Standardized Tests in College Admissions

The ACT and SAT

Admissions tests are seen, by most colleges, as a standardized way to measure how likely students will be at succeeding during their first year of college. Keep in mind: generally, the higher the scores a school reports, the more challenging academic environment. It’s important to be prepared to take the SAT and/or the ACT. We advise some sort of test prep prior to taking the test, whether that be free online test prep, a prep book, a prep class, or a private tutor.

Which test?

 Students have taken the Pre-ACT and the PSAT (if they were in school on the day the test was offered), and they can be used as proxies for the ACT and SAT.  The proxy test providing the highest result is the recommended test for which you should prepare.  All colleges accept the SAT or ACT equally.

Test registration

To register for the SAT:

 Go to www.collegeboard.org;  To register for the SAT, you must create (or already have) an account.  You can send four free SAT score reports to colleges when you register for the test (or you can use the four free score sends up to nine days after the test).

To register for the ACT:

 Go to www.act.org;  To register for the ACT, you must create (or already have) an account.

Test-optional colleges and universities

 A test-optional admissions policy allows applicants the choice of whether or not to submit a test score. Each school’s policy varies and should be reviewed on the college’s website. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many more colleges offered testoptional applications, with some enacting the policy on a one- or three-year review period.

 Like almost all colleges, test-optional schools consider a student's high school academic record to be most important. Other factors that may be critical include writing samples, personal interviews, letters of recommendation, and evidence of commitment to service or work outside of school.  Fairtest.org has an up-to-date list of test-optional colleges and is maintained by The

National Center for Fair and Open Testing.

Comparing the SAT and ACT

SAT

Why Take It Colleges use SAT scores for admissions and meritbased scholarships. Colleges use ACT scores for admissions and meritbased scholarships.

Test Structure  Reading (65 Minutes)  Writing & Language (35 minutes)  Math no Calculator (25 minutes)  Math w/ Calculator (55 Minutes)  English (45 minutes)  Math (60 minutes)  Reading (35 minutes)  Science Reasoning (35 minutes)  Essay (Optional) (40 minutes)

Length 3 hours

Reading 5 reading passages

ACT

2 hours, 55 minutes (without essay) 3 hours, 35 minutes (with essay) 4 reading passages

Science None

Math

Calculator Policy

Covers Arithmetic, Algebra I & II, Geometry, Trigonometry and Data Analysis Covers Arithmetic, Algebra I & II, Geometry, Trigonometry, and Probability & Statistics

Some math questions don't allow you to use a calculator. You can use a calculator on all math questions.

1 science section testing your critical thinking skills (not your specific science knowledge)

Essays

How It's Scored

None.

Optional. The essay will test how well you evaluate and analyze complex issues. Scored on a scale of 400–1600 Scored on a scale of 1–36