| Why Take It | Colleges use SAT scores for admissions and merit-based scholarships. | Colleges use ACT scores for admissions and merit-based scholarships. |
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| Test Structure | Reading Writing & Language Math Essay (Optional) | English Math Reading Science Reasoning Essay (Optional) |
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| Length | 3 hours (without essay) 3 hours, 50 minutes (with essay) | 2 hours, 55 minutes (without essay) 3 hours, 40 minutes (with essay) |
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| Reading | 5 reading passages | 4 reading passages |
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| Science | None | 1 science section testing your critical thinking skills (not your specific science knowledge) |
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| Math | Covers: Arithmetic Algebra I & II Geometry, Trigonometry and Data Analysis | Covers: Arithmetic Algebra I & II Geometry, Trigonometry, and Probability & Statistics |
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| Calculator Policy | Some math questions don’t allow you to use a calculator. | You can use a calculator on all math questions. |
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| Essays | Optional. The essay will test your comprehension of a source text. | Optional. The essay will test how well you evaluate and analyze complex issues. |
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| How It’s Scored | Scored on a scale of 400–1600 | Scored on a scale of 1–36 |
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