SAT, ACT, and College! Oh my!

The SAT and the ACT, two of the most common standardized tests colleges use to compare students, are often taken in the spring of junior year and fall of senior year, but Briar Woods High School juniors are plagued with the question of which test is best?

“For me SAT is aptitude, and ACT is achievement,” said Dorsa Siahatgar, a junior.

Briar Woods guidance counselors say the SAT is the more commonly known college test. It is a reasoning test that consists of a critical reading, math, and writing sections.

The ACT is a content based test. It provides more straight forward questions, and covers English, math, reading, science, and writing.

Junior Samantha Pampinella said, “The ACT was way easier for me. I didn’t have to spend half the test just trying to comprehend the questions!”

Guidance counselors recommend that students take both the SAT and ACT at least once to develop and idea of which test suits you. Then after determining your favorite test you should retake that test to improve test scores.

Siahatgar said, “It is important to know what you’re up against.”

The SAT and ACT tests differ in scoring and structure. The SAT deducts a fourth of a point for each wrong answer, while the ACT has no penalty for a wrong answer.

The level of difficulty of the questions on the SAT increases as you take the test. The ACT varies difficulty level randomly.

Another important fact to know about the tests are the registration requirements. The SAT is offered seven times a year, but the ACT is offered six times a year.

The SAT requires student to register typically four week prior to test date, and the ACT requires it to be five to six week beforehand.

Juniors can look on the guidance website for dates and locations for both tests near to Loudoun County.