SAT or ACT? Start with your scores.
Don’t choose a test just because your friends are taking it or your school talks about it more. The SAT and ACT differ in content, pacing, and question style—and you may start substantially stronger on one than the other.
The best way to find out is to take a full-length practice test for each under timed conditions. Recent PSAT or PreACT results can also give you a starting point. Then use the converter below to compare your scores on the same scale.
How to compare your results
Enter your SAT score to find its ACT equivalent, then compare that number with your actual ACT score. For example, a 1400 SAT converts to a 31 ACT. If you scored a 31 on your ACT practice test, your starting performance is roughly equivalent.
The conversion is a comparison tool, not a prediction of exactly what you’ll score on the other test.
How much of a difference matters?
Our general approach is to compare both results on the ACT scale:
- One point: Usually too small a difference to drive the decision.
- Two points: A meaningful point in favor of the higher-scoring test, but not an automatic decision.
- Three or more points: A strong reason to favor the higher-scoring test, assuming both tests were taken under comparable conditions.
What if your scores are similar?
Look at how you got those scores. Did you finish comfortably, or leave a substantial part of a section unanswered? Were you struggling with the material, the time limit, or both?
The ACT moves faster and generally asks more direct questions. The SAT gives you more time per question, but often demands more interpretation and flexible problem-solving. Math also contributes half of your SAT total, compared with one-third of your ACT composite.
Those differences matter when your scores don’t point clearly toward one test. The goal is to choose where to focus your preparation—not to prepare for both indefinitely.