How is the ACT Different from the SAT?
clickHere

How is the ACT Different from the SAT?

5 mins read603 Views Comment
Talk to Expert Icon BlueTalk to Expert
clickHere
Aishwarya
Aishwarya Bhatnagar
Study Abroad Expert
Updated on Dec 19, 2024 11:53 IST

While both ACT and SAT are standardised tests required for UG admissions abroad, they vary greatly. ACT and SAT are very different from each other in terms of scoring, pattern, syllabus, and testing modules. ACT is a longer duration test while SAT is shorter than ACT by just 41 minutes. Thus, ACT is different from SAT, let us understand more about this in this article.

How is ACT Different from SAT?

ACT and SAT are standardized tests which are conducted to assess the knowledge and understanding of high school pass-outs applying for admissions abroad. Since most US universities and even Canadian universities prefer assessing international undergrads through ACT or SAT scores, it makes it mandatory for students to choose between ACT and SAT.  With SAT going Digital last year, ACT and SAT have a few common things but vary majorly on different parameters. Check out New SAT Format 2024: Difference Between Old and New SAT Format 

ACT vs SAT Highlights 

What are ACT & SAT 

Standardized Tests 

Accepted for 

Undergraduate admissions abroad 

Accepted in Countries of  

USA, Canada and the UK 

Tests  

High school knowledge  

Major Subjects Tested 

Math & English 

How many attempts for ACT annually? 

12

Total attempts for SAT annually 

No restrictions

Assessments at universities  

Made unbiased despite ACT or SAT score submission 

How is the ACT Different from the SAT? 

Though both ACT and SAT are standardized tests aiming to assess high school students’ knowledge in various subjects of Maths and English, ACT varies greatly with the new Digital SAT exam. Check out how the ACT differs from the SAT: 

  • ACT assesses students in English, Maths and Science, but SAT excludes Science sections. 
  • The ACT exam is conducted on computers at centres while SAT Digital is conducted on students’ own laptops, Chromebooks or iPads at the SAT exam centre
  • Though SAT Digital has reduced its test hour by an hour, ACT still has a longer duration of testing in comparison to SATs by almost 41 minutes. 
  • ACT has fewer breaks between its different sections there is a 10-minute break in between the Reading & Math section and another 5 minutes before attempting the Writing section. SAT gives a 10-minute break after each module of each section.  
  • ACT gives the option for choosing the writing section. If chosen there is a fee else there is an ACT fee. Whereas, there is no essay or writing section available for Indian students on the SATs. 
  • ACT scores and results are released within a few weeks while SAT scores and results are released within a couple of days. 
  • Lastly, it is believed that ACT is a more curriculum-based test whereas the SAT moreover tests the student’s aptitude. 

So those international students who have confidence in the ACT syllabus more than the SAT syllabus can opt for appearing for the ACT exam. Check out the latest SAT Exam Dates and ACT Exam Dates.

ACT vs SAT Common Parameters 

In continuation to the above section, the following section throws more light on the important aspects of ACT and SAT, which may help students in choosing ACT or SAT: 

Score Predictor

Predict your IELTS, TOEFL, and PTE in just 4 steps!

Share 12th Board, Percentage, english score
Get estimated scores or IELTS, TOEFL & PTE


Parameters  

ACT Exam 

SAT Digital Exam 

Taken by Students in 2022 

1.35 million 

1.7 million 

Conducting Body 

ACT  

College Board 

Full Form 

American College Testing 

Scholastic Assessment Test 

Registration Fees for Indian Students 

ACT Registration Fee: INR 15,861.92 (without writing) 

INR 20,114.44 (with writing) 

SAT Registration Fee: INR 11,124 (approx)

Exam Duration 

2 hours 55 minutes 

2 hours 14 minutes 

Conducted Annually

14 times across 7 months

7 times

Mode of Conduction 

Online

Digital  

Exam Syllabus 

ACT Syllabus: English Math Science Reading Writing (Optional) 

SAT Syllabus: Reading & Writing (RW) + Maths 

Overall Score 

1 - 36 

400 - 1600 

Scores Released 

Within 2 weeks 

Within 10 - 13 days 

Read more about: 

Similarities in the ACT and SAT Exam 

Despite numerous differences between the two standardized tests for undergraduate exams, there are still a few commonalities between the ACT and the SAT, read the following section for more details: 








  • Both ACT and SAT are tested at test centres despite one being offline and the other being online respectively. Read about: ACT Test Centres 
  • Both ACT and SAT students in Math and English subjects. 
  • There are MCQs with four options in all sections of the ACT and SAT. 
  • Also, calculators for the Math sections of both the ACT and SAT are allowed during the exams. 
  • Students submitting either ACT or SAT would be assessed unbiased and will be treated equally to each other. 

