The ABCs of the ACT and SAT
Students who take the time to learn the ABCs of the ACT and SAT standardized tests are often better prepared to meet admission requirements for the college of their choice.
Because colleges require different tests, the best advice is for students to keep their options open and take them both, says Marcy Wilson, Destination College Coordinator at Collin College.
Colleges and universities use the scores to measure a student’s academic accomplishments as well as potential. Some even have minimum score requirements to be considered for admission, so it’s best to research these ahead of time.
ACT or SAT? How are they different?
The ACT is one of the nationally accepted college entrance exams. This multiple-choice achievement test measures what a student has learned in school.
The SAT is more of an aptitude test, testing reasoning and verbal abilities. Students should keep in mind particular strengths if they choose to only take one of the tests.
Only the ACT offers a student interest inventory feature, which provides valuable information for career and educational planning. It also provides a comprehensive profile of a student’s work in high school and his or her future plans, Wilson said.
The interest inventory section can help maximize a student’s opportunities to receive information from colleges and universities and for being selected for any existing scholarships.
To learn more about the ACT exam see www.act.org, or visit www.collegeboard.com for information about the SAT.
How many times should we take the SAT or ACT?
Students who are not happy with their scores can take the tests as many times as they want, but there are some considerations.
The first is that it costs money to take each test. More importantly, while ACT allows students to choose which score is sent to colleges, SAT submits all scores – the good and the bad – when they send a transcript.
When deciding whether or not to retake the SAT, try to pinpoint if something specific could be changed the second time around. Was there an illness, lack of sleep or particular mathematics problems that caused the scoring outcome? These factors should be weighed with the risk of doing worse on the exam. Students who didn’t adequately prepare for the exam might consider additional prep work to raise familiarity with the types of test questions being asked.
Are the prep classes worth it?
Test preparation classes can make a difference, but they aren’t intended to teach material that a student may have missed in high school. If the skills and knowledge are there, students can benefit from prep classes because they reinforce the information in a format used on the tests. There are plenty of online test prep and in-person classes available for a fee. There are also many free online test prep websites. See www.ccccd.edu/destinationcollege for a complete list.