In addition to other criteria like a good GPA, a well-written LOR, and a strong SOP, the ACT and SAT are important factors in determining a student’s admission to universities. The ACT or SAT exam must be passed in order for a student to enrol in a university in the United States. Students frequently take both the SAT and the ACT in order to prepare for college applications. Keep reading to find out more about the differences and similarities, ACT to SAT Conversion, and more!
ACT vs SAT- Differences and Similarities
The ACT and SAT tests may share a great deal of subject material. Additional to the subject, there are some other similarities. Before going on to the differences, let’s examine those points of similarity.
- Both are considered standardised tests, consist of multiple-choice questions and are taken by high school students
- The majority of colleges do not favour one over the other
- Both offer the institutions a broad evaluation of a student’s skills
- No points are deducted for wrong responses
- In the reading, English, and math parts, they each study the same material
- On the basis of passages, there are reading and writing exercises
- One month before the exam, both are available for registration
Both the SAT and the ACT are standardised tests, but they evaluate a student’s proficiency and readiness for college in quite different ways. Let’s now look at the differences between the ACT and SAT.
ACT | SAT |
The ACT exam is divided into four segments: Reading English Mathematics Science (Optional writing section) |
SAT exam is divided into three segments: Reading Writing and Language Mathematics (No optional essay/writing section) |
The scoring scale is between 400-1600 | The Scoring scale is between 1-36 |
Use of a calculator allowed for the mathematics section | Calculator not allowed |
Overall 215 questions | Overall 154 questions |
Duration: 2 hours 55 minutes (without optional writing section) With writing section: 3 hours 35 minutes |
Duration: 3 hours |
The test is conducted four times a year: March, May, October and December | The test is conducted six times a year. (February, April, June, July, September and October) |
ACT and SAT Conversions
It’s best to focus your efforts on either the SAT or ACT rather than trying to do well on both exams. Finding out which test you perform best on can be done using the ACT to SAT converter. Even if you just take one test, understanding how your score translates will help you assess your performance and your chances of admission to several universities.
Now, you must be wondering how to convert ACT scores into SAT and vice-versa. Let’s check out the score conversion table in order to understand it in a better way;
ACT Composite Score | SAT Composite Score |
1576-1600 | 36 |
1530-1560 | 35 |
1490-1520 | 34 |
1450-1480 | 33 |
1420-1440 | 32 |
1319-1410 | 31 |
1360-1380 | 30 |
1330-1350 | 29 |
1300-1320 | 28 |
1260-1290 | 27 |
1230-1250 | 26 |
1200-1220 | 25 |
1160-1190 | 24 |
1130-1150 | 23 |
1100-1120 | 22 |
1060-1090 | 21 |
1030-1050 | 20 |
990-1020 | 19 |
960-980 | 18 |
920-950 | 17 |
880-910 | 16 |
830-870 | 15 |
780-820 | 14 |
730-770 | 13 |
690-720 | 12 |
650-680 | 11 |
620-640 | 10 |
590-610 | 9 |
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It is ideal for candidates to review the criteria established by the universities before choosing which test to take. The fact that the school does not favour one over the other should be noted. Trial runs of both tests are the best method to decide which one will best reflect your academic potential.
FAQs
Converting scores from the ACT to SAT can be quite beneficial for determining which test you perform better on. To maximise your score, it’s best to concentrate all of your efforts on either the SAT or ACT rather than attempting to do well on both exams.
No, you are not required to submit both as universities ask for either of these scores. Instead of wasting time and energy on both, one should concentrate on studying for either one of them in order to succeed.
A composite ACT score of at least 33 is required for admission to Harvard University. The normal range for admitted students is 33 to 35.
It might be really stressful to be thinking about the university and test preparation at the same time. Candidates can gain an advantage and help land a spot in their dream college by practising consistently and concentrating on a particular exam. Hope now you know all about ACT to SAT conversion. Get in touch with our specialists at Leverage Edu to learn more about the application and admissions process.