ACT vs SAT Score Conversions 

Since the ACT is considered equivalent to the SAT, students who submit either of the test scores can qualify in the following range: 

ACT Composite Score 

SAT Digital Score Range

ACT Composite Score 

SAT Digital Score Range 

36 

1600 

35 

1560-1590 

34 

1520-1550 

33 

1490-1510 

32 

1450-1480 

31 

1420-1440 

30 

1390-1410 

29 

1350-1380 

28 

1310-1340 

27 

1280-1300 

26 

1240-1270 

25 

1200-1230 

24 

1160-1190 

23 

1130-1150 

22 

1100-1120 

21 

1060-1090 

20 

1020-1050 

19 

980-1010 

18 

940-970 

17 

900-930 

16 

860-890 

15 

810-850 

14 

760-800 

13 

720-750 

12 

630-710 

11 

560-620 

10 

640-620 

09 

610-590 

Check out: SAT Cutoff 

With the latest score range for the SAT exam, the conversion has also been updated as per the ACT scoring scale. The applicants can refer to this table in case they have given a certain exam and want to convert it to another exam's scale of scoring. 







How ACT Differs from SAT?: Conclusion

To conclude, about how the ACT is different from the SAT, there are just these key pointers:

  • There is an optional essay section on ACT which has been scrapped from SAT Digital.
  • The Maths section on ACT holds 25% score on ACT since it is one of the four major sections of testing. In comparison to the SAT, where Math section holds 50% of the exam's weightage.
  • While ACT gives applicants flexibility to change answers, SAT is not as flexible.
  • ACT is both pencil and paper test and digital, whereas, SAT is only digital.
  • ACT scores are not capped irrespective of the applicant's performance. But SAT can cap scores based on performance on first few questions, since it is computer adaptive.
  • Finally, ACT is shorter than SAT which is even more beneficial for the test takers. 

In the end, it's up to the students which exam suits them the most in terms of their previous knowledge. If the student’s Science and Maths are strong, they can think of appearing for the ACT and those who have strong points in the aptitude section can apply for the SAT exam.

RecommendationView All

Explore MS colleges in UK

University of Oxford

Oxford, UKPublic

48 courses
â‚ą 27.36 L - 56.34 L
University of Manchester

Manchester, UKPublic

127 courses
â‚ą 20.07 L - 40.67 L
Imperial College London

London, UKPublic

115 courses
â‚ą 24.29 L - 46.9 L
250 courses
â‚ą 16.95 L - 65.28 L
The University of Edinburgh

Edinburgh, UKPublic

62 courses
â‚ą 21.65 L - 43.2 L
King's College London

London, UKPublic

72 courses
â‚ą 23.61 L - 47 L
University of Birmingham

Birmingham, UKPublic

100 courses
â‚ą 8.62 L - 34.34 L
University of Glasgow

Glasgow, UKPublic

111 courses
â‚ą 20.44 L - 41.2 L
University of Leeds

Leeds, UKPublic

77 courses
â‚ą 19.54 L - 40.67 L
University of Cambridge

Cambridge, UKPublic

8 courses
â‚ą 26.18 L - 39.57 L
Is this recommendation relevant?

Q:   Is ACT easier than SAT?

A:

There is no such comparison that can be drawn between ACT or SAT difficulty levels. While ACT focuses more on Maths section plus Reading and Writing with an analytical bend, SAT on the other hand is more about understanding and then answering the questions of Math & Reading + Writing. The difficulty of the exams depends upon the applicant's preparation and what choice they make between ACT or SAT. It is all about the applicant's knowledge and how he/she perceives the test they wish to take. 

Q:   Is Digital SAT harder than SAT?

A:

Irrespective of the version of SAT exam, the difficulty level is more or less the same. So Digital SAT is not harder or less challenging than the previous SAT exam format. The new SAT online exam has definitely seen positive changes becasue of which it is being considered easier than previous SAT version. Some of the reasons are:

  • Timing has reduced for SAT Digital by 46 minutes.
  • There are no different Reading and Writing tests, it is a combined section.
  • Use of calculators is permitted for all Maths questions.
  • Since SAT has gone digital, SAT online exam is now comouter adaptive, which was impossible previously on pen-paper format.

Thus, these are some of the key takeaways which make SAT Digital slightly easier than previous version of the SAT exam. 

Q:   What rank is Wolverhampton University in UK?

