SAT vs. ACT: Which Test Should I Take?

If you’re trying to decide whether to take the SAT or ACT, you’re not alone.

Both test what you’re learning in school, the same knowledge and skills needed to succeed in college and career. Most colleges in the U.S.—including those that require tests and those that are test optional—accept scores from either exam for admissions decisions, course placement, financial aid, scholarships, and other purposes.

There are many reasons why the SAT is the #1 college admission test in the U.S., taken by more students (more than two million in the class of 2025) than any other test. The SAT: 

1. Offers free, world-class practice.

Official practice for the SAT is free and includes 7 full-length practice tests in Bluebook™—the same testing app you’ll use on test day—that are automatically scored for you. College Board has also expanded its partnership with Khan Academy®—a not-for-profit—to offer Official SAT Prep, where you can further develop the knowledge and skills that are tested on the SAT. By comparison, ACT practice materials are on different platforms than the ones used during the actual test. The ACT offers only 1 free downloadable practice test and 2 web-based practice tests (1 timed and 1 untimed). ACT also partners with various for-profit test prep companies to offer self-paced, live online, and in-person tutoring from $159–$4,140.

2. Is familiar. 

By the time you take the SAT in your junior year, you’re likely to be familiar with everything that’s covered on the test. If you took the PSAT/NMSQT, you’re also familiar with the SAT format. While the format of the ACT may vary depending on where or when you take it, the SAT format—a Reading and Writing section and a Math section—is consistent, and you’ll take it on the familiar Bluebook testing application.

3. Is shorter, with more time per question. 

The SAT is 2 hours and 14 minutes. The SAT gives you between 41% and 44% more time per question than the ACT—depending on whether or not you take the Science section—so you can show what you know, not how fast you are.

4. Has shorter reading passages.

 The reading passages on the SAT are typically short, and each has one question. The reading passages on the ACT are always long, and each has 9 questions.  

5. Features built-in math support.

 The math section on the SAT gives you a built-in graphing calculator plus all necessary formulas. ACT encourages students to bring their own calculator, but it restricts which calculators may be used.

6. Is digital everywhere. 

You can take the digital SAT on the device you’re most familiar with—your own laptop, tablet, or school-issued Chromebook. When taking the ACT on a weekend, it’s still paper and pencil in most places. If you do take the ACT digitally on the weekend, you’ll be assigned a device you may not be familiar with.

7. Makes the choice simple. 

You may have heard that colleges in some states prefer the SAT while others favor the ACT, but this isn’t true. Colleges don’t have a preference. All colleges that accept or require an admission test accept the SAT. While ACT transitions test formats, some colleges are updating their test policies, ranging from requiring the ACT Science section to not calculating an ACT superscore in the 2025-26 application cycle. Be sure to check policies before you apply.

8. Has science reasoning built in.

 The SAT has no separate science section; it integrates science reasoning into reading passages and math problems. The ACT has a separate science section. Starting in spring 2025, that section will be “optional,” but it’s unclear how that will impact the total ACT score or how colleges will interpret it.

SAT vs. ACT Comparison at a Glance 

Here’s what else you should know about the ACT* 

According to recent announcements, the ACT will have 12 different formats by fall 2025. 

ACT announced their changes as enhancements that offer students flexibility and choice—online or paper, with or without science, with or without writing. Choice may sound appealing, but it might be hard to know which version to choose, which version will be preferred by which colleges, and which version will be available in your area. It may also be difficult to practice and prepare for an exam that has so many variations. 

Students who may have previously preferred the ACT because science was one of their particular areas of strength and the science section counted toward the composite score will now be able to choose an optional science test to show what they know. That science test will be scored separately and won’t count toward the composite ACT score.

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So, what’s the bottom line? 

Both the SAT and ACT can help you stand out on college applications, access scholarships, and plan for your future. When comparing the two, many students find that the SAT is best for them.

If you want to explore further before you decide, consider taking a free SAT practice test to check it out. You have a big future ahead of you, and the SAT can help you reach it.  

*Based on publicly released ACT information as of July 2025.