SAT vs ACT: Which Test Should You Take After the 2025 Changes?

SAT vs ACT is mostly a question of format, not difficulty: US colleges that require or consider test scores accept either test equally. The digital SAT is adaptive, has two sections and gives more time per question; the enhanced ACT is a shorter, linear test of English, Math and Reading, with Science now optional. The best choice is the test on which you score higher after a timed practice of each.

What changed on the ACT in 2025?

The ACT became shorter and Science became optional. According to ACT, the Composite is now the average of English, Math and Reading. ACT began phasing Science out of the Composite for national online testing in April 2025, and from September 2025 all ACT tests used the updated calculation.

The core test now has 131 questions in 125 minutes. The previous ACT had four required multiple-choice tests, 215 questions, and about 2 hours 55 minutes of testing. Students who take the optional Science section still get a Science score and a STEM score (the average of Math and Science). The Writing test remains optional and is scored 2-12, separately from the Composite.

How do the SAT and ACT compare side by side?

The main differences are length, time per question, adaptivity and scoring. The digital SAT is shorter in questions but slightly longer in minutes, and it gives noticeably more time per question. The ACT tests reading comprehension and grammar in separate sections, while the SAT combines them in one Reading and Writing section.

Sources: College Board's SAT structure page and ACT's published section timings. Time per question is calculated from those figures.

Is the SAT or the ACT easier?

Neither test is easier overall; they reward different strengths. The SAT gives more time per question and short passages with one question each, which suits careful readers. The ACT moves faster and uses longer reading passages with several questions each, which suits quick, confident readers. Many students score at a similar level on both, which is why a practice test of each is the best guide.

The SAT may suit you if...

• You prefer more time per question and short passages.
• You are strong in algebra and like using a graphing calculator for the whole Math section.
• You want to test on your own laptop or tablet in the Bluebook app.

The ACT may suit you if...

• You read fast and are comfortable with longer passages.
• You want a broader math mix that includes more geometry and trigonometry.
• You are applying to STEM programs and want a Science score to show, even though it is optional.

How do SAT and ACT scores compare?

Use the official ACT/SAT concordance tables, which ACT and College Board produced together and released in 2018. They show comparable scores but do not predict how you would do on the other test. College Board reports that digital SAT scores are comparable to paper SAT scores, so colleges continue to use the concordance.

Full tables are on ACT's ACT/SAT concordance page. Note that the 2018 tables predate the digital SAT and the enhanced ACT, so treat close comparisons with caution.

Do colleges superscore the SAT and the ACT?

Many colleges superscore one or both tests, but each college sets its own policy. Superscoring means a college combines your best section scores from different test dates. ACT also lets you send either scores from a single test date or your ACT superscore, and since September 2025 ACT superscores use the new Composite calculation without Science.

For the SAT, colleges that superscore take your highest Reading and Writing score and your highest Math score across dates. Either way, superscoring makes a second or third attempt more valuable, so plan for at least two test dates if your colleges use it.

What does each test actually feel like?

The SAT feels like many short, separate puzzles: one passage, one question, and an adaptive second module. The ACT feels like a timed sprint through longer passages and question sets, with a fixed set of questions for everyone. Both reward steady practice under time pressure.

• SAT Reading and Writing: 25-150-word passages, each with a single question on vocabulary, evidence, grammar or revision.
• ACT English: longer essays with many underlined portions to edit, at about 42 seconds per question.
• ACT Reading: longer passages with several questions each, so reading speed matters more.
• Math on both tests: algebra and functions dominate, and both allow a calculator for the whole math section.

How should you decide between the SAT and ACT?

Take one full, timed official practice test of each, convert both results with the concordance, and choose the test where you scored higher. If the results are close, pick the format you found more comfortable, then commit to it rather than preparing for both.

1. Check your colleges. Confirm each college's testing policy (required, optional or test-blind) and whether it superscores.
2. Take a timed practice of each. Use a full-length test in Bluebook for the SAT and an official ACT practice test.
3. Compare with the concordance. A difference of a few concordance points is meaningful; a tiny one is noise.
4. Consider logistics. Test dates, center locations, score release times (most SAT weekend scores come out 2-4 weeks after the test; ACT multiple-choice scores take 2-8 weeks) and whether your school offers either test in school.

Whichever test you choose, leave room for a retake. Many students sit their first official test in the spring of grade 11, which leaves the summer and fall of grade 12 for a second attempt before most application deadlines. Check the last test date each college accepts and work backward from it, allowing time for scores to be released and sent.

How do you prepare once you choose the SAT?

Start with a diagnostic, focus on the domains where you lose the most points, and take official Bluebook tests as checkpoints. Quiz Portal's SAT diagnostic and SAT study plan help you organize that work with original practice questions; results are non-official. To see how scores translate to college targets, read what is a good SAT score.