What is the difference between the SAT and the ACT?
In general, the SAT gives students more time per question than the ACT, but the questions tend to be slightly trickier and might require deeper thought. The ACT is more of a speed test with more direct questions. The ACT has four sections: English, Math, Reading, and Science. The SAT has two sections: Reading/Writing and Math. The SAT is taken on a computer and is digitally adaptive. The ACT is a paper-based test and is a longer test (for now). In 2024, almost two million students took the SAT; 1.4 million took the ACT. Colleges do not care whether you take the ACT or the SAT. It is not necessary to sign up for the writing portion of either test.
The SAT Test
The SAT is administered by the College Board, a non-profit organization. The SAT has rolled out its new digitally adaptive test, which students take on their own devices (e.g. laptop, Chromebook, iPad) at test centers nationwide. The SAT has two sections: reading/writing and math. The standard test time is two hours and 14 minutes: four 32-minute modules and a 10-minute break at the midpoint. Accommodations for extended time are available. The score range is 400 to 1600.
SAT Sections and Timing
The test begins with reading and writing module one. It consists of 27 questions and has a standard time of 32 minutes. There are no long reading passages on the digital SAT. Most questions contain only one paragraph, but there are a few questions with two paragraphs (which get compared). There is a mix of easy, medium, and hard questions.
SAT Scoring
Students will be routed to an easy or a hard second module, depending on how they did on module one. If a student gets the easy module two, then their total score on reading and writing will be capped in the low-600’s. With the harder second module, the higher scores open up (all the way to an 800). Students will not be able to tell which second module they receive. There is a 10-minute break after the second reading and writing module.
Math works the same way, except there are only 22 questions in each 32-minute module. As before, it’s important to do well in the first math module so the student will receive the more difficult second module. Both math modules have a built-in Desmos calculator, which is available for all 44 questions.
The ACT Test
The ACT is administered by the for-profit ACT Educational Corporation. The ACT will be reformatting its test over the next year, with the style of questions more in-line with the SAT. Eventually, the ACT science section will be optional. Students will also be able to choose whether to take the ACT on paper or on the computer at a test center (not your own device). The ACT says the paper and computer-based tests will be identical and non-adaptive.
ACT Sections and Timing
For now, the ACT contains four sections: English, math, reading, and science. The standard test time is 3 hours and 10 minutes, which includes a 15-minute break. Accommodations for extended time are available.
The ACT begins with the English test, which consists of 75 questions that must be completed in 45 minutes (standard time). The test contains five fairly long passages with 15 questions in each passage.
The math section comes next, with 60 questions and a time limit of 60 minutes. There is no built-in calculator, but students are allowed to use their own calculators for the entire section. A 15-minute break follows the math section.
For the reading section, students have 35 minutes to answer 40 questions. This section consists of four fairly long passages, with 10 questions on each passage.
The science section also has 40 questions that must be completed in 35 minutes. This section is really more about interpreting data (figures and graphs) than science. There are six different science passages, each with 6 or 7 questions.
ACT Scoring
Each section is scored between 1 and 36. The composite score is the average of all four sections.
ACT/SAT Score Comparison
Here are a few of the score comparisons for the ACT and SAT:
When should you take the SAT?
Here is a list of the 2025 SAT dates. The September date is a new addition. The College Board generally follows this schedule every year.
March 8
May 3
June 7
August 23
September 13
October 4
November 8
December 6
Most high school students take the SAT in the spring of junior year. Students can take it before then, but it’s important to have completed Algebra II before taking the test. I am not a fan of the May and June SAT dates: May is generally too close to APs, and June is too close to finals.
The August SAT date is a great option if the student is around for the summer. A little work each day without the demands of other classes and activities can really have a big impact. If a student is considering an August SAT, it’s important to register early: in general, there are fewer test centers, and extended time seats can be hard to come by.
When should you register for the SAT?
It’s always a good idea to register as early as possible. Traveling far away usually means an early wake-up call, and less sleep can really tamp-down the scoring potential. That effect can be magnified by the stress of being in an unfamiliar environment. Leaving the day before and staying at a hotel doesn’t help either: it’s still a recipe for a bad night’s sleep before the SAT. Do not take the optional SAT writing.
The fall dates in senior year can be a good option for a final chance to boost that SAT score – just be careful about early decision deadlines!
When should you take the ACT?
Here is the list of ACT dates for 2025. The ACT also tends to follow the same schedule every year.
February 8
April 5 (science optional online testing only)
June 14 (science optional online testing only)
July 12 (science optional online testing only)
September 6 (new format both online and paper, science optional in both)
October 18
December 13
Most students take the ACT in the spring of junior year. ACT math does get into some pre-calculus concepts, so ideally Algebra II should be finished and being in (or having finished) a pre-calculus course is helpful. Register as soon as you can, because (like the SAT) traveling and taking the ACT in an unfamiliar environment can impact the results.
Be careful with the June test date: it can get in the way of final exams. The fall dates can work as backups during senior year, but here again you need to be aware of early decision deadlines.
Here are the ACT dates (so far) for 2026:
February 14
April 11
June 13
July 11
September
October
December
Timetable for the ACT Changes
The ACT will unveil its shorter online test on April 5. It will be 2 hours and 5 minutes (plus breaks) for standard time. The Science section will be optional. The existing paper format test will be available through July 12.
Beginning on September 6, the shorter, reformatted test will be the only option. It will be available online and on paper. Science will be optional in both formats. I always recommend taking science but not writing!
How do you decide whether to take the SAT or the ACT?
Remember the colleges do not care whether you take the SAT or the ACT. I advise my students to lean towards the one they like better and choose the test that offers the greatest potential upside.
Please reach out for a free consultation where we can zero in on an individual student's needs and preferences, set up some practice tests, and evaluate the results!
