For the first time in its over fifty year history, the ACT has become the most popular college entrance exam in the country, beating out the SAT. Though the difference in the number of test takers was minor (about 2,000 students), the trend over the years is unmistakable. In 2006, 1,206,455 students took the ACT and 1,465,744 took the SAT. In 2012, 1,666,017 took the ACT and 1,664,479 took the SAT.
Why is the ACT more popular than the SAT?
For a long time, the SAT and ACT were associated with their own geographical regions of the country. If you lived in the Midwest, you took the ACT. If you lived in the East or West, you took the SAT. While these associations are still true to an extent, i.e., the majority of Midwesterners take the ACT, with nearly all colleges and universities now accepting either admissions test, students are afforded the opportunity to choose which test they take. The ACT’s prevalence is also aided by the fact that, due to the ACT’s shrewd marketing efforts, some states have mandated that all high school students take the test to assess school performance. For instance, North Carolina, a state that historically has had a majority of SAT takers will see that statistic drastically shift as the state now requires high school juniors to take the ACT.
As we have seen directly in our experience at Educational Connections, the majority of students also seem to prefer the format of the ACT to that of the SAT. The type of student who tends to prefer and do well on the SAT is deliberate, methodical, and a problem solver. The student who tends to prefer and do well on the ACT is focused, quick, and a master of material. The SAT requires test takers to work their logical reasoning prowess, while the ACT demands a quick pace and strong content knowledge.
Further reasons for the preference towards the ACT include:
• The ACT is scored with no deduction for wrong answers, which eliminates the psychological hurdle of strategizing on the SAT to avoid incorrect answer penalties.
• The ACT has, for quite some time, offered “score choice,” which has only recently been added by the SAT, meaning that bad scores from one test administration will not permanently tarnish college applications.
• The ACT’s content (reading, math, English, science) is more familiar to students than that of the SAT.
How to know whether to take the SAT or ACT
The most clear cut way to determine which test to take is to have a student take a full length practice of each test. Many students find out that they really dislike one test and at least find the other one bearable. Also, once the tests are scored, you can search online for a “concordance table” or visit http://convertyourscore.org/ to determine on which test the student may have scored better. The test scores and the student’s preference will be the factors that determine which test he will prepare for and ultimately take.
Also, it should be mentioned that it is usually a bad idea to prepare for both tests to see which score can be more maximized, unless there is a specific reason for doing so, e.g., the schools a student is applying to require different test. Figuring out which test is better suited to a student and focusing preparation efforts on that test alone give the best shot at getting the highest possible score.