ACT and SAT

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What is the ACT test, is it anything like the SAT test

ACT is more of an academical version of the SAT, but it is graded differently, and it has somewhat easier type questions....I think.

The ACT is similar to the SAT, but the test areas are different. They're English, math, reading, and science reasoning. Math is harder on the ACT, but there is no guessing penalty.

The ACT is easier than the SAT.

Yeah, I like the ACT's much better too

I think I had a harder time with the ACT. This is partially because I have a weakness in grammar. On the ACT there is a section where most of your score is based upon grammar and it counts as a part of your overall score. On the SAT there was a section based upon grammar but it was so new that it didn't matter, meaning that my score there couldn't hurt me thus making the SAT easier for me to do better. Not only that but the ACT goes up to trig and I am weak on trig. The lack of a guessing penalty doesn't benefit me that much though so it really doesn't balance out for me. I like the ACT more though because it has a science section.

I take the SAT next Saturday.

-aaron

Good luck. It really isn't THAT bad...

I took both.. the main difference between the ACT and SAT is:

ACT has straight up math questions but it goes to trig.
ACT has a science section and the writing (essay) section counts.
ACT reading is WAY more critical of grammar (be careful of apostrophes etc).

SAT is more reading (comprehension) than grammar.
SAT has easier math but the problems are trickier.
SAT you can skip the essay if you want (most colleges don't care about it atm).

Took the ACT once before my senior year, was going to take it again but when I got a 27 and figured I wouldn't get much over a 30 anyway there was really no point.

The SAT now has a 2400 point scale.

That's weird.

I am too nervous to take either test.

Yeah, it is. I am not sure how many colleges look at the writing section though. I know that none did the first year, I don't know if they will look at it too hard the second year either. I don't like the writing section much, but it was my weakest section anyway so my dislike of it makes sense.

I took both (new version of the SAT). I preferred the ACT for the following reasons:

* ACT emphasizes grammar and spelling, rather than reading comprehension. Reading comprehension questions can be very tricky to discern between the right and wrong answers, whereas grammar is pretty much straightforward with a few exceptions.

* Math sections on both were fairly easy, but the ACT tested on concepts that were more recently learned.

* The ACT had science and history sections, whereas the SAT only had the English (both multiple choice and essay) and math. Since I enjoy and am good at science and history (more so than English), this was more of an advantage.

I found that the essay sections in both were fairly comprable. They were very different questions with similar ideas and I got the same score on the essay from the SAT and the essay from the ACT.

If you're thinking about taking either (especially the SAT) and especially if you are concerned about nerves, I would advise taking a practice test or two. Get a book with old exam questions from the store instead of going to a class - unless you really aren't comfortable with taking multiple choice exams. That way, you can spend a little more time on what you need to work on.

Also, the ACT does not penalize for guessing, while the SAT does. Usually, the rule of thumb is that if you can eliminate one or more of the wrong answers, you should go ahead and guess. However, this varies from person to person. I knew someone in my AP chemistry class who could narrow the multiple choice questions down to two answers (one being the correct one) and this person would consistently guess wrong.

I don't know which one I took.

I am concerned for my now 10 year old son, after hearing that the SAT is requiring that math answers not only be calculated but ALSO you must write how you arrived at that answer. Is this the case?

Also, I am under the impression that both tests require more writing than ever. I think that the perceived increase in writing and explaining how one reaches a certain conclusion might be more difficult for people with AS who automatically and intuitively understand math (or even other subjects) but cannot explain how they arrived at their conclusion.