Should You Take the ACT® Test or SAT® Test?
Take both, choose the one you prefer, and take it four times. Colleges only care about your highest score; they don’t care and won’t determine how many times you take the test. By doing something four times and preparing hard each time, you’ve probably done your best. Many sophomores take their first ACT® Test in June, right after finals, and again twice in junior spring and twice in senior fall. Even six tries aren’t unusual.
All colleges accept either test (see the Test concordance tables for admissions and scholarships. Jumping your test score is simply the best-paying job a high school student could have. Try both and take one a total of four times.
Taking either test can add up, but both test companies provide free and reduced lunch students with two tries for free. And in many states, a mandatory ACT® Test or SAT® Test in the junior year is also free. A free and reduced lunch student in Nebraska, for example, could take five tests for free: three ACT® Tests and two SAT® Tests.
ACT® to SAT® Score Converter
Enter your ACT or SAT score to instantly see the comparable score on the other test, your national percentile ranking, and how you compare to the national average. Conversions use the official concordance tables published jointly by ACT and the College Board — the same data colleges use when comparing applicants.
How are the tests different?
The Enhanced ACT® Test has English (mostly grammar), Math, Reading, and Science (optional). The SAT® Test has Reading & Writing (includes grammar), and Math. Learn more about the Digital SAT® Test. For high school juniors focused on the ACT® Test, here are reasons to try the SAT® Test:
Some counselors say that students should take either test no more than three times because “scores don’t increase after the third try.” Take either test four times because students who prepare hard typically see jumps on that fourth or fifth try.
And for those of you headed to community colleges, a solid test score can save you from remedial classes. Just prepare hard and do your best each time. Prepping for the ACT® Test and SAT® Test are the best-paying jobs high school students can have. Going to the right college at the right price means understanding the college admissions game. Preparing for the ACT® Test and possibly the SAT® Test senior year can help you win it.
Want to know even more about the tests?
ACT® Test: The Ultimate Guide to the ACT® Test
SAT® Test: The Definitive Guide to the SAT® Test
