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SAT vs. ACT: What's the difference?


Sophomore Evie McKay ready to take the practice SAT at Watauga High School. Some colleges allow for superscoring of the SAT or ACT, where the highest scores from each section are combined into one comprehensive score. The SAT and practice SAT are not provided by the high school, but the SAT will be administered by the school on May 7, for those who sign up.


The ACT and SAT are widely accepted by universities to evaluate college readiness. Both tests are also used to provide students with scholarships. A high enough score can exempt students from some remedial college classes, helping to save money in the overall expense of a college education. All juniors in North Carolina are required to take the ACT, so Watauga High School prioritizes ACT readiness among students.


“If you look at research and data, one of the things kids struggle with the most is the timing,” said Rachel Shepard. “Most of the tests you guys are taking are EOCs. It's a four hour chunk of time. If you finish the test and you want to go back to question number one, you can do that. The ACT is not like that.”


The ACT is a fast-paced test, broken up into four sections: reading, English, math, and science. The SAT is essentially the same, but without a science portion. Although there is no science component to the SAT, the two tests are the same difficulty level.


“One of the best ways to improve your ACT score is by being exposed to what the test looks like,” said Shepherd. This is the main reason the school offers a practice test before requiring students to take the official ACT.


Taking the practice ACT provides students with the opportunity to receive feedback on areas where they can improve their performance. The school works with teachers, specifically English teachers, to offer times where students can work on preparation and improvements for the ACT.


“Not that we don't want to prepare for the SAT, but we know beyond a shadow of doubt that every kid in this school in 11th grade is going to take the ACT,” said Shepherd. “We focus a lot on that. A lot of our English teachers do an amazing job of trying to prep kids and offer them different opportunities in class.”


Another way the high school prepares students for the ACT is through the use of GearUp. GearUp (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) is a federally funded program through the US Department of Education. It provides 6-7 year grants to states and through partnerships with colleges and universities. At Watauga High School the GearUp program is in partnership with Appalachian State University.


“The goal is to increase the number of low-income students who are college ready upon graduation, and for those students to be successful as they pursue postsecondary education,” said Hannah Brady, 11th grade counselor. “GearUp is able to fund and provide our school with many resources and opportunities that we otherwise would likely not be able to have.”

Gear Up provides a lot of the funding that makes it possible for Watauga High School to give every student access to the ACT. However, many students also choose to take the SAT.


When deciding which test to take, Weston Calbreath, senior counselor, recommends evaluating how the science portion affected your practice ACT score.


“Look at the science component, if the science pulled your score down then maybe take the SAT because there is no science,” said Calbreath.


Calbreath also recommends focusing on preparation before taking either of the tests, especially if you plan on taking the tests more than once. Calbreath recommends using mastery prep, a tool provided by GearUp, to prepare for the ACT. For the SAT, using a study book can help boost your score. Calbreath emphasized the importance of prioritizing preparation on the math and English portions of the test, because students are able to make the biggest gains in these sections.


“If you didn’t prep for the ACT and you’re not going to prep for the second time, save your money, there is no point,” said Calbreath. “If you’re going to take it a second time, make sure you do something different with your prep.”

One thing students can do in preparation is train for recognizing math problems. To do this students need to look back at earlier years of math. The math problems on the SAT and ACT come from earlier years of math, primarily content from math 1 and 2, but even as far back as 8th grade math (the math on the SAT and ACT does not exceed what is taught in math 3). Most juniors preparing for college have not looked at content from the earlier years of math for a while. Reviewing the basics can be one of the most beneficial things to do in preparation for taking the SAT and ACT.


“NBA players still shoot free throws, they’ve been shooting free throws since they were six," said Calbreath. "They still shoot free throws because when the game is on the line, you’ve got to hit your free throw [math] has to be to the point where you’re not even thinking about it, you can just do it. So when you prep, you want to prep for automaticity, where you don’t have to sit and recall, it’s just there."


Pre-COVID, SAT/ACT scores were crucial for college admissions. Universities used these scores to determine college readiness. For the classes of 2021 and 2022, many colleges waived the requirement of submitting test scores. However, applicants can still choose to submit their scores, which could be used as leverage over other applicants who chose not to submit their test scores.


For example, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's website states, "Whether or not you ultimately share test scores, we will consider you carefully and comprehensively for admission, scholarships, and other opportunities."


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