What's the difference between ACT Assessment and SAT Reasoning Test?

Question

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Which is more difficult, taking ACT Assessment and ACT Writing Test or taking SAT Reasoning Test?

Answer 1

Colleges on the east coast and west coast typically prefer the SAT Reasoning Test. Midwestern states typically ask for the ACT Assessment and Writing Test, however they also will accept the SATs. If you are going to a college on the coasts, the SATs will suffice. If you are going in the Midwest, the ACTs will suffice. If you don't know yet, taking both is the best bet. I personally thought the ACTs were more difficult, but Ive heard both sides of the opinion. The SATs test reading comprehension, math, and writing skills. The ACTs test English, reading comprehension, math, science and writing skills.

Answer 2

There are differences in format, length, grading policy, grading scale, sections (the ACT has four, including a science section, while the SAT has 10 and has three types of sections) and content/style of questions (though they both feature multiple choice questions and an essay, which is optional for the ACT but recommended and often required by specific colleges).  I could go into greater detail, but there are many subtleties... check out www.act.org and www.collegeboard.com for more details.  

Which is more difficult?  That often depends on the individual.  I personally prefer the ACT because it's shorter and tends to be more oriented towards direct information rather than reasoning like the SAT.  The ACT also has that science section, which I happen to be pretty good at, and unlike the SAT, it doesn't penalize you for answering a question incorrectly.  I ended up getting a perfect ACT compositite score on my first try, whereas I took the SAT five times over five years and never managed to get a perfect score, though I got close.