Nearly every school in the nation accepts the SAT and the ACT exam, so unless your child loves taking tests, there's no compelling reason to take both. It's worth noting, however, that the two exams are very different. Scan the differences below, and if you're still unsure, have your child take a free, low-pressure practice exam through his school or a college counseling service, such as Kaplan. Education insiders may blather on about the ACT being more "content based" - it focuses on material learned in the classroom - while the SAT concentrates on problem solving and critical thinking, but what matters to you and your teen is going to be this:
- MATH: The SAT's math sections cover algebra and geometry, and questions often require combining areas of knowledge. The ACT math segment is more straightforward, but it includes trigonometry.
- VERBAL: The SAT is much heavier on vocabulary and includes a mandatory writing exam. The ACT test is grammar-centric, and includes an optional writing component.
- SCIENCE: The SAT may have a few reading comprehension questions relating to science, but the ACT exam includes a science reasoning test.
- GUESSES & STABS IN THE DARK: The SAT docks you for wrong answers. You're free to guess on the ACT. Also, be aware that the SAT, in addition to its three math and three verbal sections, also includes an unscored section where test makers try out new, experimental questions that can freak out some students, particularly if they hit that section first. Just knowing it's there - and that it won't be scored - can help alleviate the anxiety when a teen hits that first, insanely difficult question. Tell him to take a deep breath, do his best and move on.
- ONE MORE THING: Before signing up for the SAT II - the College Board's subject tests in English, foreign languages, math and the sciences - have your child verify that the colleges he is applying to actually require them. Not every school does.
