Sit for the SAT, or Act on the ACT? That is the Question for College-Bound Students!

A recent New York Times article noted that more students are taking both the SAT and ACT college entrance exams than in prior years. This marks an important trend away from the SAT, which has long been regarded as the "gold" standard among college entrance exams. The ACT, which has dominated for several years in the Mid-West and South where nearly a dozen states now mandate their high school juniors to take the test and even pay for them to do so, is now reaching out toward the East and West coasts. In fact, in 2012, for the first time in history, more students took the ACT than the SAT.   So why the move? The ACT and SAT exams are structured and scored differently, so students are hedging their bets in taking both exams to generate their best score and increase their chance of getting accepted into their school of choice. As college entrance scrutiny grows, this strategy seems to be paying off for students and schools. Why are the schools happy about this? Because the better their incoming freshman profile appears, the more popular their school becomes to future college applicants, board members, and financial supporters.   But to figure out which test may work better for which student can be a challenge. The ACT is designed to be an achievement test, measuring what a student has learned in school. The SAT is more of an aptitude test, designed to measure a student's reasoning and verbal abilities. The ACT has 5 test components (English, Math, Reading, Science, and an optional Writing test) while the SAT only has 3 test components (Critical Reasoning, Math, and a required Writing test). In terms of scoring, the SAT penalizes for incorrect responses by marking the score down, which makes guessing problematic. The ACT on the other hand does not penalize for incorrect responses; the ACT score is based on the number of correct answers only. But the ACT is a test of endurance. It has more questions, to be answered in a shorter amount of time, than the SAT. And let's not forget about the dreaded vocabulary section of the SAT - with words challenging enough to send even the most astute wordsmiths running for the hills!   So it's no wonder students are taking both tests, multiple times, in order to yield the greatest results. The experts at Club Z! wholeheartedly support this strategy as well. In fact, Club Z! offers diagnostic tests for both the SAT and the ACT and encourages students to take both to get a feel for the format and types of questions on each exam, the subject matter tested, and the pacing of both tests. Understanding your strengths and weaknesses, and practicing for test day, are two proven strategies for success. With test dates right around the corner (October 5th for the SAT and September 21st for the ACT), students who are serious about performing well on either exam should start practicing for it ASAP.   For more information about Club Z!'s proven test prep strategies and programs, call 800-434-2582 to connect with your local office.