Analysis |
| Writing | 25 minute essay / 25 minute multiple choice |
Grammar usage, Word choice |
Comparison: ACT vs. SAT
ACT |
SAT |
|
| Length | 3 hours, 25 minutes (including 30 minute optional Writing Test) | 3 hours, 45 minutes |
| Sections | 4 Test Sections (5 with the optional Essay): English, Math, Reading, Science, Writing (optional) | 10 Sections: 3 Critical Reading, 3 Math, 3 Writing (incl. the Essay), 1 Experimental (unscored) |
| Reading (ACT) / Critical Reading (SAT) | 4 reading comprehension passages, 10 questions per passage | Reading comprehension passages and questions, and sentence completion questions |
| Science | Science (analysis, interpretation, evaluation, basic content, and problem solving) | Science not included |
| Math | Math accounts for 1/4 of overall score. Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and trigonometry | Math accounts for 1/3 of overall score. Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and algebra II |
| Essay | Last thing you do (optional); 30 minutes; Not included in the composite score. | First thing you do; 25 minutes; Factored into overall score. |
| Scoring | Total composite score of 1-36 (based on average of 4 tests); 4 scores of 1-36 for each test; Score of 0-12 for the optional Essay. | Total score out of 2400: 3 scores 200-800 for each section; 2 subscores: 20-80 for Writing multiple choice and 0-12 for the Essay. |
| Wrong Answer Penalty | No wrong answer penalty | Yes, 1/4 point per wrong answer (except for Math Grid-in questions) |
