When applying to universities, you will find that most universities require applicants take one of the major standardized tests, either the SAT or the ACT. Some universities with an art or music focus don’t use the tests because they do not represent the skills looked for in applicants, but most colleges require these standardized tests. These tests are time consuming and are the bane of a high schooler’s Saturday morning. Some students should take the SAT, while others are suited towards the ACT. Taking these tests are usually necessary to go to college, so prospective students should learn about which test is right for them.

The SAT is a full four hours long and offered about seven times a year. Students can sign up for tests on the College Board website, and most tests are administered at local high schools. The SAT is out of 2400 points, but the average score is around 1600. This score is comprised of a math, critical reading, and writing section. The test is mostly multiple choice, but test-takers will have to tackle an essay and some write-in math questions. The write-in math questions require you to actually write in the correct answer, and you have no answers to guess between. If you get the answer wrong on a multiple choice question, you get .25 subtracted from your score, so sometimes it may be better to leave the question blank rather than guess.

Other tests offered are called the SAT subject tests. Some universities will require that a student take two subject tests to show their proficiency. The subject tests range from literature to biology and math and are comprised of multiple choice questions pertaining to the subject matter. Students typically choose subject tests in which they feel the most proficient. The math and science whiz should try to steer clear of the literature and history tests and take the calculus and biology tests instead.

The ACT is also a standardized test used in college admissions. It is about four hours long and only offered on Saturday mornings. Students should sign up well in advance on the ACT.org website for the high school most convenient to them.

The test consists of English, math, reading, science, and an optional writing section. The test is out of 36 points. Prospective students should check if the university requires the writing section or not. The main differences between the two tests are the science section and the no penalization for guessing in the ACT. The science section is not as much science as it is logic, however, it can still catch students off guard. Students to not need to understand much about science, but should logically analyze the problems to find the answer. Test-takers should also keep in mind that they do not lose points for guessing in the ACT, meaning that if they do not know the answer, they should still guess and attempt to get a point.

Most important in deciding on the test to check application requirements set by your desired university. Some universities accept only the SAT, some only the ACT, while many schools are now accepting both tests. If this is the case with the college you are applying to, I strongly suggest you take both tests. You might find that you are much better ACT test taker than an SAT test taker, as was the case with me. I took classes to help me study for the SAT and took the test three times, to try and improve my score. I took the ACT once, and ended up getting a score roughly 50 points higher compared to my SAT scores. I also suggest taking the tests several times, especially since universities only look at your best score. The average amount of times a student takes the SAT or ACT is 3, and there are no penalties for taking the tests over.

In addition to taking SAT or ACT classes to prepare for the tests, students can buy books with practice tests and answers in them. Students can also hire a private tutor, or check with their high school to see if practice SATs or ACTs are offered. Remember to check what standardized tests your university requires, for I have known too many friends who were not able to apply to schools because they didn’t know that they needed to take one or more of these standardized tests.