At the end of their sophomore year, rising juniors must make a choice: prepare for the SAT or the ACT?

At Saratoga High, most students choose to take the SAT. In the class of 2012, 299 students took the SAT and 149 students took the ACT.

Geographically, the SAT tends to be more popular with students on the West and East Coast; the ACT tends to be more popular in the Midwest and the South.

However, students who took both and were interviewed  for this story said the ACT is easier.

The questions on the ACT often in a more straightforward way than the ones on the SAT, although there are more questions per minute. The ACT has a total of 215 questions in 205 minutes, while the SAT has a total of 145 questions in 225 minutes.

“I thought the SAT was more about critical thinking and the ACT was more about knowledge,” senior Yifat Amir said. “In my opinion, they test totally different things. I really liked the ACT more.”

Amir decided to take the ACT after being unsatisfied with her SAT scores.

“I took the SAT three times and then the ACT once,” Amir said. “I decided to take the ACT because I thought that I might have better luck with it, and I did.”

The main point of confusion for students planning to take the ACT is the science section, because it has the least in common with the SAT.

“This section does not really test your knowledge of science,” senior Sanjna Verma said. “It’s more similar to a critical reading section, but instead of reading passages, you read graphs.”

Additionally, unlike the SAT, the ACT gives no penalty for guessing. This is especially beneficial to students who spend much of their time deciding if it would be better to guess or to leave the answer blank.

Unlike the math section in the SAT, the ACT also covers trigonometry and does not provide any formulas.

“I think for those who want to do the ACT, remember to practice trig and learn to read faster,” Verma said.

Amir said time management is vital with the ACT.

“The reading was by far the hardest for me,” Amir said. “I should have practiced speed in that section more.”

In contrast, Verma said the ACT reading section is easier than the SAT one.

“The reading actually made sense,” Verma said. “The science was tough, though.”

The reading section on the ACT does not specifically test vocabulary, although having a strong vocabulary is helpful for comprehending passages.

All colleges accept both the ACT and the SAT and evaluate them equally. Additionally, most colleges that accept ACT scores don’t require SAT subject tests, although it is still recommended to take them.

With all these benefits, there is no reason to avoid the ACT. However, if reading speed and science are a student’s weaker points, it may be a better idea to stick with the SAT.

Whether a student decides to take the ACT or the SAT, preparation is key.

“I suggest to start preparing at least a month ahead of time,” Amir said. “As long as you prepare and practice, you should be able to improve your score.”