Is SAT or ACT Testing Required in Any of the States?

Some states require high school juniors or seniors to take the SAT or ACT prior to graduating and going to college as part of their statewide testing regimen. This requirement may have an effect on whether it will be an advantage for you to take the SAT or ACT.

States Where the ACT is Required

These states require the ACT, including the optional essay writing section:

These states require the ACT, but do not require the optional essay writing section:

States Where the SAT is Required

These states require the SAT:

Do These Requirements Have Any Effect on Which Test I Should Choose?

While these requirements do not have any direct effect on whether the SAT or ACT becomes easier, there are benefits to taking the same standardized testing method that is required by your state.

Choosing the same test required by the state gives you a head start with regards to prep since the high schools will likely have more review materials, practice tests and even prep classes. Basically, you'll be more exposed to the test required by the state, and maybe preparing for it and taking it will be easier for you.  

These states usually also provide free testing and easier to access to testing venues such as your high school. Your high school teachers may also be able to help you prepare more as they may be more familiar with the type of questions and formatting of a state-required test versus one that is not.

What Are the Differences Between the Sections of the SAT and ACT?

It is important to know what the sections of the SAT and ACT are, what subjects they cover, and generally what kind of questions are on each test. Knowing the key differences between the SAT and ACT and comparing it with your personal strengths and weaknesses and individual skills in terms of academics should factor in a big way towards deciding whether the SAT or ACT will be easier for you. These may also help in your prep for either exam.

Time Per Question on the SAT and ACT

The SAT gives more time per question versus the ACT. Here is the general breakdown for each section:

As you can see, generally, more time per question is given on the SAT. While it does not make the specific questions any easier compared to the SAT, you need to factor in your ability to answer faster and more accurately under time pressure when choosing which test to take.

Math

One of the major differences between the SAT and ACT math sections is that you need to have the math formulas memorized for the ACT while the SAT will give you a diagram of math formulas at the start of the section.

The entire ACT math section allows a calculator while the SAT has 2 math sections - one that allows a calculator and one that does not. While most questions can supposedly be solved without a calculator, if you are more comfortable using a calculator on math questions then this may be a consideration for you.  

The ACT covers a wider range of math concepts and topics such as graphs of trigonometry functions, logarithms, matrices and permutations and has a bigger portion dealing with trigonometry and geometry questions compared to the SAT. The SAT focuses more on algebra and data analysis.  

Finally, as shown in the previous section, the SAT gives more time per question versus the ACT, which needs you to be faster in answering each question to finish the section.  

On the other hand, you may also need to spend more time on each question on the SAT especially on the algebra ones as the questions may be trickier or may take more steps to solve correctly.  

Therefore if you have a broader range of knowledge in math and have no problems answering accurately under more time pressure, then maybe the ACT math section will be easier for you. If you prefer longer questions that is more focused on algebra, then SAT math may be easier.  

One last thing to consider though is that the math section on the SAT accounts for 50% of your final score. While on the ACT, math is more or less just 1/4 of your composite score. So while it is possible for you to find the types of SAT math questions easier, the overall effect of math is bigger on the final score of the SAT.

SAT Writing and Language or ACT English

The SAT writing and language and ACT English sections are passage-based questions that are more or less similar in type and difficulty.

The SAT tends to focus a bit more on testing your writing style and vocabulary, such as selecting the most appropriate word or phrase to answer the question.  

The ACT English section focuses more on grammar, punctuation and sentence structure.  

Generally though, if you prepare for one, you will find yourself able to handle the other. The ACT just gives you less time per question than the SAT for this section.

Reading

Strong analytical reading skills are needed for both the SAT and ACT reading sections.

The SAT reading tends to be more organized with chronological reading questions. That is, the questions for a reading passage follows a chronological order in terms of where the question occurs in the passage. The SAT sometimes even gives the line numbers on the passage the question is referring to.  

On the ACT, reading questions do not follow any chronological order and no line numbers are given.  

Thus, the flow of the questions may be easier to follow in the SAT and will also save you more time when referring back to the passage since you don't have to go through everything to look for the answer.  

On the other hand, the SAT tends to have evidence-based questions or evidence-support questions whereas the ACT does not. There are question pairs on the SAT that first ask you a question based on the reading passage and then follows it up with another question requiring you to cite an evidence from the passage that supports your answer on the previous question. If evidence-based answers are not a strong suit of yours, then the ACT reading section may be easier.  

Finally, the last point of comparison is similar to the other sections, you have less time time per question on the average on the ACT versus the SAT.

Science

The SAT does not have a science section while the ACT contains a science section. However, you do not have to be a science whiz to handle the ACT science section content. You don't need to have a deep knowledge of actual science knowledge for the ACT science section. You just need to know scientific concepts such as how to read and interpret scientific data, graphs and charts. So before you get turned off by the ACT because it has a science section while the SAT does not, it would be best to either take a full-length practice test or prep exam of the ACT to see if you can handle its science section. The SAT not having a science section may not necessarily make it easier as you need to consider all the factors we discussed in this article.

Optional Essay

As of summer of 2021, the SAT has removed the optional essay while the ACT still offers an optional essay. Some states or districts may require the extra essay writing section of the ACT.

Also, while the optional essay does not figure into the final composite score of the ACT, it may be beneficial for a student to take the essay as it gives you a chance to showcase your writing skills and stand out to the college that you are applying to. 

Is there a Difference in Composite Score Computation Between the SAT and ACT?

The last comparison we'll make to help you decide whether the SAT or ACT is easier for you is by comparing how their composite scores are computed.

For both exams, there is no score penalty for any wrong answer.  

For the ACT, each section's raw score is converted to a scaled score between 1-36 with 36 being the highest. The scaled scores of the 4 sections are then averaged. If the average score has a decimal of 0.5 or above, it is rounded up to the nearest whole number, otherwise it is rounded down. For example, an average of 34.5 becomes a composite score of 35 while a score of 34.3 is a composite score of 34. This is now your ACT composite score.  

For the SAT, your raw score on the math section is converted to a scaled score between 200 to 800. The raw scores in the reading and writing and language sections are added, and then multiplied by 10 to come up with the scaled score. For example, you get 31 in reading and 25 in writing and language then your scaled score is computed as such: (31 + 25) x10 = 560. Your SAT composite score is then the total of the 2 scaled scores.  

It may seem easier to get a higher composite score in the ACT versus the SAT since there is rounding up in the ACT. In terms of perfect scores, it may be easier to get a 36 on the ACT since even a 35.5 would round up to that against the SAT where you need to get an 800 on both the math and reading and language and writing sections to get a perfect 1600.   

So Is It Easier to Take the SAT or ACT? Which Test Do I Take?

Again, understanding the key differences between the two standardized tests would be the biggest benefit to students towards helping them decide on whether the SAT or ACT will be easier for them. We have covered these differences above and the difficulty between tests may rest mainly with knowing more about each section of the SAT and ACT and determining which suit your individual academic skills and strengths more.

One other thing to make the SAT or ACT easier for you is to find some preparatory classes for either the SAT or ACT. We recommend taking some sort of online test prep as it may be easier or more accessible for you.  

Another way to gauge the difficulty of either standardized testing is to take a practice test of the SAT or ACT. This will help you get a feel for the questions of each test and see which one you are more comfortable with or which test's questions you have an easier time answering.  

If you are confused with the college application process and need further help, make use of our Admissions In An Hour college admissions assistance service. This will help make sense of the multitude of requirements and help with strategies to get you into college.