Which exam is easier? The SAT or the ACT.?
January 8th, 2010 | 
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I opened this blog to help anyone who is preparing for his SAT.
I remember myself when I started - I was so lost and in such a panic.
Luckily I got this great SAT guide that helped me a lot . So study hard and good luck!
I have to take the SAT or the ACT to get into a university in the US. Which one is easier? The SAT or the ACT. How hard is it to score 1200 in the SAT? Are there any preparation classes I can take in the UK?
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Ah, if you want to go by "easy", then the ACT is for you.
However, if you want to go for a good college, generally the ones in the northeastern part of the US (Ivies, anyone?), then I think you’ll find that the SAT is more for you. Here’s why. They like to see good scores on the SAT more. ACT is usually more accepted and loved in the more southern colleges, which…unless you have really low hopes, should not be your first aim. Not to say there’s no good colleges in the southern US…don’t get me wrong, I’m just going by the stereotype. Which isn’t all that far from the truth, but ahem.
As for 1200? Are you referring to a 50% on the SAT? That’s horrible if you’re judging by the new SAT, which you’re going to have to take in 2009 or 2010…it was installed in place of the old version, like, in 2005. This one is out of 2400. Most kids score 1700 to 2000-ish. However, "most" kids, you have to keep in mind, are just filler fluff from low educated regions or just lacking in ambition and good study habits. It’s not that they’re not intelligent, just…yeah. I’d advise you to aim for at least a 2100. At least at least at least. Schools love high SAT scores. They raise their statistics. The scores aren’t everything, or even most of it, but without the scores they won’t even glance twice at your app. And that’s for the good schools…they have more people with the scores, the grades, the ECs, the recs…you name it, to look at instead.
And don’t stress too much…I certainly wouldn’t take the time and money to take prep classes. If they’re free, certainly drop in from time to time, but all you really have to do is check out a practice test book or two…(Princeton Review has a pretty good one for the new SAT), time yourself, test yourself, study what you don’t know, and BE SURE TO LEARN WHAT YOU MISSED. Blindly taking and taking SAT tests without checking what you missed specifically will not get you anywhere. Don’t waste your money. You can do a lot of this stuff for free on your own. If you have the ambition (which it looks like you do…UK? Nice
, then go for it, and by all means you can do anything. If you can conquer the SAT, then the ACT is a laugh. Good luck!!!
This article sums it up best:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/04/education/edlife/guidance.html
If you have time, take both and compare the scores. Send the better score.
While it’s true that over 90% of college applicants to top-tier schools send their SAT scores, colleges do not prefer either test. The ACT is more popular among Midwestern students, and it would not be fair to discriminate against them. Admissions offices simply convert ACT scores to SAT scores.
It is not difficult at all to score a 1200 on the SAT. The national average is 1500, which is still quite low.. blame the American public education system.
Speaking from a personal standpoint, I don’t think classes are necessary at all for the disciplined student. They’re expensive and don’t give you one-on-one attention. For good test prep guides, type in "SAT" or "ACT" on Amazon.com. The two I’d recommend are the Official SAT Study Guide and Gruber’s. Taking practice tests will improve your score dramatically, since a lot hinges on not only what you know, but also how* you test. Getting used to the format and question types will do wonders for you.
Good luck!