A:

The University of Wolverhampton is one of the best universities in the United Kingdom. The university is consistently ranked among the best universities nationally and globally. For nearly 200 years, the University of Wolverhampton has been consistently providing a quality of education to students and producing highly skilled graduates. The national rankings of the University of Wolverhampton are given below:

Ranking Body Ranking
The Guardian University Guide 2024 #101
The Complete University Guide 2024#117

Q:   Which one is better- SAT or ACT?

A:

While both SAT and ACT solve a similar purpose of understanding an undergraduate's readiness for college admissions, both are designed differently and tested differently. Understand the key difference to know which one is easier - SAT or ACT from the section below:

  • SAT is a digital exam, whereas ACT is tested on paper plus availability of digital format is meagre.
  • SAT is 2 hours 14 minutes, ACT is 2 hours 55 minutes long.
  • There are just two sections on SAT - Reading + Writing & Maths, ACT on the other hand has four sections - English, Reading, Science and Maths.
  • There is an optional writing paper on ACT, while SAT has scrapped the essay paper.
  • There is an inbuilt calculator for Digital SAT, however, there is no such provision on ACT.
  • Free prep is available for SAT applicants, but not for ACT applicants.

Thus, it is up to the applicants to choose which one is a more suitable option for them - SAT or ACT and apply and prepare accordingly. For more details check - Which one is easier - SAT or ACT?  

Q:   Is university of West of Scotland good for international students?

A:

The University of the West of Scotland has five modern and diverse campuses in United Kingdom. The University has welcomed more than 3,000 international students which are representing 1/3 of the globe. They also have 130 European partners who are actively in global study and exchange options through the Commonwealth universities programmes. The University also offers study abroad opportunities for UWS who are eligible for the same and also have more than 20 transnational education partners worldwide which helps them deliver UWS Bachelors and Masters Degrees around the world.

Q:   Is Hertfordshire University hard to get into?

A:

With a 70% acceptance rate, the University of Hertfordshire is not hard to get into and follows easy selection criteria during admissions. This does not mean the university accepts all the students applying for different programs. The selection is based on academic performance, English language requirements, references, and many more. Some of the programs at Hertfordshire even demand an experience of 4-5 years. Students must fulfill the eligibility criteria to enroll in any programme at Hertfordshire University. In addition, students with average performance can showcase their relevant experience or extracurricular activities participation to increase their selection probability.

Q:   Does the University of Essex require IELTS?

A:

International students whose native language is not English must meet the University of Essex English language requirements to get admission. The university accepts IELTS scores as proof of English language proficiency. Mentioned below are the IELTS scores required for UG and PG admission at the university:

English Language Test

 Score

IELTS

Overall score of 5.5 to 8.0 with minimum of 5.5 to 7.5 in each section

The university also accepts the score of other English language tests such as TOEFL and PTE for admission to undergraduate and graduate programs:

English Language Test

 Score

TOEFL iBT

Overall score of 72 to 114

PTE

Overall score of 59 to 84 with minimum of 59 to 80 in each section

Also read: Required IELTS Score for UK Universities

Q:   How can I get admission in the University of Manchester?

A:

The application process at the University of Manchester may vary depending on the course and level of study. However, here is the application process for UG and PG courses: 

The Undergraduate Application Process:  

Step 1:  You can apply through the UCAS common application portal.

Step 2: Go to the website and select the course you are interested in.

Step 3: Ensure you meet the Entry requirements (Academic qualifications, English proficiency, etc.

Step 4: Once you decide on the course, submit documents such as SOP, Transcripts and personal statements. 

Check out:  tips to improve your SOP

Step 5: You can track the application's progress through your given credentials by UCAS. 

Step 6: Once the applicant submits the application to UCAS, it forwards to the University, and the admission teams carefully analyse the application document.

Step 7: The university will send you an offer letter once selected. Hence keep checking your UCAS portal for your application status.

The Postgraduate application process: 

Step 1: Select the postgraduate course you are interested in from the University of Manchester.\

Step 2: Ensure you meet the entry requirements for the chosen program, as they vary depending on the course.

Step 3: Complete the online application by providing your personal information.

Step 4: Upload the required documents, such as Academic transcripts and proof of English language proficiency ( TOEFL/ IELTS). experience in your fields and references (depending on the course). You also may require Two LORs depending on the course. 

To make your admission better, check out the following: How Admission Officers Evaluate your application. 

Step 5:  If your application is successful, you will receive an offer from the University of Manchester. 

About the Author
author-image
Written by
Aishwarya Bhatnagar
Study Abroad Expert

Aishwarya is a professional Writer currently working as a Study Abroad Expert in the Editorial Team at Shiksha. She has over 5 years of experience and is skilled at creating Online Content with leveraged knowledge i... Read Full Bio

Explore popular study destinations
Resources for you
Understand the process step by step by referring to these guides curated just for you