ACT vs SAT
ACT
American College Testing Program
(knowledge and achievement)
3 ½ hrs
Overall Composite out of 36
English Grammar
75 questions; 45 minutes
5 passages, 15 questions each tests usage, mechanics, and rhetorical skills
Math
60 questions; 60 minutes tests all levels of Algebra, Coordinate & Plane Geometry, Trigonometry
Reading
40 questions; 35 minutes
4 passages 700-900 words in length; 10 questions/passage
Types of passages: Prose Fiction, Social Science, Humanities, Natural Science
Students need to comprehend information, retain details, and make inferences
Questions are factual and inferential
Science Reasoning
40 questions; 35 minutes
4-7 passages; varying number of questions/passage
Types of passages: Data Summaries, Experimental, Conflicting Viewpoint
Sciences covered include Earth, Space, Biology, Chemistry, and Physics
Test consists of self-contained psuedo-science passages that rely heavily on logic, reasoning, and data interpretation skills; students must be able to read and interpret charts and graphs and make predictions and inferences based on experimental results.
Essay
40 minutes
Open-ended prompt where students must analyze and support multiple perspectives
SAT
Scholastic Aptitude Test
(aptitude, knowledge, achievement)
3.25 hrs
Overall Score of 1600
Critical Reading
65 minutes; 52 questions
Questions related to prose fiction, founding documents, social science, current events, and global conversations
Some passages will contain data that students must interpret
Math
20 questions with no calculator, 25 minutes
37 questions with calculator, 55 minutes
Qs cover numbers & operations, algebra, functions, geometry, statistics, probability, and data analysis
Writing
35 minutes, 44 questions
Focuses on basic grammar rules and fluid writing structure
1-2 passages contain data that must be interpreted in rhetorical questions
Essay (exceptionally hard!)
50 minute, optional
Students must read a 650 word persuasive essay and then analyze it for reasoning, evidence, and persuasive elements