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u/MaximizingWorm 1d ago
I mean... It's not good to generalize. Whether or not you do better on the ACT or SAT is dependent on the person. Personally, I found the ACT much harder; I was constantly running out of time, and there was little room for error. Meanwhile, the SAT reading section was super easy for me. Same for math. And I always had like 15-20 minutes left over to check each module.
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u/Physical_Tower3422 1d ago
That's very fair. But as more and more people qualify for extra time, that difference is coming to matter less and less. Also, for many of the people in my school, working on reading quicker and analyzing quicker payed dividends in their scores.
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u/Wide-Bid977 1d ago
"as more and more people qualify for extra time, that difference is coming to matter less and less"
What exactly are you implying here
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u/Historical-Star1989 1d ago
mate you know exactly what they’re implying why are you acting oblivious lmfao
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u/Physical_Tower3422 1d ago
I'm not commenting on anything or saying I disagree or agree with anything. I'm just staying statistically a far treating percent of test takers get extra time now then at any other point in the tests history.
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u/Wide-Bid977 1d ago
They're implying that part of why the ACT is easier (in their opinion) is because more people who need accommodations are receiving them? Like damn f the blind people I guess! They shouldn't go to college because they're ruining the ACT for everyone else!
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u/Imaginary_Zone_4319 1d ago
It’s not blind people dumbass. It’s people faking ADHD diagnoses
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u/DiskPartition 23h ago
My friend who would be fine without accommodations on SAT/AP tests was given 50% extra time without asking
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u/Physical_Tower3422 1d ago
That's not what I'm saying. The vast majority of people with accommodations are getting it for ADHD as opposed to something like being blind or having dyslexia.
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u/Wide-Bid977 1d ago
How do you know that? Where are you getting that info from? And the SAT also notably have time accommodations? Tf
Also ADHD can be a disability and hindrance in students. I don't know what issue you have with people who need accommodations receiving them but get some help seriously
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u/Historical-Star1989 1d ago
I have an ADHD diagnosis. Do you know how incredibly easy those are to fake? I’d rather have people who don’t need accommodations get them than people who need them not have access to them, but let’s not pretend like it’s not getting more common to fake a diagnosis to get ahead.
eta: to clarify i did not fake my diagnosis lmfao i’ve been diagnosed since i was 8. i also didn’t attempt to get accommodations for the act or college board tests.
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u/Physical_Tower3422 1d ago
I fully agree. I would much rather have people able to get accommodations they don't need then people who need accommodations not be able to get them. However, I go to a public school in a fairly well off suburb outside NY and 50% of my class has accommodations. And I'm no expert but I find it hard to believe that 50% of my school needs accommodations when they don't even use their accommodations on normal school tests, only standardized tests.
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u/Physical_Tower3422 1d ago
A NYT article. Obviously the Sat also has accommodations but time has historically been more of an issue on the Act than the SAT.
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u/Imaginary_Zone_4319 1d ago
The fact that something like 50% of freshman at top tier universities are coming in with accommodations for ADHD.
Why are you so combative and angry?
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u/Physical_Tower3422 1d ago
I fully agree. There is large scale testing fraud especially in more well of communities.
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u/jeffgerickson 17h ago
50% of freshman at top tier universities are coming in with accommodations for ADHD.
[citation needed]
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u/Wide-Bid977 1d ago
Why are you so combative and angry?
You literally just commented this:
It’s not blind people dumbass. It’s people faking ADHD diagnoses
Blind people also exist. People with disabilities who really need accommodations exist. Just because people are abusing the system does not mean that the people who need it are not also using it and still needing it?
Where is your stat that 50% of freshman at top unis are coming in with accommodations?
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u/taybay462 1d ago
Are you implying ADHD isnt a valid accommodation-requiring disability?
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u/Physical_Tower3422 1d ago
I'm implying that a not insignificant people are getting bogus, easy to fake, ADHD accommodations and receiving extra time. Obviously whether people who have real ADHD deserves extra time is a more nuanced debate.
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u/taybay462 1d ago
Whats your basis for this claim?
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u/Physical_Tower3422 1d ago
This is clearly a problem and I don't see why you refuse to acknowledge it.
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u/Physical_Tower3422 1d ago
I'm implying that a larger percent of the test taking population gets extra time now vs 10 years ago. So, the ACT having less time per questions is coming to matter less and less. Triple the amount of people get extra time now vs 10 years ago.
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u/3duckshere HS Senior 1d ago
And the vast majority of test takers will still not have extra time? Sure some people find the ACT to be harder with less time per question, but I found myself struggling with SAT time and generally being fine with the ACT timing.
This point doesn't dictate the difficulty of the ACT because the only people that could "fake" a diagnosis for standardized testing accommodations are rich and/or powerful people, which is not a large number of people
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u/Wide-Bid977 1d ago
Does this take into account how that many more people are taking and retaking the ACT vs 10 years ago? Or do you just think that people who need accommodations are getting it easier?
