Which test to take, SAT or ACT?
SAT, ACT, or Both?!,
Which test should students choose?
The SAT is better if you're:
- A “good test taker”, if big tests don’t make you very nervous, or if you don’t get overwhelmed easily by unfamiliar information
- Near a top score, because it’s easier to “ace” (get a 99th percentile or perfect score) than the ACT
- Good at solving puzzles or “thinking on the fly” - taking unfamiliar information and manipulating it quickly or combining it with knowledge you already have
- Are an Illinois Student who has practiced the SAT battery of tests throughout their high school career.
- All junior students at FHS take the SAT on school-wide testing day.
The ACT is better if you're:
- Better in classes than on tests
- Good at learning all the material in the textbook
- If you prefer lots of structure in your education
- Scoring in the lower percentiles (the average ACT question is a bit easier than the average SAT question)