Information provided by KAPTEST.com
There are two major college entrance examinations administered
in the United States today: the SAT and the ACT. Standardized
tests like the SAT and ACT are designed to allow college
admissions officers to judge all students by a common
measurement. Scores on these tests can compensate for differences
in high school curriculum, grade inflation, and quality of
teaching. In addition, they serve as a reliable predictor of how
you will perform academically in your freshman year of
college.
SNAPSHOT: SAT
The SAT is the most widely taken college entrance examination. It
is designed to test your skill level in math, vocabulary, and
reading comprehension. The test is divided into seven sections: 3
math, 3 verbal, and 1 experimental section. The math and verbal
sections each have their own distinct question types, including
quantitative comparisons, sentence completions, grid-ins, and
more. The experimental section, used by the test developer to try
out new questions, is not scored and can be either math or
verbal. You will not know which section is experimental.
The SAT is scored on scale of 200-800 for both the math and
verbal sections. The College Board sets the average for all test
takers at 500 for each. A perfect score on the SAT is 1600.
However, in recent years, fewer than 20 percent of all test
takers achieve a math score of 600 or better. Fewer than 10
percent score higher than 600 on the verbal section.
SNAPSHOT: ACT
The American College Testing Assessment (ACT) is designed to test
your skill levels in English, math, reading, and science
reasoning. On the test, you will have 2 hours and 55 minutes to
complete a variety of multiple choice questions divided into four
sections—one for each tested subject area. The English, reading,
and science sections each include several reading passages with
anywhere from 5 to 15 questions per passage. The math section
includes 60 questions—each with 5 possible answer choices.
You will actually receive 12 separate scores on the ACT: 1
composite, 4 subject scores, and 7 subscores. However the
composite—or scaled—score is the most important. It ranges from
1-36. Nearly half of all test takers fall in the 17-23 range.
SAT vs ACT
Until recently, the ACT was required by colleges in the Midwest,
while the SAT was the test of choice for schools in the Northeast
and on both coasts. Now, however, most schools accept both. This
increased acceptance of both exams gives students a strategic
advantage. The ACT is a content-based test, whereas the SAT tests
critical thinking and problem solving skills. Depending on your
particular strengths and weaknesses, you may perform
significantly better on one test than the other. Regardless, you
should check with each of your target schools before taking
either exam.
More Information
Learn more about college admissions at
www.kaptest.com/college
Learn about Kaplan's SAT programs at www.kaptest.com/sat.
Learn about Kaplan's ACT programs at www.kaptest.com/act.
Enroll in a Kaplan course at www.kaptest.com/enroll.
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Kaplan is a registered trademark of Kaplan, Inc. SAT, AP, and
Advanced Placement are registered trademarks of the College
Entrance Examination Board, which is not affiliated with this
site. ACT is a registered trademark of ACT, Inc., which is not
affiliated with this site.
