What is the SAT?

The SAT is a test used by colleges to predict student freshman-year performance.

For a more detailed explanation see here.

What do the initials "SAT" stand for?

Strangely enough, nothing at all. At one point the initials stood for "Scholastic Aptitude Test", but ETS and the College Board now state that "it does not stand for anything."

The SAT By the way, this test has nothing to do with the Stanford Achievement Test, which is often referred to as the "SAT" also but should more accurately be abbreviated as "SAT9" or "SAT10".

What is the ACT?

The ACT is a test used by colleges to predict student freshman-year performance.

For a more detailed explanation see here.

Why are there two different tests?

For historical reasons, two companies have succeeded in marketing their student selection tests to schools and colleges. The SAT is promoted by the College Board, which, being based in New York, has been most successful on the East Coast and West Coast. The Iowa-based ACT promotes the ACT test, and have gained prominence in the Midwest. In short, if you attend high school in Florida or California it is more likely you will take the SAT than the ACT. If you attend high school in Wisconsin, on the other hand, the ACT will more likely be the test you take; however, any student in any area is able to take one or both tests.

Which test is easier?

This question is very difficult to answer. If I were to ask, "Which subject is easier, History or Biology?" it's pretty obvious that this question is impossible to answer. The only answer you could really give is "It depends. Some people find History easier and some people find Biology easier." Most people have a few subjects that they are particularly fond of or good at, and it's very hard to say for sure why this is the case.

The SAT requires one set of skills, the ACT another. The skills required are similar but not identical. The SAT seems to be preferred by students who like to work at a steady pace and think deeply about questions. The ACT is favored by those who like to work very quickly and not think quite so deeply.

What the are differences between the SAT and ACT?

Some notable differences between the tests are:

1. Length and pace of test. The SAT is more like a marathon, the ACT more like the 1500 meters.

2. Vocabulary. The Critical Reading section of the SAT favors students with an extensive college-level vocabulary. The Reading portion of the ACT is easiest for students who, although their voculary may not be so strong, can read quite quickly.

3. Science Reasoning. There is no explicit science-based section on the SAT. Fast-working students who understand the scientific method and are comfortable reading charts and graphs will do well on this section.

4. Grammar. The SAT Writing sections focus on testing a variety of English grammar points and very few points of punctuation. There are fewer grammar and more punctuation questions on the ACT.

Can you please teach me all the "tricks" for taking the SAT and ACT?

How much will my score improve?

It is reasonable to expect an overall improvement of somewhere between 50 and 150 points for each section (a total improvement of 150 to 450 points), though some people may do better or worse than this. In contrast, the average improvement a student makes by taking the SAT a second time, without any kind of tutoring assistance, is 10 points.

Many students feel that they did poorly on the SAT the first time because they were unwell or extremely tired when they took the test. Obviously it is difficult to take a test under such circumstances; however, they would rarely be the sole cause of a bad result.