The ACT and SAT Compared

ACT and SAT Structure and Timing

Although the ACT and the SAT share some organizational similarities, each has its own structure. The redesigned ACT has three required multiple-choice sections — English, Math, and Reading — plus two optional add-ons, Science and Writing. The SAT, now delivered digitally, has two sections: Reading and Writing, and Math; it no longer includes an essay. The clearest structural difference is that the ACT still offers a dedicated Science section (as an option), whereas the SAT has none, though the SAT does weave data- and science-based questions into its two sections. In terms of length, the ACT's three required sections take about two hours of testing — adding Science or Writing lengthens the session — while the digital SAT runs a little over two hours in total.

ACT and SAT Question Types

Apart from the ACT's optional Writing essay, all ACT questions are multiple choice, and each question now offers four answer choices (the Math section no longer uses five). The digital SAT is also mostly multiple choice, but its Math section includes some student-produced-response questions, for which you type in a numerical answer instead of selecting one. The two tests pace their questions differently — they contain different numbers of items and allot time in their own ways — yet both leave students a broadly similar amount of time per question. One further contrast: the ACT still offers a stand-alone essay, though only as an optional add-on, while the SAT has dropped its essay entirely.

ACT and SAT Scoring Systems

Both exams use layered scoring systems that evaluate students in several ways. On the ACT, each multiple-choice section is scored from 1 to 36, and the Composite score (also 1 to 36) is now the average of just three sections — English, Math, and Reading. Science and Writing, when taken, are reported separately and do not factor into the Composite; the optional Writing essay is scored from 2 to 12. ACT reports also break each section into reporting categories and include national and state percentile rankings along with College Readiness Benchmark indicators. On the SAT, two section scores from 200 to 800 — one for Reading and Writing, one for Math — combine into a total from 400 to 1600, reported with percentiles and performance detail within each section. Because the SAT no longer includes an essay, it produces no separate essay score.

ACT and SAT Acceptance at Universities

Nearly all U.S. universities accept scores from either the ACT or the SAT, and even most schools that are officially "test-optional" will consider the scores if you choose to submit them. No college favors one test over the other, so a strong result on either can support an application equally well. How students split between the two tends to vary by region and by school, but that split reflects local habit rather than any admissions advantage. The sensible approach is to choose the exam that better fits your academic strengths and testing style, not to chase the statistics associated with a particular institution — there is little evidence that either test confers an inherent edge in undergraduate admission.

ACT and SAT Score Concordances

To help colleges compare results across the two exams, ACT and the College Board publish concordance tables that translate an ACT score into an equivalent SAT range and vice versa. As a rough guide, a mid-range ACT Composite in the low 20s corresponds to an SAT total near the mid-1000s, a Composite around 30 lines up with an SAT total in the mid-1300s, and scores at the very top of the 36 scale map to SAT totals approaching 1600. These tables are revised periodically, so anyone who needs a precise conversion should consult the current official concordance published by ACT and the College Board.

ACT and SAT Fees

The base costs of the two exams are broadly comparable. The ACT's base fee in the U.S. covers the three required sections — English, Math, and Reading — while the optional Science section and the optional Writing test each add a separate charge. The SAT charges its own base registration fee in a similar range. Both organizations also add fees for extra services and less common registration types, such as additional score reports or late registration. Because these amounts change from year to year, confirm the current figures on act.org and collegeboard.org before you register.