Test Info: SAT vs. New ACT
SAT vs. ACT
While both the SAT and ACT exams are accepted at nearly every college, it is important that students determine the best test to take. To assist in making an informed and effective decision, Competitive Edge offers diagnostic tests for both the ACT and SAT at our testing center and online.
The comparison chart below highlights the key differences between the two tests:
SAT
Length:
- 2 hours and 14 minutes
Format:
- Digital only
Test Structure:
- 4 subsections with 98 questions total: Verbal module 1 with 32 minutes for 27 questions, Verbal module 2 with 32 minutes for 27 questions, Math module 1 with 35 minutes for 22 questions, Math module 2 with 35 minutes for 22 questions
Scoring
- Both Verbal and Math are given separate scaled scores of 200-800. These scores are summed to generate a composite score of 400-1600.
Incorrect Answers:
- Raw score determined from both the number and difficulty level of correct responses. No guessing penalty.
Submitting Scores:
- Score choice policy; students may choose which scores to submit. Superscoring by schools is common, but College Board does not itself generate a superscore.
New ACT (April 2025 onwards)
Length:
- 2 hours and 5 minutes (mandatory sections only); 2 hours and 45 minutes with science; 3 hours and 25 minutes with science and writing
Format:
- Digital only from April 2025 – September 2025; both paper and computer-based available thereafter
Test Structure:
- 3 required subsections with 131 questions total, plus an optional science section and an optional essay: English Test with 35 minutes for 50 questions, Math Test with 50 minutes for 45 questions, Reading Test with 40 minutes for 36 questions, Science Test with 40 minutes for 40 questions, Optional Essay (40 minutes)
Scoring
- Each section is scored from 1 to 36 points; the composite score is the average of the first three sections (i.e. excluding science), with 0.5 rounded up. The optional Science section and Essay are scored separately; the former out of 36 and the latter out of 12.
Incorrect Answers:
- Raw score calculated from the number of correct answers which is then converted into a scaled score. No guessing penalty.
Submitting Scores:
- Score choice policy; students may choose which scores to submit. ACT automatically generates a superscore out of the best scores across all administrations.
1600-point SAT to ACT Concordance Table:
The chart below reflects the 2016 redesign of the SAT, which returned it to its traditional 1600-point scale. College Board has not released a new concordance table for the digital version, and SAT scores on the adaptive exam have not yet been fully calibrated. Nevertheless, since it is likely the SAT will attempt to retain similar percentile benchmarks for the points along its scale.
New SAT Total (400-1600)
- 1600
- 1590
- 1580
- 1570
- 1560
- 1550
- 1540
- 1530
- 1520
- 1510
- 1500
- 1490
- 1480
- 1470
- 1460
- 1450
- 1440
- 1430
- 1420
- 1410
- 1400
- 1390
- 1380
- 1370
- 1360
- 1350
- 1340
ACT Composite Score
- 36
- 35
- 35
- 35
- 35
- 34
- 34
- 34
- 34
- 33
- 33
- 33
- 32
- 32
- 32
- 32
- 31
- 31
- 31
- 30
- 30
- 30
- 29
- 29
- 29
- 29
- 28
New SAT Total (400-1600)
- 1330
- 1320
- 1310
- 1300
- 1290
- 1280
- 1270
- 1260
- 1250
- 1240
- 1230
- 1220
- 1210
- 1200
- 1190
- 1180
- 1170
- 1160
- 1150
- 1140
- 1130
- 1120
- 1110
- 1100
- 1090
- 1080
- 1070
ACT Composite Score
- 28
- 28
- 28
- 27
- 27
- 27
- 26
- 26
- 26
- 26
- 25
- 25
- 25
- 25
- 24
- 24
- 24
- 24
- 23
- 23
- 23
- 22
- 22
- 22
- 21
- 21
- 21
New SAT Total (400-1600)
- 1060
- 1050
- 1040
- 1030
- 1020
- 1010
- 1000
- 990
- 980
- 970
- 960
- 950
- 940
- 930
- 920
- 910
- 900
- 890
- 880
- 870
- 860
- 850
- 840
- 830
- 820
- 810
- 800
ACT Composite Score
- 21
- 20
- 20
- 20
- 20
- 19
- 19
- 19
- 19
- 18
- 18
- 18
- 18
- 17
- 17
- 17
- 17
- 16
- 16
- 16
- 16
- 15
- 15
- 15
- 15
- 15
- 14
New SAT Total (400-1600)
- 790
- 780
- 770
- 760
- 750
- 740
- 730
- 720
- 710
- 700
- 690
- 680
- 670
- 660
- 650
- 640
- 630
- 620
- 610
- 600
- 590
- 580
- 570
- 560
ACT Composite Score
- 14
- 14
- 14
- 14
- 13
- 13
- 13
- 13
- 12
- 12
- 12
- 12
- 12
- 12
- 12
- 12
- 12
- 11
- 11
- 11
- 11
- 11
- 11
- 11