The choice between the ACT and the SAT is really tough, and most high school students wonder which side of this epic battle they should take. Both the ACT and the SAT are accepted by many universities in the United States and are taken by millions of students. In this post, we bring together all the best information about the differences and similarities between the ACT and the SAT to help you make this important decision.
As of 2025, both major college-admissions tests (the Digital SAT and the Enhanced ACT) have modernized their formats. Both are now shorter, digitally accessible, and designed to be less fatiguing while measuring the same academic skills. While the SAT’s adaptive modules personalize difficulty, the ACT focuses on flexibility, allowing optional sections and paper or digital formats. Despite these updates, the core content and scoring systems remain familiar, so most existing prep materials still apply. The details below reflect the latest versions of each exam.
Test Format and Timing
The ACT takes 2h 5min without the optional sections, and up to 3h 25min with both optional sections. It takes 2 h 15min to complete the SAT (no essay). Now, let’s dissect how the sections and the order in which they appear are different on the ACT vs SAT.
Sections and Order
The ACT has three multiple-choice sections, an optional Science section, and an optional essay. Its sections are always presented in this order:
- English
- Math
- Reading
- Optional Science
- Optional essay.
The SAT has two test sections, each with two modules. The order is
- Reading & Writing Module 1
- Reading & Writing Module 2
- Math Module 1
- Math Module 2
Adaptability
The Digital SAT analyzes your performance on the first module in a section and then adjusts the difficulty of the 2nd module accordingly. The ACT remains linear. Students who like consistent difficulty may prefer the ACT; those who adapt well to changing difficulty may find the SAT’s adaptive structure fairer.
Time Per Question
Historically, the ACT was known for tight timing; the Enhanced ACT mitigates this by granting roughly 20 % more time per question than before, narrowing the gap between the two tests.
Only the ACT Has an Optional Science Section
The science section is specific to the ACT. There are no other standardized tests with anything similar to this, except those developed by the ACT organization.
Before jumping to the conclusion of whether you are good at science in order to judge whether you can do well on the ACT, you really need to know that there is very little real scientific knowledge tested in the ACT Science section.
You will see some questions that require you to bring in external knowledge, but most of them relate to your ability to read tables and graphs, make inferences about the scientific situation, and evaluate scientific hypotheses. Before making a decision on your capabilities for this section, it is recommended that you review the ACT Science video lessons or the examples of ACT Science questions on the ACT website.
Math Emphasis of Each Test
The SAT will ask you some questions about advanced math and trigonometry. However, the ACT seems to contain more questions in the areas of algebra II and trigonometry. But don’t panic if you haven’t studied trigonometry in either test. Knowledge of all trigonometry tested in either the SAT or the ACT is at a very basic level, and you can learn what you need to know in the SAT Trigonometry Learning Guide and the ACT Trigonometry Resources.
ACT English vs SAT Writing and Language
If you take a look at the English section of the ACT and the Reading and Writing sections of the SAT, they appear to be virtually the same. Not only that, they test many of the same concepts. Arguably, these concepts are tested in a more subtle way in the SAT than in the ACT, and with more subtle answer choice variation. Still, it is important to note the difference in reading level between the tests and their approaches to the information graphic questions.
All passages in the ACT English section hover around a relatively low reading level (for example, about 9th grade). However, the text in the Writing and Language section of the SAT may vary in difficulty level from early high school to early college. In the ACT, all questions are about the given text. The SAT will also ask some questions about text-related tables and graphs.
The ACT Has an Optional Essay (ACT Writing)
As mentioned earlier, the ACT has an optional essay. The ACT essay offers three different perspectives on controversial issues and asks you to evaluate them and present your own perspective. Of course, for those who are good at discussing on the fly and coming up with supporting examples, it may be a good choice to write the ACT essay.
Different Scoring System
The ACT uses so-called composite scores to provide students with an overall ACT score. The overall composite score ranges from 1 to 36. You will also receive scores for each individual section ranging from 1 to 36, but with most universities, it is the composite score that matters. The overall composite score is the average of the section scores and is rounded to the nearest integer.
SAT scores range from 400 to 1600. Your overall score is based on a sum of your 200-800 Reading/Writing score and your 200-800 Math score.
If you take both the SAT and the ACT, how can you find out which scores you should send to your school or scholarship program? Don’t let different score scales confuse you! ACT to SAT conversion (and SAT to ACT conversion) is possible. This ACT to SAT conversion table makes it easy to convert the ACT scores to the SAT scores.
Different Test Dates
The SAT and the ACT alternate every month (except June, October and December). Both tests are offered seven times a year. Sometimes their schedules align so you can take the SAT and the ACT on consecutive weekends. Some students do that, but it’s not always wise. Would you want to spend two weekends at the test center and study for two different tests at the same time? Probably not.
In an ideal world, you would just have to choose one of the tests to take. After all, making this decision is the point of this post! If you do take both, it’s best to have at least a month (ideally more) between test sessions to switch gears.
Different Costs and Fees
The ACT usually costs $68 without the essay, the optional Writing section costs $25, and the optional Science section costs $4. The cost of the SAT is also $68. There may be additional charges depending on the situation. Students who cannot afford to take the ACT or the SAT can often work with their high schools to get fee exemptions. This allows you to take the test for free (with or without optional sections), but the fee exemption usually does not cover the additional charges.
Varying Popularity by State
The SAT remains popular on the East and West Coasts, while the ACT is a more popular test in the Midwest, although in recent years both tests have become established in areas where they were previously less popular. Currently, it is common for students across the country to take both exams.
The ACT vs the SAT: Which is easier? Which is harder?
The ACT may be easier than the SAT if:
- You work really fast. Usually, you don’t have any shortage of test time at school, and you’re a fast reader. The ACT is, in many respects, an even easier test if you have the speed to complete it in time.
- You like science and are good at interpreting data and trends. Earlier I told you that you don’t need to know a lot of science to be successful in the ACT Science section. This is still true, but it doesn’t hurt to be interested in what you are reading. Students who may not be science fans, but who are really good at seeing trends in graphs and tables and can guess the next steps in a logical process, can also succeed in the ACT Science.
The SAT may be easier than the ACT if:
- You are not a fast reader, but a good reader. With enough time, you can understand what you read quite well. You may not be able to take all the time you want on the SAT, but you will encounter more complex passages on the SAT than on the ACT.
- You’re good at reading between lines and catching traps. The SAT isn’t as tricky as it used to be, but there are still some tricks. If you know how to play the standardized test game, the SAT should go well for you.
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