A Comparison: ACT vs. SAT
ACT: Achievement
SAT: Cognitive Ability
The layout of the test
The layout of the test

English – 75 questions – 45 minutes
o Grammar/Mechanics
o Rhetorical
o No spelling or vocabulary is tested

Mathematics – 60 questions – 60 minutes
o Math skills through 11th Grade (4 questions
of Trigonometry)
o Requires knowledge of basic formulas

Reading – 40 questions – 35 minutes
o 4 passages at college freshman level
 Understanding of what is stated
 Understanding of what is implied

Science – 40 questions – 35 minutes
o Natural Science Skills: Interpretation,
Analysis, Evaluation, Reasoning, Problem
Solving
 7 sets of information in one of
three formats:
 Graphs, tables, charts
 Descriptions of
experiments
 Presentation of
inconsistent/conflicting
hypotheses

Writing – 30 minutes
o Writing prompt that defines an issue for
the to explain the point of view
o Student then responds with his or her own
position, based either on the positions
presented or another point of view
 Score is not affected by the
student’s point of view.
Details
Scoring: Based on number of correct answers, not wrong
answers
 No guessing penalty
 Math accounts for 25% of score
Cost: $50.50
Reports: $11 per report (beyond four included in cost)
History: Created in 1959 to measure classroom achievement,
not innate ability.

Math – 70 minutes – 54 questions
o Two 25 minute sections, one 20 minute section
o Basic arithmetic, Algebra I & II, Geometry

Critical Reading – 70 minutes – 67 questions
o Two 25 minute sections, one 20 minute section
o Tests critical reading, diction, and vocabulary
o 48 multiple-choice questions responding to
short and long passages
o Sentence completion: use correct word(s) to
finish incomplete sentences

Writing – 60 minutes
o One 25 minute section, one ten minute section,
one 25 minute essay
o Read a passage, state a position, support the
position with examples
o Identifying Sentence Errors – 18 questions
o Improving Sentences Without Changing
Meaning – 25 questions
o Improving Paragraphs Without Changing
Meaning – 6 questions
Details
Scoring: Penalizes ¼ point for each wrong answer
 Guessing penalty
 Math accounts for 50% of score
Cost: $50
Reports: $11 per report (beyond four included in cost)
History: Created in 1926 to democratize admissions, theoretically
to eliminate test bias between different backgrounds.