Should I take both the ACT and SAT?Answered
I'm a sophomore and idk if I should take both the ACT and SAT. Idk where to start and if I should only take one. I was leaning more towards the ACT bcuz I need a calculator but idk.
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The ACT main difference from the SAT is that it has simpler (relatively) but is faster paced. It also has a science section which is essentially basic chemistry biology a tad of physics and a lot of graph/chart reading.
Schools in the American midwest use ACT scores as a baseline so they’d translate your SAT into a ACT. They don’t prefer one over the other. It’s the same for schools on the coast except they translate ACT to SAT.
They may be a few elite school where the average is 32 ACT but the SAT into ACT is a 34. (Find out by googling insert school common data set) I don’t know if any off the top of my head but I remember someone else pointing it out. So if you take both tests and they are same score you may want to specialize in one.
A great resource if available is the Pre ACT and the P SAT. It’s essentially the same test except at your grade level so it’s a good indication.
There’s a few other differences but they are very minor but both have a calculator portion.
Here’s a more in-depth article:
https://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/act-vs-sat-how-to-decide-which-test-to-take
Hope this helps and please comment if you need clarification as I’d be happy to help clarify!
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This is a great answer, but just wanted to add that you should absolutely not take both. Since adcoms don't prefer one over the other, taking both is not a good use of your time. Take a practice test and see which one you "naturally" do better on.