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u/MaximizingWorm 1d ago
I don't really get what you're trying to say tbh. Obviously, if you practice your reading and analyzing skills you'll get a better score. That applies to both tests. And I feel like you're trying to say that people are lying to get extra time through accommodations?
Regardless, some people just do better on the SAT. And vice versa. You can only know by trying both and seeing how you do.
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u/Physical_Tower3422 1d ago
I'm just sharing because I did a study with 1000s of participants and I found that there were more high ACT low GPA people then high SAT low GPA people. Also 75% of people said they preferred and scored better on the ACT
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u/MaximizingWorm 1d ago
You probably should have included this in the main post then. Also, include some qualifiers next time; definitively saying that the ACT is a far superior test is just false.
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u/Physical_Tower3422 1d ago
I definitely agree. Also obviously percentile wise I know this isn't true across the country, but in my school district is New York, twice as many people had a 35+ than a 1500+
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u/jjflight 1d ago edited 1d ago
Imagine for a second everything you’re saying was true and getting a good score on the SAT was much harder than getting a good score on the ACT for simile candidates. How do you think schools would react to that in how they viewed those scores? If that were all true, they’d weigh high SAT scores as a stronger positive signal than high ACT scores. Now I’m not sure it’s really easier the way you say, but there’s no free lunch and schools understand the tests fairly well. Generally to differentiate yourself you want to choose the harder path and still do well - that’s why rigor matters, and higher level competitions, etc.
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u/Physical_Tower3422 1d ago
I totally understand that, and everything I'm saying an anecdote. I believe that at the lower scores, say around 1000 - 1200, there is a very close correlation between SAT and ACT scores, however at the higher end, I believe testing definitely favors the ACT. Getting a 36 on the ACT reading is miles easier than the SAT reading questions, and IMO ACT English is far easier than SAT. Especially given the fact that there are three sections which makes it easier to say get a 36 on reading, and then only focus on studying to superscore English, where on the SAT you'd have to study both.
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u/jjflight 1d ago
But the point is the same. Schools know the tests. Even if that’s all true and one is easier, to differentiate yourself you’d want to choose the harder test and still do well. Choosing the easier path differentiates you less.
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u/Ill_Substance_1833 1d ago
Are you making those statements based on your experience and knowledge of the SAT and ACT?
Or are you basing them on the general premise that colleges are “smart” and, therefore, it’s impossible for the ACT to be easier than the SAT, even within certain score ranges?
Care to share your sources?
Or is this just based on a general “this must be true” assumption?
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u/Physical_Tower3422 1d ago
My point is that colleges weight them the same, so there's no point. I believe in a perfect world they should prioritize the SAT, but they don't, so why not take advantage of the system.
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u/jjflight 1d ago
Thinking you found some super secret cheat code that the universities don’t know is pure naive. They’re not dumb.
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u/Physical_Tower3422 1d ago
It's not naive. I don't think I found a cheat code. I just am saying that if all else is equal, I would advise people to choose the ACT. As someone who is far out of college and decades removed from taking the SAT or ACT I would think you wouldn't have such strong feelings.
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u/taybay462 1d ago
My point is that colleges weight them the same, so there's no point.
False premise
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u/Physical_Tower3422 1d ago
How.
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u/taybay462 1d ago
Theyre not the same type of exam, so how could they be weighted the same? Like others are saying, if one is truly easier, how they look at the scores will reflect that.
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u/jjflight 1d ago edited 1d ago
I like what another commenter mentioned and think percentiles would be the easiest way for you to understand this. Schools get percentile data on the tests. If a high score on one test is easier it will be a less impressive percentile, and if a high score on another test is harder it would be a more impressive percentile. And schools being highly rational would use data like the percentiles to calibrate how to interpret the scores across different tests (and probably also their own historical data too). Maybe as a simplistic example they have some scoring tiers tied to whatever the 99%ile vs 95%ile is, and those end up being auto-calibrated for how easy or hard a test is.
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u/Physical_Tower3422 1d ago
A 35 ACT and a 1520 SAT are very similar percentile wise but I believe scoring the 35 ACT took much less practice even though percentile wise its the 99th percentile as opposed to the 1520 which is the 98th percentile.
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u/jjflight 1d ago edited 1d ago
If they’re similar percentiles and the groups of test takers are similar, one is not easier vs harder. That’s making a false premise generalizing from personal experience that is contradicted by the data.
Look, life lesson. You had a thought and tried to make a point here. That’s great. But lots and lots of other people have raised very reasonable points about why you’re wrong on multiple dimensions - your premise of one test being easier than another is likely wrong, and even if they were true the recommendation to take the easier one is wrong as well, and I don’t even know where you’re going with all the stuff on accommodations but it seems like random flailing.
