What s the difference between the SAT Reasoning Test and the ACT?
They both can be quite different. Some students are more successful in one test than the other, that is why we recommend that students take both. The SAT Reasoning Test is composed of three sections: Writing, Math and Critical Reading. The ACT is composed of five sections (if you add Writing, which is required for UC and CSU admission): Writing, English, Reading, Science Reasoning and Math. So, for the SAT Reasoning Test, Math is about 1/3 of the test, while in the ACT Math is only about 1/5. Also the SAT has a correction for guessing. That is, they take off for wrong answers. The ACT is scored based on the number correct with no correction for guessing. Moreover, the SAT assesses how well you analyze and solve problems. This is why some people argue that the SAT is good at predicting how well a student will do in college. However, it is also argued that questions on the ACT are more modeled after questions that you would actually see in your high school classes – that s why they call
