The SAT is a standardized test for college admissions in the United States. The SAT is administered by the College Board.
One explicitly stated purpose of the SAT is to predict how students will perform academically as college freshmen. But, the more practical purpose of the SAT is to help college admissions officers make acceptance decisions, because it provides a single, standardized means of comparison. Other factors considered by the college are your academic record, your involvement in school activities, your application essay, and your letters of recommendation.

The College Board administered the new SAT for the first time in March 2016. The changes are:

Mathematics Section: The content is expanded to reflect the mathematics that college-bound students typically learn during their first three years of high school.

Elimination of quantitative comparison questions.

Critical Reading Section: Formerly called the verbal section

Elimination of analogies

Addition of paragraph and paired-paragraph reading items

Writing Section: A new section consisting of multiple-choice questions and a student-produced essay.

Multiple-choice questions to assess understanding of how to use language in a clear, consistent manner and how to improve a piece of writing through revision and editing.

The student-produced essay assesses a student’s ability to develop and express ideas effectively.

Most of the questions on the SAT are multiple-choice; all multiple-choice questions have four answer choices, exactly one of which is correct. The questions of each section are generally ordered by difficulty. However, questions that follow the long and short reading passages are organized chronologically, rather than by difficulty.

Thirteen of the questions in one of the math sub-sections are not multiple choice but are grid-in answers. In the writing section, you would need to write an essay.

Created by ACT Inc., the ACT is an entrance exam used by most colleges and universities to make admissions decisions. The idea (in theory, at least) is to provide colleges with one common criterion that can be used to compare all applicants. The weight placed on ACT scores varies from school to school. Other important factors that schools consider in their admissions decisions are your high school GPA, academic transcripts, letters of recommendation, interviews and personal essays. For more specific information on the importance of ACT scores at the schools you're interested in, contact the admissions offices directly.

The ACT is offered nationally every year in September, October, December, February*, April and June. Beginning in 2018, the test will also be offered in July*.

The ACT has four sections: English, Reading, Math and Science, as well as an optional 40-minute writing test. Some schools may require the writing test, so be sure to ask before you take it.

SAT versus ACT. Is one harder? Is one better? More prestigious? More useful? If only it were that simple. Click to read more about ACT vs SAT.

You'll earn one ACT score (1 to 36) on each test (English, Math, Reading and Science) and a composite ACT score, which is an average of these four tests. Usually, when people ask about your score, they're referring to your composite ACT score. The composite score falls between 1 and 36. The national average is about 21. If, for example, you scored 31 on the English, 30 on the Math, 29 on the Reading and 30 on the Science, your composite ACT score would be 30.

You'll receive subscores in English, Math and Reading that range between 1 and 18. These scores provide you with more detail about your performance, but they are not actually used by colleges or universities.

The ACT includes an optional essay, known as the writing test. If you take the writing test, you will receive a writing test subscore and a combined English/writing score. Visit www.ACT.org for detailed information about how your ACT writing test will be scored.

Students have traditionally taken the ACT in the spring of their junior year and, if necessary, again in the fall of their senior year. However, more and more students are choosing to take their first ACT earlier, such as during the fall of their junior year. This gives them more flexibility to retake the ACT test one or more times, or to take the SAT or SAT Subject Tests. View the 2017–2018 ACT test dates.

#1: Most Colleges Will Require Your Scores
#2: There Are Score-Based Scholarships for the Winning
#3: Some Jobs Require Your Test Scores
#4: The ACT Has a Science Section
#5: The ACT Is Lighter on Algebra Than the SAT
#6: The ACT Permits Calculators Throughout the Math Test
#7: The ACT Does Not Have Any Grid-Ins
#8: The Essay on the ACT Wants Your Opinion
#9: The ACT Is Required by Some States

• About 40 Minutes – In addition to choosing a test date and location, you will be asked to provide information that will be visualized on your score report to help you to explore possible careers that align with your stated interests
• Desktop or laptop with an internet connection - Mobile and tablet not recommended
• Credit Card or other form of payment
• High school course details
• Headshot photo - Now or anytime before the photo deadline