ACT, SAT, or both?
A question we often hear from students and parents alike is “Should I take the ACT or the SAT, or do I have to take both?”
While there isn't an easy answer, there are general guidelines to consider when choosing between the tests.
Important Considerations
Which test did you score better on when you took your mock test, and was it a big enough difference (~30+ points) to be of significance?
Did you prefer taking one test more than the other? Did one feel like a test that would be easier to get better at?
Do the test dates match up with your life, because why practice for a test you can't take?
Other considerations
Do you want the absolute top score? That's a 1600 (on the SAT), not a 36 (on the ACT). On the concordance scales, a 36 maps to a 1590. Is this significant? Will schools care? Probably not - most seem to lump a 1590 in with a 1600 anyway, but this may matter to you.
Do you really dislike science, or math without a calculator? We treat the ACT Science section like “Reading, but with charts,” so even students who are averse to science can attain success on this section. However, if you really dislike science, you may want to stick to the SAT. Same goes for math without a calculator on the SAT - we will train you to handle this section well, but if you really dislike math without a calculator, you may want to stick to the ACT.
Do you plan on superscoring? More schools accept the SAT superscore than the ACT superscore, though ACT is making a big push to change that by putting their superscore right up front on score reports.
Do you plan to retake the test? The ACT allows you to delete score records, while SAT does not. Most students simply don't send their weaker ACT score reports, but for the SAT, there is no actual option to do so as all of your scores are put on one single report for the SAT (unlike the ACT, which stores each test date separately).
Do you need to take the test in a very specific test date, or are you ok if the test date gets pushed back? Since 2020, ACT has done better cook to keep test centers open if they have been offered and to place students into new testing sites if there's a cancellation. Even as recently as the March SAT and April ACT of 2022, we saw more SAT test center closures than we saw ACT test center closures in San Diego County.
Do I have to take both?
The short answer is no, but some students choose to in order to show off their test taking skills or because they've got a really short time window and are trying to maximize their chances of a high score. We haven't heard of a single school penalizing students for only taking one, and have seen many students get into top schools with either test (as opposed to both). It is only a small handful of students who take both, and it will not hurt your chances if you don't. In other words, you can, but this may be a good place to save your efforts and plan to keep it simple with one test.
If you have any further questions on your particular prep plan, please let us know! We are happy to help.
