SAT vs ACT?
Today every US college accepts either the SAT or the ACT. Some colleges are impressed with an individual submitting both, while other colleges require neither. Yet taking one of the two and getting a high score in it will make you a more competitive candidate.
Now how do you decide between the SAT and ACT?
Your decision comes down to 2 things - personal preference and audience. Start by taking a practice test of each type, but before that get some background knowledge on both. Both tests roughly 3 hours, yet the composition of both tests is drastically different.
First, the ACT has about 40% more questions than the SAT. There are 154 questions on the SAT, and 215 on the ACT. This means you have significantly less time to answer every ACT question. So if you are not great with time management, the SAT may be the test for you.
Second, the ACT lets you use a calculator in all 60 maths questions while the SAT has a 20 question no calculator section. To compensate for the lack of a calculator, the SAT gives you a formula page. On the SAT the math section composes half of your score (720 out of 200), while in the ACT it is only 1/4th (8 out of 32). However, the math in the ACT is of a more advanced level – but very straightforward. So, if you are comfortable with high-level topics and learning formulas, the ACT may be the right choice for you. And if you are better at logical thinking, then the SAT is your right option.
Third, the ACT gives you 5 options in each question while the SAT gives a more manageable 4 options. This makes it somewhat easier to weed out the difficult questions in the SAT (the process of elimination).
Finally, one of the key differences between the SAT and ACT is that the ACT has a science section. This section is more about reading data in charts in figures than about complex scientific concepts. If one does not like analysis, then the ACT may be a problem for you.
Another way for you to find out which test to take is to see which you think your peers will do worse in. At the end of the day, these are the people you will be compared to and if you do relatively better, your chances of getting into college are higher. Moreover, sitting for the lesser taken test may give you a slight edge.
But the main thing in deciding which test is for you, is personal taste. Try both, figure out which will be the right choice for you, and work on perfecting that test.