| WHICH TEST SHOULD STUDENTS TAKE? | | | | comprehension passages. In addition, there will be |
| If you know a high school student who is planning | | | | another 19 questions that consist of both |
| on going to college, he or she will most likely have | | | | sentence completion and questions about a long |
| to take either the SAT (Scholastic Assessment | | | | reading passage that must be done in 20 minutes. |
| Test) or the ACT (American College Test). So | | | | All the questions in the critical reading section are |
| you may be wondering which test would be | | | | multiple choice format. |
| better for a college bound student to take. You | | | | Three math sections are interspersed throughout |
| should consider which one the student is more | | | | the SAT. One is a 20 question multiple choice test |
| likely to score better on along with which one the | | | | with a 25 minute time limit. Another has a 20 |
| college or university is most likely to accept. The | | | | minute time limit for 16 multiple choice questions. |
| best way to determine which test is preferred by | | | | The last consists of 18 questions to be completed |
| any given school is to talk with your counselor, go | | | | in 25 minutes. Some of these questions will be |
| online, or contact the admissions office of the | | | | multiple choice while others will be grid-in questions. |
| institution of higher learning you are interested in | | | | The SAT also includes a 25 minute experimental |
| attending. | | | | section. This test can consist of either a writing, |
| Which test a student should take really depends | | | | critical reading, or math section. This experimental |
| on which of the two tests is best suited to the | | | | section doesn't count toward the student's final |
| student's skills and abilities. The SAT is considered | | | | grade but does allow the makers of the SAT to |
| an aptitude test with questions that concern | | | | try out questions on students to see if they are |
| problem-solving or reasoning skills while the ACT is | | | | viable for future tests. Since students won't know |
| more of a curriculum-based test, which means it | | | | which section is the experimental one, they must |
| covers information that students should have | | | | treat this part of the test the same as any other |
| learned in high school. Often students will do | | | | section they would encounter on the exam. |
| better one test than another. But the best way | | | | ABOUT THE TEST SCORES |
| to determine how any one student will do is to | | | | The ACT and SAT are scored quite differently. |
| take both tests. | | | | The ACT is scored on a scale of 1-36 while the |
| While the two tests do have some things in | | | | SAT is scored on a scale from 600-2400. The |
| common like they both have math, reading, and | | | | average score on the ACT in 2008 was a 21.1 |
| grammar sections, there are major differences in | | | | while the average score on the SAT in 2008 was |
| the material on them and how they are scored. | | | | a 1511. |
| The ACT has a Science section that the SAT | | | | How important these test scores are in |
| doesn't have. On the other hand, the SAT has a | | | | determining whether a student gets into a |
| fill in the blank vocabulary section and short | | | | particular school depends on the college or |
| reading passages that the ACT doesn't have. The | | | | university. Bigger schools tend to weight these |
| way the tests are graded is also different. On the | | | | test scores more heavily in the admissions |
| ACT, students get credit for every question they | | | | process than smaller schools do. Most colleges will |
| get right whereas the SAT counts off a fraction | | | | look at a combination of grades, test scores, |
| of a point for each wrong answer. | | | | teacher recommendations, extra-curricular |
| ACT BREAKDOWN | | | | activities, and the student's admission essays in |
| The ACT is strictly a multiple choice test that | | | | determining whether they will admit that particular |
| always is given in the exact same order. The | | | | individual. Typically students with higher grade point |
| English Test comes first. This 75 question test has | | | | averages (GPA's) don't have to score as well as |
| a 45 minute time limit and covers grammar, | | | | those with lower GPA's in order to meet the |
| punctuation, sentence structure, revising and | | | | admittance requirements of many universities. |
| strengthening passages, changing words for style | | | | Although students are able to send their scores |
| or clarity, and effectively stating a point of view. | | | | free of charge to colleges, this is only a good idea |
| The Math test is second and has a 60 minute | | | | if the student is confident he/she will score well. |
| time limit in which students are expected to | | | | Otherwise, students should wait and only send the |
| answer 60 questions. The subjects the math test | | | | scores they want schools to see. Colleges and |
| includes are pre-intermediate algebra, geometry, | | | | universities have different policies regarding |
| coordinate geometry, and basic trigonometry. | | | | multiple scores on the SAT or ACT. Some take |
| Third comes a 35 minute Reading test with 40 | | | | only the highest scores while others take only the |
| questions. Students will be expected to answer | | | | lowest ones while still others average all the |
| comprehension questions on four different types | | | | scores they receive. The best way to make sure |
| of passages given in the following order: prose | | | | that schools receive a student's best scores is to |
| fiction, social science, humanities, and natural | | | | pay the money to have a particular score sent to |
| science. | | | | those schools. |
| The fourth and final section of the ACT is a | | | | WHEN STUDENTS SHOULD TAKE THE SAT |
| Science test. This section consists of 40 questions | | | | ACT |
| that must be answered in 35 minutes. The ACT | | | | Ideally students should take the test during their |
| Science test is broken down into seven passages: | | | | junior year. If they take the test earlier than that, |
| three of which require students to interpret data, | | | | they may not have covered some of the Math |
| three of which ask students about the results of | | | | the will need to know. Also, if students take the |
| given experiments, and one of which asks | | | | test during their junior year, if they have a weak |
| students questions about passages where | | | | area - like in vocabulary - then they have time to |
| scientist express conflicting viewpoints. | | | | address it. But if they wait until their senior year |
| The ACT also offers an optional essay writing | | | | to take the test, then they don't have time to |
| test that is 30 minutes in length. | | | | really improve on their weaknesses. Waiting until |
| SAT BREAKDOWN | | | | they are seniors to take the test also puts |
| The SAT always begins with a 25 minute essay | | | | students under a great deal of pressure to do |
| section in which students are asked to write | | | | well, especially since only a couple of tests are |
| about their views on a given topic. The SAT | | | | offered in the fall, and colleges often have |
| always ends with a 10 minute multiple choice test | | | | admission deadlines in December. |
| where students are asked questions about the | | | | Students can take the test as often as it's |
| best way to improve given sentences. All the | | | | offered (one test per session), but they shouldn't |
| other sections of the test can be in any order | | | | get carried away. It's a good idea to take the |
| and will vary not only from test date to test date | | | | test once as a junior and once or twice as a |
| but also from student to student. | | | | senior. "Of those students who took the test |
| Along with the two writing sections already | | | | more than once, about 55% of students improve |
| mentioned, students will also have 25 minutes to | | | | their scores on the re-test." |
| complete 35 multiple choice questions over | | | | Studying for the SAT and ACT is definitely a |
| improving sentences and paragraphs as well as | | | | good idea. Students should get some books and |
| identifying sentence errors. | | | | take some practice tests in order to determine |
| Students will also have two 25 minute critical | | | | their weak areas. They should then focus on |
| reading sections that consist of a total of 24 | | | | improving on their weaknesses. To do so, |
| questions that include both sentence completion | | | | students can either study on their own, take SAT |
| questions along with questions over short reading | | | | ACT prep classes, or hire a tutor to help them. |