or
Choose Wisely!
A Presentation by Everitt Clark
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
True or False?
Some colleges (mainly on the east and
False. Both tests are accepted at all
west coasts) prefer the SAT, while others four-year colleges in the United States
(in the midwest and south) prefer the
that require standardized test results.
ACT.
The ACT is more “knowledge-based”
than the SAT.
Mostly false. The ACT does require
slightly more advanced math and
science skills, but the SAT demands a
larger vocabulary.
The ACT is easier than the SAT.
False. Although ACT questions tend to
be a little more straightforward than SAT
questions, the time pressure on the ACT
is significantly more severe.
The “new” SAT will be harder than the
current SAT.
False. The Revised SAT will be harder
than the current SAT in some ways and
easier in others. Some students will
prefer the new SAT, some the old.
You can improve your score on both the
SAT and the ACT if you prepare yourself
for the tests.
True. Fairtest.org reports that studying
and/or tutoring often does result in
significant score increases.
What do these acronyms mean?
“SAT” stands for:
“ACT” stands for:
A) Scholastic Aptitude Test
American College Test
B) Scholastic Assessment Test
Another Crappy Test
C) Scholastic Achievement
Test
¡Ay, caramba! Test!
ACT
D) SAT
“SAT” and “ACT” don't stand for anything because it's
not particularly clear what the tests measure – except
how good you are at taking them!
A Brief History of the SAT
(in multiple choice format)
Which of the following played a role in the
development of the SAT?
A) Eugenics
B) Communism
C) Ralph Nader
D) A sixth-grader in Florida
E) All of the above
James Conant, the president of Harvard,
Ralph Nader and Allen
saw that only rich, well-connected preppies
Nairn published The
could get into good colleges. He was
Reign of ETS, which
worried that the rejected (but smart)
revealed that the SAT
students would become communists
privileged the wealthy,
unless there were a test that could help
the white, and the
them get into schools like Harvard. Enter
powerful – precisely
the SAT! Conant's former assisant started
the opposite of what it
Educational Testing Services, the company
was supposed to do!
that now writes the SAT.
Carl BrighamRichard
developed
the Scholastic
Aptitude
Atkinson,
the president
of the
Test in the 1920s.
He
was
a
proponent
of
University of California, visited his sixtheugenics – the
belief
that geneticallyclass
superior
grade
granddaughter's
and
people should
pass
on
their
genes
to
improve
discovered that the teacher was already
the “race”. He
thought
theonSAT
help toHe thought
drilling
them
SATwould
questions.
demonstratethis
thatwas
aptitude/intelligence
was
a
preposterous, and
threatened
to
genetic trait. stop
Later
on,
he
disavowed
his
early
using the SAT in his school system. In
racism, said 2005,
that SAT
didn't
reallythe
measure
ETS
changed
SAT so that the
intelligence, University
and tried toofstop
it
from
being
used using it.
California would keep
for college admissions... but it was too late.
An Even Briefer History of the ACT
(in the form of an analogy)
SAT is to ACT as...
Coke is to Pepsi
American College Testing was founded in 1959
by E. F. Lindquist to compete with ETS
Initially, the ACT contrasted with the SAT:
The ACT was popular in the midwest, the SAT on the coasts
The ACT was chiefly used by public universities, the SAT by private ones
The ACT claimed to measure mastery of the high school curriculum, the SAT to test
aptitude regardless of knowledge
But the ACT has become more like the SAT
In 1989, the “Enhanced” ACT was introduced: the Social Studies test became a
Reading test, and the Science test became a “Science” test
By 2006 every college accepted the ACT, and by 2012 the ACT was more popular
than the SAT.
A Glimpse into... the Near Future!
The Revised SAT
David Coleman,
the new President
of The College
Board, has been a
critic of the SAT
for a long time.
Coleman was the main designer
of the Common Core, so the new
SAT will be more in line with
those standards. Also, it will be
more like the ACT.
The New SAT will emerge from
its chrysalis in March 2016. The
New PSAT arrives in Fall 2015.
The ACT
Jon L. Erickson,
head honcho at
ACT, Inc., has a
very successful
test on his hands.
The ACT is only changing in fairly
minor ways – most of which won't
affect students who live outside
the midwest or the deep south.
The content will be similar, but
there will be optional
“constructed-response” questions
and a revised essay.
The SAT and the ACT today
SAT
10 sections (3 hrs. 45 min.)
3 Writing

