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Information provided by
KAPTEST.com
There are two major college entrance examinations
administered in the United States today: the SAT and the ACT.
Standardized tests like the SAT and ACT are designed to allow
college admissions officers to judge all students by a common
measurement. Scores on these tests can compensate for
differences in high school curriculum, grade inflation, and
quality of teaching. In addition, they serve as a reliable
predictor of how you will perform academically in your
freshman year of college.
SNAPSHOT: SAT
The SAT is the most widely taken college entrance examination.
It is designed to test your skill level in math, vocabulary,
and reading comprehension. The test is divided into seven
sections: 3 math, 3 verbal, and 1 experimental section. The
math and verbal sections each have their own distinct question
types, including quantitative comparisons, sentence
completions, grid-ins, and more. The experimental section,
used by the test developer to try out new questions, is not
scored and can be either math or verbal. You will not know
which section is experimental.
The SAT is scored on scale of 200-800 for both the math and
verbal sections. The College Board sets the average for all
test takers at 500 for each. A perfect score on the SAT is
1600. However, in recent years, fewer than 20 percent of all
test takers achieve a math score of 600 or better. Fewer than
10 percent score higher than 600 on the verbal section.
SNAPSHOT: ACT
The American College Testing Assessment (ACT) is designed to
test your skill levels in English, math, reading, and science
reasoning. On the test, you will have 2 hours and 55 minutes
to complete a variety of multiple choice questions divided
into four sections—one for each tested subject area. The
English, reading, and science sections each include several
reading passages with anywhere from 5 to 15 questions per
passage. The math section includes 60 questions—each with 5
possible answer choices.
You will actually receive 12 separate scores on the ACT: 1
composite, 4 subject scores, and 7 subscores. However the
composite—or scaled—score is the most important. It ranges
from 1-36. Nearly half of all test takers fall in the 17-23
range.
SAT vs ACT
Until recently, the ACT was required by colleges in the
Midwest, while the SAT was the test of choice for schools in
the Northeast and on both coasts. Now, however, most schools
accept both. This increased acceptance of both exams gives
students a strategic advantage. The ACT is a content-based
test, whereas the SAT tests critical thinking and problem
solving skills. Depending on your particular strengths and
weaknesses, you may perform significantly better on one test
than the other. Regardless, you should check with each of your
target schools before taking either exam.
More Information
Learn more about college admissions www.kaptest.com/college .
Learn about Kaplan's SAT programs at www.kaptest.com/sat .
Learn about Kaplan's ACT programs at www.kaptest.com/act .
Enroll in a Kaplan course at www.kaptest.com/enroll .
Copyright 2001 by Kaplan, Inc., All Rights
Reserved. Kaplan is a registered trademark of Kaplan, Inc.
SAT, AP, and Advanced Placement are registered trademarks of
the College Entrance Examination Board, which is not
affiliated with this site. ACT is a registered trademark of
ACT, Inc., which is not affiliated with this site.
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