We’ve heard from many of our subscribers who are searching for a clear summary of the differences between the new SAT and ACT. Good news! We’ve conferred with our stellar SAT and ACT tutors and prepared the following chart.
Comparing the New SAT to the New ACT
| NEW SAT | NEW ACT | |
| When Did It Change? | March 2016 | September 2015 |
| Testing time | 3 hours + 50-minute essay (optional –though we suggest it!) |
2 hours 55 minutes + 40-minute essay (optional –though we suggest it!)) |
| Registration | Offered 7 times a year, register 4 weeks before test day, late registration closes 11 days before test day | Offered 6 times a year, register 5 weeks before test day, late registration closes 20 days before test day |
| Structure | 3 tests + optional essay | 4 tests + optional writing test |
| # of Questions | 154 | 215 |
| Time per Question | 1 minute, 10 seconds | 49 seconds |
| Score Range | Composite 400–1600 SAT Essay: reported in 3 dimensions, 2–8. · No longer one score between 2-12. Instead: Three scores for reading, analysis, and writing, between 2-8. |
Composite 1–36 (section scores from 1-36 are averaged to create a composite between 1-36.)Writing domain scores: Now on a scale of 1–36 rather than 2-12 as before. |
| Additional Score Information | College Board will provide several subscores and cross-test scores, including:
· Analysis in History/Social Studies |
Similar to the new SAT essay, the ACT Writing section will have several subscores (scoring between 1-12), including:
· Ideas and Analysis |
| Test Length and Timing | Reading Test 65 minutes; 52 questions Writing and Language Test 35 minutes; 44 questions Math Test 80 minutes; 58 questions (20 questions in 25 min. with no calculator and 38 questions in 55 min. with calculator) Optional Essay 1 prompt; 15 minutes |
Reading Test 35 minutes; 40 questions English Test 45 minutes; 75 questions Math Test 60 minutes; 60 questions Science Test 35 minutes; 40 questions Optional Essay 1 prompt; 40 minutes |
| Breaking Down the Sections | Reading: · 65 min, 5 passages, 52 questions · Types: 1 U.S. or World Literature, 2 History or Social Studies, 2 Science. · Question categories: Main Idea, Vocab-in-Context, Inference, Evidence Support, Data Reasoning, Technique, Detail-Oriented Writing: 35 min, 4 passages, 44 questions. Includes: Standard English Conventions: 20 questions (45%), covering sentence structure, conventions of usage, and conventions of punctuation. Expression of Ideas: 24 questions (55%), covering development, organization and effective language use Math: 80 min, 58 questions (20 questions in 25 min. with no calculator and 38 questions in 55 min. with calculator) Categories: Heart of Algebra — 33% Problem Solving and Data Analysis — 28% Passport to Advanced Math — 29% Additional Topics in Math — 10% Essay: Optional 50 min. scored on writing, reading and analysis |
Reading: · 35 minutes, 4 passages, 40 questions · Types:1 Prose Fiction or Literary Narrative, 1 Social Sciences, 1 Humanities, 1 Natural Sciences · Question categories: Main Idea, Vocab-in-Context, Inference, Detail-Oriented Writing: 45 min, 5 passages, 75 questions. Includes: Usage and Mechanics: sentence structure (20-25%), grammar and usage (15-20%), and punctuation (10-15%) Rhetorical Skills: style (15-20%), strategy (15-20%), and organization (10-15%) Math: 60 min, 60 questions Categories: Pre-algebra — 20-25% Elementary algebra — 15-20% Intermediate algebra — 15-20% Coordinate geometry — 15-20% Plane geometry — 20-25% Trigonometry — 5-10% Essay: Optional 40 min. scored on Ideas and Analysis, Development and Support, Organization, and Language Use and Conventions |
| Which Test Should You Take? | · Wide range of essay prompt topics on the Writing, whereas the ACT exam is more generally based on high school course concepts · Known to have confusing question wording (more so than the ACT) · If time is your issue, the SAT might be a better fit for you. |
· ACT is more fast-paced than the SAT; there are more questions to be done in a shorter amount of time (215 questions vs. the SAT’s 154) · More closely correlated to your high school curriculum/classes than the SAT · Less dependent on English vocab than the SAT |
| Is Guessing Ok? | · Yes! No longer penalized by 1/4 point for every wrong answer. | · Yes! There’s still no penalty for guessing. |
| Big Scoring Changes to Know About | · Essay is given 3 different scores and no longer affects the total score | · The old “Combined English/Writing” score is the new “Writing” score, for those who sign up for the ACT w/Writing. · Students who take the ACT w/Writing will have a separate “Writing” score along with an English Language Arts score (ELA–a composite average of English, Reading AND Writing) and a STEM score (average of Math and Science). Read more about the new rubric here: http://www.act.org/aap/pdf/Writing-Test-Scoring-Rubric.pdf. · Key takeaway on ACT Writing = A student scoring 8/12 on the old scale for ACT scoring is given a 23 on the new scale, BUT a student with a 9/12 on the old scale is given a 30. The new scoring curve is very steep right at that point. · The same scale score no longer represents the same rank order or performance level across different scores (*see table below).o For example, students need a score of 32 on ACT English to be at the 95th percentile, but a lower score of 30 on the ACT Composite, or 27 on ACT writing places them in the exact same percentile or rank order. |
*Differences in ACT Scores at the Same Percentile:
| Percentile | English | Math | Reading | Science | Composite | ELA | Writing |
| 95th percentile | 32 | 30 | 32 | 30 | 30 | 28 | 27–28 |
| 80th percentile | 25–26 | 25–26 | 26–27 | 24–25 | 25–26 | 23–24 | 22 |
| 60th percentile | 21–22 | 21–22 | 21–22 | 21–22 | 21–22 | 20–21 | 18–19 |
| 50th percentile | 19–20 | 19–20 | 20–21 | 20–21 | 20 | 18–19 | 16–17 |
| 35th percentile | 16–17 | 16–17 | 17–18 | 18–19 | 17–18 | 16–17 | 14 |
| 20th percentile | 13–14 | 15–16 | 14–15 | 15–16 | 15–16 | 14–15 | 11–12 |
Data compiled from:
https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat/inside-the-test/compare-new-sat-act
http://www.act.org/aap/pdf/Research-Letter-about-ACT-Writing.pdf