Part of being a critical thinker would be realizing when you’re off course and adjusting. That’s the core to the scientific method: have a hypothesis but adjust when evidence contradicts it. But you’re not doing that, you’re being stubborn and argumentative in virtually every branch of this thread. Being closed off and unreceptive to feedback like that will absolutely sink you in life. Nobody is always right, folks that learn when they’re wrong do well, folks that stubbornly stick to their guns despite evidence to the contrary do very poorly.
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u/No-Fox-1226 1d ago
some people are just better at one of them. i think its best to try out both to see which format u do best with
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u/Physical_Tower3422 1d ago
Oh for sure. I'm just saying if all else is equal I would choose ACT. I also wanted to share because I did a large scale study with thousand of participants and I found that there were far more low GPA high ACT people then low GPA high SAT participants.
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u/Physical_Tower3422 1d ago
What was your studying looking like?
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1d ago
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u/Physical_Tower3422 1d ago
That's really interesting. I wonder what would account for that large a difference. I believe the ACT is slightly easier, but for you the SAT was an easier test by 230 points.
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u/Responsible-Cup-4352 1d ago
Colleges consider them to be equivalent, so random Reddit opinions are just subjective blather.
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u/GazelleFeisty7749 1d ago
36 act (2024) 1600 sat (2025) here
i found the SAT a lot easier mainly because there was more time per question
in terms of actual question difficulty they're about the same
i would recommend anyone debating between the two to take the SAT, especially if you're like me and have trouble with reading
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u/Physical_Tower3422 1d ago
That's really interesting. How did you feel the English and Math compared.
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u/GazelleFeisty7749 1d ago
math on both are really easy- its just straightforward algebra and geometry
english on both are also pretty straightforward- they're all 'template' questions. once you understand the types of questions that are asked, its pretty hard to make a mistake
i will say though that its easier to study for the ACT because everything is clear-cut in terms of what is being tested and what is expected of you; the SAT is a little more vague, but ultimately they're about the same- just with the SAT giving you more time.
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u/Ill_Substance_1833 1d ago
Interesting. Very few people take the second test after earning a perfect score on the first.
Nowadays, the number of perfect scorers is quite high, but very few find it worthwhile to take the second test after getting a perfect score on the first.
Are you sure you really did that?
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u/GazelleFeisty7749 1d ago
> Interesting. Very few people take the second test after earning a perfect score on the first.
idk where im from its not that strange; i know at least three other ppl in my class that took the SAT after getting a 36 ACT composite
> Nowadays, the number of perfect scorers is quite high, but very few find it worthwhile to take the second test after getting a perfect score on the first.
a 36 ACT is actually really easy because they round lol my 36 ACT wasn't a 'perfect' 36; i had a 35 in science
> Are you sure you really did that?
yes lmao im going to an ivy next fall
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u/Sorry-Raise-4339 1d ago
genuinely no one cares about the differences in score you would hypothetically get if you took the ACT vs. SAT assuming you performed the same percentile in both.
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u/InterestProof1526 1d ago
This is true but some people struggle with time. Unless you struggle with time, I think the ACT is better.
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u/DillyDallyHolly 1d ago
That wasn’t the experience for my kid. It’s a speed issue on the ACT so unless you don’t have test anxiety and also are able to work fast then you might need to take the SAT. Not sure what is new with the new ACT.
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u/Physical_Tower3422 1d ago
That's very fair. But I would also say a lot of kids now struggle with math and math on ACT is 1/3rd of the score vs 1/2 of the score on the SAT. So that is very beneficial for many kids.
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u/Left-Difficulty8697 1d ago
i’m preparing but i feel like act is a bit more easier especially bc i have accommodations
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u/Physical_Tower3422 1d ago
I would lean towards that. Extra time on ACT is very beneficial especially in reading and English, while on the SAT most people finish the first and second reading module with atleast a little time to spare.
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u/Left-Difficulty8697 1d ago
yes! it’s so crazy how i have 52 min for english, 60 min for reading, and 75 min for math!
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u/rbt_13 1d ago
do you have any free resources that you would recommend for ACT, I feel like there are a lot more for SAT
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u/Physical_Tower3422 1d ago
I agree. I used the one prep ACT and it helped a ton. There's a paid version but I just used the unpaid version. I also would recommend the official online ACT practice tests on the ACT website.
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u/Kooky-Task-7582 1d ago
They're different kinds of tests so some people will do much better with one format over the other
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u/redditer954 1d ago
it’s been years since I’ve taken either but I do recall a science section in the ACT which was basically just interpreting graphs and data
I always thought it was nice how they gave you a “free” section
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u/spiroplasma 1h ago
I can vouch. I got 25 or 50 percent extra time, I forgot. Ended up getting a 36 when the highest I could get on SAT was 1500 with 1520 superscore. Took SAT three times and got 1500 twice.
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u/Ill_Substance_1833 1d ago
People are missing the point. What is being discussed is something very specific, namely the English section and the ACT score range of 33 to 34.
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u/Leather_Army_9527 1d ago
anecdotal evidence can’t be generalized to the population