Dr. Kanika Verma
Academic and Professional Mentor
The college application process in the United States is tedious and the applicants have to make arduous decisions within a limited timeline: what colleges to consider, when to apply, what essay prompt to choose, which major to apply to, and which standardized test to take.
A standardized test is a test administered and scored using a standard procedure. There are several types of standardized tests conducted in the US, such as ability tests, achievement tests, IQ tests, admissions tests, language proficiency tests, psychological tests, and professional certification tests.
The ACT and SAT are the two most common types of college admissions tests administered in the country. While any college that requires standardized testing will accept either SAT or ACT scores, the two tests have a number of differences that students and parents should consider when deciding which test to pursue. Students should decide which test better suits their personality, skill-set, and test taking ability. Students should thoroughly understand the basic differences between the SAT and the ACT to maximize their scores. Before taking the SAT or ACT for the first time, students should always do practice tests to determine which test to take and when to take it. They can then compare the results by using a conversion chart, for example the one provided by prepscholar.com. Students must also try to stick to one test: the SAT or the ACT.
In the Math section, the SAT has an emphasis on advanced algebra. There is more geometry on the ACT than on the SAT. The ACT Math is multiple-choice only, while there are Math problems to solve on the SAT. In the Reading domain, the ACT tests speed and instant recall. The SAT tests the ability to draw inferences and conclusions from evidence. There is no Science section on the SAT. The Science section on the ACT is more about logical and scientific thinking, not scientific knowledge based on facts. On the SAT, the essay focuses on evidence based analysis. The essay on the ACT is structured more as a persuasive argument.
Some students are naturally comfortable taking tests and they perform incredibly good even with little or no preparation. Such students can take the SAT or the ACT for the first time as early as the beginning of junior year. With this approach, students can prepare for the test during the summer before junior year, when there is no burden of schoolwork. These students can easily take the test again later in the year (December, March, etc.) if they want to improve their score. A student who is not a naturally strong test-taker should wait longer to have more preparation and practice time. Students should also try to give optimum time between taking tests to see significant increase in their scores.
Students who apply to highly selective colleges (admit rate less than 25%) should take the SAT or ACT at least twice or thrice to tap the highest score possible. Students may begin test preparation during the summer before junior year, and plan to take the SAT in November, December or March. For the first time ACT takers, December and February are the popular times. Students applying to four-year universities with higher admit rates can take the SAT or ACT for the first time in the second half of junior year. March, May, or June are apt for the SAT; April or June for the ACT.
Retaking the test more than three times is not appreciated by college admissions offices. Even though the colleges may not know all the times a student took the test, the test score rarely improves significantly after three attempts. If the test option doesn’t work, students can also consider several test optional colleges.