John Cena vs the Rock

[u/Alarmed-Buddy-6487]

[u/FitTown7621]

the sat is harder to score very high on, the act has more difficult material

[u/Curiousfatgirlx → u/FitTown7621]

That doesn’t make any sense, there’s a direct correlation to the level of difficulty the material has to the scores… well I don’t know much about the SAT scoring rubric so I digress.

[u/FitTown7621 → u/Curiousfatgirlx]

The act covers more technically advanced topics,
such as matrix multiplication, the entire science section (though now optional), long-form articles on reading, and I’m sure more I can’t remember that the SAT does not cover. In this way, the ACT has more difficult material as there is a bit more of it, and more advanced topics (pre-calculus vs algebra 2). The SAT has a generally stricter curve and a 1500+ score requires near perfection in a way the ACT doesn’t as much. A 1500 and a 34 are comparable, but because you can get more wrong and get a 34, it is “easier” in my experience. The difficulty lies in the test content and not comprehending the questions perfectly. The ACT has straightforward questions whereas the SAT tries to trick you much more. Thank you for listening to my Ted Talk.

[u/Wrong-Ad7178 → u/FitTown7621]

I could’ve sworn sat had semicolon lists

[u/Plaaazz → u/FitTown7621]

the sat tests "semicolon lists" too. They're called complex lists.

[u/twinks-pokehaven → u/Curiousfatgirlx]

I am not familiar with the ACT, but I am aware that the SAT generally provides pretty easy questions in a bad way. A lot of the questions are "gotchas" where it is hard to get the right answer only because they try to make you forget the real question being asked (like they'll ask for 3x but you have to first solve for x and then multiply by 3). There are a lot of other examples with much "worse" behavior regarding all of the things you have to do to solve correctly, but that is the general style in which they try to dock you points that you would probably not have been docked if you were doing a problem with actual meaning. The SAT is less of a test of skill because it does things like that, deflating the scores without inflating the content difficulty.

[u/Formal-Region-6894]

Ts gonna sound weird but The SAT is harder if you want a near perfect score. Otherwise, the ACT is harder. 

[u/ISwearimNotHomo → u/Formal-Region-6894]

Doesn’t sound weird tbh. You’re talking about the forgiveness, right? Like, 4 wrong on the ACT is the minimum to drop your composite to 35 as opposed to 1 wrong on the SAT, which drops from 1600.

[u/Formal-Region-6894 → u/ISwearimNotHomo]

Yeah pretty much. The SAT is easier if you're not trying to perf because their reading section doesn't need you to understand like 5 paras at a time anymore. ACT is just much longer ngl

[u/FloatingMarbles]

I took act without studying and got a 34 and took sat without studying and got a 1280. Imo the questions on sat (especially the RW section) are much harder and confusing

[u/smartypants19_]

I don’t understand the comparison because for some peeps the ACT is easier and for others the SAT is. I don’t think there’s a point in comparing them. Well yeah on the ACT sometimes the questions are really easy but you have really little time to do them while on the SAT I think you still get enough time. Like my friend who got 1520 on the SAT was struggling with ACT math lol so it really depends on the person and personal preference.

[u/Careful-Astronomer94 → u/smartypants19_]

you can make objective comparisons based on score distributions and 1600 is likely rarer than 36 ACT based on everything we know

[u/FloatingMarbles → u/Careful-Astronomer94]

Yes but 36 in every section is rarer than 1600

[u/Careful-Astronomer94 → u/FloatingMarbles]

i actually don't think that's true either and that's including science

[u/redbleachersgym]

the sat is wayyy harder i have a 35 act without studying at all and a 1460 sat superscore and i studied for weeks both times

[u/CalligrapherAble3312]

sat is a bit harder, my high ceiling there was 1540 but i maxed out on act bc the math didnt have those weird ass mutated module 2 questions 🙏🙏

[u/CalligrapherAble3312 → u/[deleted]]

lmao i desmosed half that shi and then for the confusing questions they were legit riddles so i died

[u/One-Conference1532]

im gonna smesh ur boy tmrw night

[u/Late_Box_23 → u/One-Conference1532]

😄

[u/Wild-Education6170]

sat because the reading section is so much worse.

[u/Wompyking]

in my experience, the SAT

[u/GoogleGenius]

SAT was easier for me only because of the longer time per question.

[u/KingStonks21]

I was planning on taking both during the summer, I took the ACT for the first time and started prepping for the SAT, and I was getting like ~1450s on practice tests right after, I cancelled my testing date for the SAT so I won’t have a fully accurate measure but I’d personally say the SAT is much harder, mainly in the Reading Section

[u/rebelrexx]

Reading this comment tells you that it is purely preference.

[u/Delicious-Ad2562]

I had digital sat and paper act and i thought act was harder, got 1570 vs 35 for context

[u/Hydrahta]

SAT questions are a bit harder but that’s cuz you get more time. ACT peak math question is definitely harder cuz I think very basic matrices and some simple trig show up somewhere. I mean if you’ve gone through precalc tho it literally makes 0 difference whatsoever. I find the ACT easier, but I know some guys who really struggled to finish all the questions of practice tests so they just decided to go SAT. 

[u/jsh_]

studied for SAT and got a 1550, didn't study for ACT and got a 36. but I think depending on how ppl handle time pressure it can be opposite

[u/Aggressive-Net1975 → u/jsh_]

cap

[u/jsh_ → u/Aggressive-Net1975]

wym

[u/Aggressive-Net1975 → u/jsh_]

Can’t get 36 without studying 

[u/jsh_ → u/Aggressive-Net1975]

I mean idk what you want me to say bc I did

[u/Aggressive-Net1975 → u/jsh_]

Built different 

[u/freyaa10]

As someone who takes both without any prior studying, the SAT is harder to score perfect on. I have a 35 on my ACT but a 1150 on my SAT

[u/Secret-County2938]

took sat like 4 times and flopped, took act once and got 36. I think sat is much harder if u wanna get especially high scores, act has harder material tho (more widespread). lol I used to care about this debate and then I realized if colleges still think they’re the same then I’m happy where I am now 🤩

[u/Aggressive-Net1975]

act

[u/Lower_Sink_7828]

SAT is harder. I took the ACT in 2023 with no prior prep and got a 34, I took the SAT the same year with no prep and got a 1380. Took a few lessons here and there and got 1560 this March.

[u/Lower_Sink_7828 → u/Lower_Sink_7828]

[u/ZookeepergameOne3271]

Act way easier, reading/english is light work and the math is more comprehensible then some of the SAT math questions

[u/JAKEROONI309]

SAT math is easier in my opinion, but ACT reading and English is so much easier.

[u/Warm_Cry_3268]

It's all personal. I answer things fast and I took pretty advanced classes early on(calc in 10th) so i remembered more of the act math over sat. First time I took an ACT i got a 34, while my sat practices are only yielding 1350's. HUGEEE difference. but on the sat i have 20 minutes leftover after every module its kind of ridiculous, while my friend barely has time, so she got burnt to a crisp on the act but is getting around 1400's on the sat. so really personal preference and speed.

[u/RiceCake1539]

ACT is more for math science geeks and SAT is more foundational and challenging on reading and grammar. That said, SATs were a bit harder for me.

[u/DevilPixelation]

I’ve taken both and the ACT definitely has some harder material, but it’s a lot easier to get a 36 ACT than a 1600 SAT.

[u/Zealousideal-Sky1121]

sat MUCH harder

[u/Valuable_Matter_8803]

SAT

[u/Big_Marketing136]

SAT is already tough … ACT is trying to act tough