1 essay

2 multiple choice
ACT
5 sections (3 hrs. 25 min.)
1 English
1 Essay (optional)
3 Math
1 Math
3 Critical Reading
1 Reading
1 Experimental
1 Science
The order of sections is
random, but the Essay is first
and the shorter sections are at
the end
Several sections of each type
Essay is required
The sections always go in the
same order: English, Math,
Reading, Science, Essay
One long section of each type
Essay is optional
The SAT and the ACT today
Writing (multiple-choice)
About grammar and syntax, mostly in
isolated sentences
Math
Through Algebra II. Formulas
provided, but questions are tricky.
Critical Reading
Lots of tough vocab. Difficult
questions about reading passages.
NO Science
Yay?
Essay (Required)
Broad topic. Write a lot.
English
About grammar, punctuation, and
meaning in longer passages
Math
Through Pre-calc. No formulas
provided. Lots of word problems.
Reading
Easy vocab. Straightforward
questions. Time pressure.
Science
Not much science knowledge
required. Time pressure.
Essay (Optional)
High-school focus. Write a lot.
How are the SAT and the ACT scored?
SAT
Score Range: 600-2400
200-800 for each section; scores are
then added together
Graded on a curve
Multiple choice questions have 5
answer choices
Incorrect answers are penalized a
fraction of a point (except on the
Math grid-in questions), so you
shouldn't randomly guess
Most colleges “superscore” the
SAT (use best section scores
from all test dates)
ACT
Score Range: 1-36
1-36 on each section; composite
score is the average of these
Graded on a curve
Multiple choice questions have 4
answer choices (except for Math,
which has 5)
NO “guessing penalty”, so you
should never leave a question
blank. Guess away!
Most colleges do NOT
“superscore” the ACT (they
use your best single test)
The average SAT score is around 1500, and the average ACT score
is 21. An easy SAT-ACT score conversion chart is on the back of
the handout. Make sure you grab a copy!
The Redesigned SAT in a nutshell


The Redesigned PSAT rolls out in October 2015, the Redesigned SAT in March
2016. You'll be able to take the Current SAT until January 2016.
Instead of the Current SAT's three subject areas – Critical Reading, Writing, and
Math – there will now be only two: “Evidence-based Reading and Writing” (i.e. the
Critical Reading and Writing subjects smushed together) and Math.

The maximum SAT score will again be 1600 (ask your parents).

The essay will be optional. Competitive colleges will require it. (Like the ACT)

4 answer choices instead of 5! (Like the ACT)

No guessing penalty! (Like the ACT)

Subscores on every section! (Like the ACT)

More graphs and word problems! (Like the ACT)

No more hard vocabulary words! (Like the ACT)

Revised motto: The Redesigned SAT™: It's the ACT™!

An optional computer-based version of the test will be available in select cities.

You will still be able to prepare for every section of the Redesigned SAT. You just
won't need as many vocab flash cards.
Today's SAT
vs.
Writing (multiple-choice)
About grammar and syntax, mostly in
isolated sentences
Math
Through Algebra II. Formulas
provided, but questions are tricky.
Calculator permitted.
Critical Reading
Lots of tough vocab. Difficult
questions about reading passages.
Essay (Required)
25 minutes. You supply your own
point of view on a broad topic.
Tomorrow's SAT
Writing and Language
About grammar, punctuation, and
meaning in longer passages. Very
similar to ACT English.
Math
Through Pre-calc. Formulas still
provided. More word problems.
Less geometry, more statistics.
Calculator permitted for some
problems, not for others.
Reading
“Relevant words in context” instead of
hard vocab. No more sentence
completions. Reading passages
will be similar but include graphs.
Essay (Optional)
50 minutes. Read an essay and
analyze the author's point of view.
What about upcoming changes to the ACT?



