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5 BIG Reasons More Students Choose the ACT®

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ACT vs SAT infographic

THE ACT IS MORE THAN AN ADMISSIONS EXAM.

ACT knows students are “more than a score” and helps them plan for their futures with free college and career planning resources to help them evaluate their interests and make connections between those interests, education, and the work world.

  • ACT Interest Inventories help students pinpoint unique interests, values, and skills.
  • ACT Profiles help students identify majors and occupations that match their interests.
  • Personalized Career Maps help students explore career and job possibilities.
  • College and career readiness indicators illustrate a student’s achievement and preparedness in areas important to their success after high school.

Data collected from the SAT’s optional questionnaire is used primarily for admissions, advising, and scholarship awards. It does not explore career planning.1

THE ACT IS THE ONLY COLLEGE ENTRANCE TEST THAT OFFERS A SCIENCE SECTION AND SCORE.

ACT research shows that 49% of students have an interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) college majors and careers.

The ACT science test:

  • Contributes to the ACT STEM score, which is compared to the ACT STEM Benchmark to indicate readiness for college courses.
  • Includes a STEM ranking to help students see where they stand against other students’ ACT STEM scores.
  • The SAT still excludes a science test or a focus on STEM.

The SAT still excludes a science test or a focus on STEM.

THE ACT MATH SECTION IS STUDENT-FRIENDLY.

The entire ACT mathematics test is multiple-choice. Students may also use a calculator on every question, although all questions can be solved without one.

The SAT mathematics test includes a 20-question section that does not allow calculators. Additionally, 22% of the test is grid-ins, meaning you must write your own answers in the blanks provided.2

THE ACT IS RELIABLE.

Students and colleges have relied on ACT scores for more than 50 years, and the focus has ALWAYS been student readiness for college and career based on what they’ve learned in high school. That’s one reason the ACT test has been taken more than 3 million times in 2017 and is accepted at all US colleges and at 225 universities worldwide.

The SAT introduced a major shift from testing aptitude to testing how ready students are for college and career. ACT has always done this and leads the way in this type of testing.3

THE ACT IS BUILT WITH DIRECT INPUT FROM EDUCATORS.

Ongoing research affects every update made to the test. Every few years, ACT polls thousands of US educators on skills and knowledge needed for college-level courses. This ensures that the ACT is continually improved and always measures what students need to succeed.

In fact, nearly 10,000 high school and college educators and business professionals participated in the most recent ACT National Curriculum Survey®.

The SAT relies on a group of selected subject matter experts.4

1 SAT Questionnaire.” College Board. Accessed 8 Nov. 2017.
2 “Math Test.” College Board. Accessed 8 Nov. 2017.
3 Hickey, Ryan. “It’s heeere: 10 ways the SAT has been revamped.” USA Today. 4 Jan. 2016. Accessed 8 Nov. 2017.
4 “Test Development.” College Board. Accessed 8 Nov. 2017.