SAT Preparation Help

Given that both the SAT and ACT are accepted at most colleges, students typically have to decide which test to take. This has major implications for a student’s test preparation strategy, as SAT prep is quite different from ACT prep.

The crucial difference between SAT prep and ACT prep is that the SAT prep centers around the practice of critical thinking and problem solving, while ACT prep about content (i.e. learning about facts). This means that understanding each question is key and SAT prep is mostly about how to deal with the exam itself. ACT is more like a regular test you might  take in high school, where facts are important;  it includes some material that is more difficult than the SAT, but the questions are much clearer. ACT prep, therefore, mainly involves absorbing key facts and developing good time management skills. The ACT English test, for example, is a 75-question, 45-minute test, covering punctuation, grammar, usage, sentence structure, rhetorical strategy, organization and style. Spelling, vocabulary, and rote recall of rules of grammar are not included in the ACT English test, so fortunately ACT prep does not involve the memorization of a lot of English vocabulary.

The SAT is less fact-based and more strategy-based. There are simple strategies that you can use to significantly increase your score, so your SAT prep should be mostly about understanding those strategies. While SAT prep includes review of some facts (e.g., having a strong command of vocabulary helps) and practicing time management, the most important aspect of SAT prep is learning how to approach the exam.

Most students score about the same on the SAT test and ACT test, though some students feel that it is easier to improve SAT scores than it is to improve ACT scores. Since some students perform better on one test than on the other, before you start your SAT/ACT prep you might want to take a practice test of each to see which one is easier for you.

Clearly, once a student takes both a practice SAT test and a practice ACT test, he or she should focus on the test that they are better at. SchoolTrainer has practice SATs and ACTs available, so feel free to contact us at [email protected] for more information. You may also want to talk to your guidance counselor, who can provide you with valuable advice and information about your ACT preparation and SAT preparation options.