The ACT or the SAT? That is the question!

The ACT or the SAT?That is the question! Part 2: Myths Debunked! Information obtained from ACT or SAT: Choosing the Right Exam for You (Princeton Review, 2009)

MYTHS DEBUNKED! • Now we will read straight from a great resource I’ve found (The Princeton Review’s ACT or SAT?: Choosing the Right Exam for You)

MYTH #1: The SAT and the ACT are tests of intelligence, and my scores are a good indication of how I will do in college • FALSE! • Your test scores reflect how good you are taking the SAT or ACT (as well as how much time you spend preparing) and that’s about it! • Although the testing companies may make you think so, your results are not a measurement of how intelligent you are, not do they serve as a final grade for your final years of high school, or predict how successful you’ll be in life. • Nevertheless, admissions officers continue to place a HUGE weight on these tests when reviewing applications for admission decisions

MYTH #2: If I don’t score well on my SAT or ACT, I won’t get into college • FALSE! • Your SAT or ACT scores is a factor in the admissions process, but they are only one factor. • Large Universities such as University of Michigan and Cornell rely more on test scores because they don’t have time to scrutinize each application. • Smaller schools place slightly less importance on your scores.

MYTH #3: The SAT tests complex math concepts • FALSE! • SAT math questions can seem challenging because of the way they are worded but the concept are pretty basic. • The SAT math includes 7th and 8th grade math, arithmetic, basic geometry, algebra, and algebra 2.

MYTH #4: You can’t really improve your SAT Critical Reading score • FALSE! • You can always improve yourself by expanding your vocabulary and how to use the words properly in sentences. • Reading books and newspapers can help increase your vocabulary.

MYTH #5: It’s better to leave a question blank than to guess • Mostly false… • You receive one point for every correct answer, zero points for every question you leave unanswered and minus one-quarter point for every incorrect answer. If you can eliminate even one of the answer choices, guess!

MYTH #6: There is really no difference between the SAT and ACT • FALSE! • ACT measures achievement and SAT measures ability. • The SAT focuses on breaking down the questions while the ACT focuses on pacing and speed

MYTH #7: The ACT is an easier test • Depends… • People have different views on these tests. Some people may think its easier but some may think its harder because of the timing and pacing of the ACT. • In general, the difficulty of the test is based on yourself.

MYTH #8: Girls do better on the ACT and boys do better on the SAT • FALSE! • Boys generally score higher on both tests. This does not mean boys are smarter than girls, but that the SAT or ACT happen to cater more to boys.

MYTH #9: The ACT tests science so if I didn’t do well in Bio, Chem, or Physics, then I shouldn’t take the ACT • FALSE! • You don’t need to know the concept of the sciences in order to do the test but only to be able to analyze charts, tables, and graphs.

MYTH #10: The ACT tests Trigonometry, so if I haven’t taken that I should choose the SAT • Mostly false… • Trigonometry does show up on the ACT but usually only 4 questions rely on the concepts of trigonometry. • You could basically skip all the trig questions and score high.

MYTH #11: The ACT is a shorter test • True! • Technically, the ACT is the shorter of the two tests, but not by much. Including breaks, the SAT is a 3 hour and 45 minute test. The ACT last 3 hours and 20 five minutes (including essay portion).

MYTH #12: The ACT essay is optional so I shouldn’t take it • FALSE! • It is true that the ACT Essay is an optional component of the test. Some colleges require the Essay, while others don’t need it at all. • You should check each individual school to see if they want the Essay, we typically recommend that students just go ahead and register for it to be sure they are covered.

MYTH #13: I can choose which ACT and SAT scores colleges see • TRUE! • You can take the ACT and SAT multiple times and send the best score to your college. • We encourage students to take the ACT and SAT in the fall and winter for their junior years.

MYTH #14: Colleges take my best section subscores from various test administrations and create a “super score” for me • Depends… • Most colleges and universities are chiefly interested in your Act composite score which is the average of your 4 scores. • The Sat does not average the scores from each section and instead reports them separately . • Some colleges will combine your highest sub scores from different test administrations to create the so-called super score.

MYTH #15: I can take both tests (the SAT and the ACT) • TRUE!!! • Under the first amendment, all students are granted the freedom to take whichever tests they want. • Colleges are more impressed with students who submits their SAT and ACT scores.

MYTH #16: Most colleges in the US—especially those in the Northeast—prefer the SAT over the ACT • FALSE! • This was true a few years ago but isn’t anymore. Now every college and university in the U.S. accepts the SAT or ACT with no preference for either test. • Some students are considering the ACT option more now for colleges like Duke University and Boston College.

MYTH #17: I should take the ACT or SAT on a less-popular test date because I might score higher based on the competition • FALSE! • It is widely believed that students who take the Sat or ACT during an off-peak testing date like November, December, and January will score higher because fewer students register for these dates. • Even if high-caliber students tend to take the Sat or Act on a certain test date, students are not graded against just those students from the test date but against all students who took the test during the previous year.

MYTH #18: Certain SATs or ACTs are easier than others • FALSE! • The SAT and ACT are carefully designed to be uniform across all test administrations. The variation in difficulty between test dates is unintentional and purely based on test taker perceptions. • So when is the best time to take the ACT or SAT? • It is recommended that students take their test during the spring of their junior year of high school.

MYTH #19: My PSAT score is a good predictor of my SAT score • Not really… • The SAT is an hour and a half longer than the PSAT which allows for more content to be tested. • The SAT includes an essay portion while the PSAT does not. • The SAT also include higher level math mainly algebra 2 than the PSAT.

MYTH #20: It’s best to take the SAT when the Question and Answer Service is offered • Depends… • Students who register for the January, May, and October tests may sign-up for the College Board’s Question and Answer Service for a fee. • While the QAS is a helpful tool for reviewing your performance on the test, the availability of this service should not be a determining factor when choosing a test date.

MYTH #21: I should take the SAT or ACT as many times as possible because I’ve got nothing to lose • False • Well…you’re losing your own time, money, and mental health. • If you are not satisfied with your score and believe you can improve your performance by taking the test a second time then go for it. • There’s no good reason to take either of these tests more than twice.

MYTH #22: I should bubble in “C” if I don’t know the answer • False • If you’ve eliminated at least one answer choice, and C is the best of the remaining choices, then sure, This has long been a fun yet false rumor regarding standardized tests. • ETS and ACT do not have a preference for certain answer choices, and they go over their tests in detail to make sure answers are evenly distributed among the letters.

The ACT or the SAT? That is the question!