Some students in midwestern and southern states (not northern Virginia, alas) will
have the option of taking the ACT on the computer starting in Spring 2015.
Students will have the option of taking additional 30-minute “constructed-response”
(i.e. not multiple choice) Math, Reading, and Science sections. ACT hasn't
announced when these will be available.
Starting in Fall 2015, the essay will no longer be all about providing your point of view
on a topic relevant to high-schoolers. Now it will require you to analyze several
viewpoints on a topic of broad interest. (A little bit like the Redesigned SAT Essay.)

More subscores on every section starting in Fall 2015! Yay subscores!

Revised motto: “The New ACT™: it's still the ACT™!”
Which test is right for you (class of 2016 or 2017)?
The Current SAT if...
The ACT if...
You did extremely well on the
PSAT.
You do great in school but soso on the PSAT.
You are a slow but careful
reader.
You are a fast reader.
You have a commodious
vocabulary.
Not so much with the vocab.
You are a whiz at math-related
brain teasers.
You know your math formulas
(up through trig).
Science = yuck gross
Science = bring it on.
You like gaming the test.
No games. Let's keep it real.
A little from column A, a little from column B? You should try a full
practice test of each kind. Free tests are in the office and online!
Which test is right for you (class of 2017-)?






Take a practice Redesigned PSAT when it becomes available on the College Board
website in March 2015, or take a practice Redesigned SAT whenever one is released
(probably summer 2015).
If you like the Redesigned SAT/PSAT, then prepare for and take the Redesigned SAT
in March 2016 or later.
If you don't like the Redesigned SAT/PSAT, then take either the Current SAT (now
through January 2016) or the ACT (whenever you feel like it).
All colleges will accept the Current SAT, the Redesigned SAT, or the ACT. The only
thing you have to worry about is which test you prefer.
This presentation contains the most up-to-date information about the upcoming
changes to the SAT and ACT, but the test makers will be releasing new information in
the coming months. Visit the College Board or ACT website and sign up to receive
updates as soon as they become available!
Check out pwnthesat.com (yes, that's how it's spelled) for more in-depth analysis of
both the Current SAT and the Redesigned SAT.
A Few More Things to Consider







Plan to take either the SAT or the ACT twice during your junior year. You can order a
copy of your SAT if you take the test in October, January, or May; you can get a copy
of your ACT if you take the test in December, April, or June.
Do any of the colleges on your list require SAT Subject Tests? You can't take Subject
Tests and the normal SAT on the same test date. Also, a few colleges accept the
ACT in place of Subject Tests.
You can check out colleges' own websites or Naviance to find out how your scores
match up with last year's incoming freshmen. Also make sure to check how much
your favorite schools care about the Writing portion.
Most colleges will “superscore” your best SAT Math, Critical Reading, and Writing
scores. For the ACT, most colleges use your best composite score, not your best
individual section scores.
SAT/ACT scores are just one factor in college admissions. Keep that GPA up and
get involved in extracurricular activities!
Several dozen schools are “test-optional”, and several hundred admit a significant
number of students each year without regard to their test scores.
Tutoring and diligent study can raise your score, but it is just as important to know
what your testing options are and to have clear goals.
A Final Thought
"The test movement came to this country …
accompanied by one of the most glorious
fallacies in the history of science, namely that
the tests measured native intelligence purely
and simply without regard to training or
schooling. I hope nobody believes that now.
The test scores very definitely are a composite
including schooling, family background,
familiarity with English, and everything else."
- Carl Brigham, creator of the SAT
SAT or ACT: Choose Wisely!
For more information about the SAT and ACT,
please visit my website:
EVERITTCLARK.COM