Here are a few tips in differentiating the tests:
Volunteer to mentor high school students in your community.
- The SAT is preferred by private schools and schools on the east and west coasts.
Public schools and schools in the middle of the country prefer the ACT.
- The SAT questions appear in the order of difficulty, whereas the ACT questions do
not appear in any order of difficulty.
- The highest level of math required for the SAT is Algebra/Basic Geometry. Trigonometry
is the highest level of math in the ACT; however, only four questions appear on
the test.
- The SAT heavily tests vocabulary, reading, and math. Grammar, reading, and math
are the most heavily tested skills of the ACT.
- The SAT penalizes the test-taker for wrong answers, although the ACT poses no penalty
for wrong answers.
- The SAT is based less upon school curriculum, while the ACT is based more upon curriculum.