SAT vs. ACT: The Complete Guide for 2026
Neither test has seen any big changes for a long time.
That was a joke. There has never been a time when both tests have undergone more significant recent change than right now, and we're going to break down what it means for you or your student.
Table of Contents
1. Dispelling SAT vs. ACT Myths
2. SAT vs. ACT
3. SAT vs. ACT
4. Which is better, the
5. Okay, but which is
6. FAQ
Dispelling SAT vs. ACT Myths
First, let's establish one major point: Every college accepts both the SAT and ACT equally well. Gone are the days of midwestern colleges wanting the ACT and coastal colleges wanting the SAT.
And forget the nonsense you've heard about math or science majors needing to take one test or another. All hooey.
You have one job and one job only: Get the highest score in percentile terms that you can. That's it. That's how you maximize your college prospects, and it doesn't matter which test it happens on.
Also, at the risk of throwing all the goodies out too early, we should also point out that the old bit about the ACT being for math and science students is also bogus. Math is actually a bigger slice of the SAT pie, and science is no longer part of the ACT composite score (if a student even elects to take it -- it's optional).
So which test should you take? We are going to do a deep-dive SAT vs. ACT comparison, lay out a score conversion chart and try to figure out whether the SAT or ACT is the better test for you. Or if it even matters!
SAT vs. ACT Comparison: The 3 Factors that Actually Matter
A lot has changed with the 2024 digital SAT changes and the 2025 ACT format changes. Back when we first wrote this page in 2016, the SAT had just changed its format from the 2400-point scale to the 1600-point scale, and
the ACT hadn't had a real change since Benjamin Franklin was flying his kite in a lightning storm.
But what a difference a decade makes! Both tests are shiny and new, and students in 2026 can finish either test in less than 2 1/2 hours of testing time, unless they add the ACT's optional science section, which tacks on another 40 minutes (a win for students, in our book). One test
is now natively digital (SAT), and the other test is available in a digital format (ACT, although we still prefer the paper version). Science is now optional on the ACT, and timing is remarkably relaxed on both tests.
Truly, students have never had it this good. These tests are less stressful (and shorter) than they've ever been. But which one is right for you? Let's see.
1. Math is 33% of an ACT score but 50% of an SAT score.
That means that the ACT is a better place to hide a math weakness, although the difference isn't as large as it used to be. And the ACT technically tests higher-level math than the SAT (although that doesn't mean the ACT math section is easier, as the SAT makes up for its slightly lower-level academic content with a pesky ability to make hard questions out of easy math).
There used to be a popular idea about these tests that said the SAT favored students who could "figure it out," but the ACT favored students who were prepared. Rules of thumb like that often overstate the truth, but as both tests currently sit, this captures the difference on the math sections pretty well.
2. The ACT still has reading passages. Like old school reading passages.
The SAT's question-by-question digital format forced it to shift to a different test format that didn't rely on students reading a passage and answering ten questions about it -- a process that often meant flipping pages and scanning a page of text.
That means there are no questions on the SAT that are more than a few sentences long. The reading and writing section places a much greater emphasis on logical reasoning and "fill in the blank" questions than old school "reading comprehension." We love the digital SAT, and we don't view this as a negative, but it is a difference. What it means for you depends on your strengths and weaknesses.
The ACT, on the other hand, still has a reading section that is made up of four passages, each followed by nine questions. Timing is not nearly as tight as it used to be, but you still need to move fairly quickly.
Whether this is a point for the SAT or ACT really depends on how you feel about old school "Read this passage and answer the questions that follow" types of tests.
3. The digital vs. paper difference is real, and it affects prep, not just the test.
While the ACT is offered in a digital format, you should take it on paper (if you take the ACT). The ACT just wasn't designed to be a digital test, and those reading passages we just mentioned (along with the passage-based format of the English section) just work much better on paper, in our opinion. That means prepping for the ACT implies paper practice tests, manual grading and having to buy a $30+ practice test book if you want more than the two tests currently provided on the ACT website (shameless plug: Test Geek provides a copy of the
Official ACT Prep Guide to all of our ACT students at no extra cost).
Prepping for SAT is frictionless by comparison. College Board, maker of the SAT, has done a great job of supporting the new digital SAT by releasing tons of practice tests and practice questions through its
Bluebook app. Students can access a growing library of full-length official practice tests and thousands of additional practice questions, all in a format that perfectly replicates test day. Practice tests are automatically graded, and students can immediately see what they missed.
This doesn't make the SAT easier, but it does make prepping for it a bit more seamless.
SAT vs. ACTTake our five-question quiz that highlights the criticaldifferences to see which test is right for you.Take the SAT vs. ACT Quiz Now