How is ACT Different from SAT?

While both ACT and SAT are standardised tests required for UG admissions abroad, they vary greatly. ACT and SAT are very different from each other in terms of scoring, pattern, syllabus, and testing modules. ACT is a longer duration test while SAT is shorter than ACT by just 41 minutes. Thus, ACT is different from SAT, let us understand more about this in this article.

ACT vs SAT Highlights 

What are ACT & SAT	Standardized Tests
Accepted for	Undergraduate admissions abroad
Accepted in Countries of	USA, Canada, Australia and the UK
Tests	High school knowledge
Major Subjects Tested	Math & English
How many attempts for ACT annually?	12
Total attempts for SAT annually	No restrictions
Assessments at universities	Made unbiased despite ACT or SAT score submission

How is ACT Different from SAT? 

Though both ACT and SAT are standardized tests aiming to assess high school student’s knowledge in various subjects of Maths and English, yet ACT varies greatly with the new Digital SAT exam which is set to conduct its first exam on March 11. Check out how ACT differs from SAT: 

• ACT assesses students in English, Maths and Science, but SAT excludes Science sections. 
• The ACT exam is conducted on computers at centres while SAT Digital is conducted on students’ own laptops, Chromebooks or iPads at the  SAT’s test centre. 
• Though SAT Digital has reduced its test hour by an hour, ACT still has a longer duration of testing in comparison to SATs by almost 41 minutes. 
• ACT has lesser breaks between its different sections there is a 10-minute break in between the Reading & Math section and another 5 minutes before attempting the Writing section. SAT gives a 10-minute break after each module of each section.  
• ACT gives the option for choosing the writing section. If chosen there is a fee else there is an ACT fee. Whereas, there is no essay or writing section available for Indian students on SATs. 
• ACT scores and results are released within a few weeks while SAT scores and results are released within a couple of days. 
• Lastly, it is believed that ACT is a more curriculum-based test whereas SAT moreover tests the student’s aptitude. 

So those international students who have confidence in the ACT syllabus more than SAT syllabus can opt for appearing for the ACT exam. Check out the latest SAT Exam Dates and ACT Exam Dates.

ACT vs SAT Common Parameters 

In continuation to the above section, the following section throws more light on the important aspects of ACT and SAT, which may help students in choosing ACT or SAT: 

Parameters	ACT Exam	SAT Digital Exam
Taken by Students in 2022	1.35 million	1.7 million
Conducting Body	ACT	College Board
Full Form	American College Testing	Scholastic Assessment Test
Registration Fees for Indian Students	ACT Registration Fee: INR 15,603.51 (without writing)  INR 17,695.14 (with writing)	SAT Registration Fee: INR 10,991
Exam Duration	2 hours 55 minutes	2 hours 14 minutes
Conducted Annually	14 times across 7 months	7 times
Mode of Conduction	Online	Digital
Exam Syllabus	ACT Syllabus: English Math Science Reading Writing (Optional)	SAT Syllabus: Reading & Writing (RW) + Maths
Overall Score	1 - 36	400 - 1600
Scores Released	Within 2 weeks	Within 10 - 13 days

Read more about: 

• ACT Prep Tips 
• SAT Prep Tips 

Similarities in the ACT and SAT Exam 

Despite numerous differences between the two standardized tests for undergraduate exams, there are still a few commonalities between the ACT and the SAT, read the following section for more details: 

• Both ACT and SAT are tested at test centres despite one being offline and the other being online respectively. Read about: ACT Test Centres 
• Both ACT and SAT test students in Math and English subjects. 
• There are MCQs with four options in all sections of the ACT and SAT. 
• Also, calculators for the Math sections of both the ACT and SAT are allowed during the exams. 
• Students submitting either ACT or SAT would be assessed unbiased and will be treated equally to each other. 

ACT vs SAT Score Conversions 

Since ACT is considered equivalent to SAT, students who submit either of the test scores can qualify in the following range: 

ACT Composite Score	SAT Digital Score Range	ACT Composite Score	SAT Digital Score Range
36	1600	35	1560-1590
34	1520-1550	33	1490-1510
32	1450-1480	31	1420-1440
30	1390-1410	29	1350-1380
28	1310-1340	27	1280-1300
26	1240-1270	25	1200-1230
24	1160-1190	23	1130-1150
22	1100-1120	21	1060-1090
20	1020-1050	19	980-1010
18	940-970	17	900-930
16	860-890	15	810-850
14	760-800	13	720-750
12	630-710	11	560-620
10	640-620	09	610-590

Check out: SAT Cutoff 

In the end, it's up to the students which exam suits them the most in terms of their previous knowledge. If the student’s Science and Maths are strong, they can think of appearing for the ACT and those who have strong points in the aptitude section can apply for the SAT exam.