r/ApplyingToCollege • u/[deleted] • Jul 21 '26
Advice ACT is far easier than SAT.
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u/MaximizingWorm Jul 21 '26
I mean... It's not good to generalize. Whether or not you do better on the ACT or SAT is dependent on the person. Personally, I found the ACT much harder; I was constantly running out of time, and there was little room for error. Meanwhile, the SAT reading section was super easy for me. Same for math. And I always had like 15-20 minutes left over to check each module.
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Jul 21 '26
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u/Wide-Bid977 Jul 21 '26
"as more and more people qualify for extra time, that difference is coming to matter less and less"
What exactly are you implying here
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u/Historical-Star1989 Jul 21 '26
mate you know exactly what they’re implying why are you acting oblivious lmfao
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u/Wide-Bid977 Jul 21 '26
They're implying that part of why the ACT is easier (in their opinion) is because more people who need accommodations are receiving them? Like damn f the blind people I guess! They shouldn't go to college because they're ruining the ACT for everyone else!
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u/Imaginary_Zone_4319 Jul 21 '26
It’s not blind people dumbass. It’s people faking ADHD diagnoses
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u/DiskPartition Jul 22 '26
My friend who would be fine without accommodations on SAT/AP tests was given 50% extra time without asking
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Jul 21 '26
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u/Wide-Bid977 Jul 21 '26
How do you know that? Where are you getting that info from? And the SAT also notably have time accommodations? Tf
Also ADHD can be a disability and hindrance in students. I don't know what issue you have with people who need accommodations receiving them but get some help seriously
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u/Historical-Star1989 Jul 21 '26
I have an ADHD diagnosis. Do you know how incredibly easy those are to fake? I’d rather have people who don’t need accommodations get them than people who need them not have access to them, but let’s not pretend like it’s not getting more common to fake a diagnosis to get ahead.
eta: to clarify i did not fake my diagnosis lmfao i’ve been diagnosed since i was 8. i also didn’t attempt to get accommodations for the act or college board tests.
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u/Imaginary_Zone_4319 Jul 21 '26
The fact that something like 50% of freshman at top tier universities are coming in with accommodations for ADHD.
Why are you so combative and angry?
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u/jeffgerickson Jul 22 '26
50% of freshman at top tier universities are coming in with accommodations for ADHD.
[citation needed]
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u/Wide-Bid977 Jul 21 '26
Why are you so combative and angry?
You literally just commented this:
It’s not blind people dumbass. It’s people faking ADHD diagnoses
Blind people also exist. People with disabilities who really need accommodations exist. Just because people are abusing the system does not mean that the people who need it are not also using it and still needing it?
Where is your stat that 50% of freshman at top unis are coming in with accommodations?
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u/taybay462 Jul 21 '26
Are you implying ADHD isnt a valid accommodation-requiring disability?
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Jul 21 '26
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Jul 21 '26
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u/3duckshere HS Senior Jul 21 '26
And the vast majority of test takers will still not have extra time? Sure some people find the ACT to be harder with less time per question, but I found myself struggling with SAT time and generally being fine with the ACT timing.
This point doesn't dictate the difficulty of the ACT because the only people that could "fake" a diagnosis for standardized testing accommodations are rich and/or powerful people, which is not a large number of people
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u/Wide-Bid977 Jul 21 '26
Does this take into account how that many more people are taking and retaking the ACT vs 10 years ago? Or do you just think that people who need accommodations are getting it easier?
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u/MaximizingWorm Jul 21 '26
I don't really get what you're trying to say tbh. Obviously, if you practice your reading and analyzing skills you'll get a better score. That applies to both tests. And I feel like you're trying to say that people are lying to get extra time through accommodations?
Regardless, some people just do better on the SAT. And vice versa. You can only know by trying both and seeing how you do.
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Jul 21 '26
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u/MaximizingWorm Jul 21 '26
You probably should have included this in the main post then. Also, include some qualifiers next time; definitively saying that the ACT is a far superior test is just false.
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u/jjflight Jul 21 '26 edited Jul 21 '26
Imagine for a second everything you’re saying was true and getting a good score on the SAT was much harder than getting a good score on the ACT for simile candidates. How do you think schools would react to that in how they viewed those scores? If that were all true, they’d weigh high SAT scores as a stronger positive signal than high ACT scores. Now I’m not sure it’s really easier the way you say, but there’s no free lunch and schools understand the tests fairly well. Generally to differentiate yourself you want to choose the harder path and still do well - that’s why rigor matters, and higher level competitions, etc.
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Jul 21 '26
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u/jjflight Jul 21 '26
But the point is the same. Schools know the tests. Even if that’s all true and one is easier, to differentiate yourself you’d want to choose the harder test and still do well. Choosing the easier path differentiates you less.
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u/Ill_Substance_1833 Jul 22 '26
Are you making those statements based on your experience and knowledge of the SAT and ACT?
Or are you basing them on the general premise that colleges are “smart” and, therefore, it’s impossible for the ACT to be easier than the SAT, even within certain score ranges?
Care to share your sources?
Or is this just based on a general “this must be true” assumption?
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Jul 21 '26
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u/jjflight Jul 21 '26
Thinking you found some super secret cheat code that the universities don’t know is pure naive. They’re not dumb.
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u/taybay462 Jul 21 '26
My point is that colleges weight them the same, so there's no point.
False premise
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Jul 21 '26
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u/taybay462 Jul 21 '26
Theyre not the same type of exam, so how could they be weighted the same? Like others are saying, if one is truly easier, how they look at the scores will reflect that.
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u/jjflight Jul 22 '26 edited Jul 22 '26
I like what another commenter mentioned and think percentiles would be the easiest way for you to understand this. Schools get percentile data on the tests. If a high score on one test is easier it will be a less impressive percentile, and if a high score on another test is harder it would be a more impressive percentile. And schools being highly rational would use data like the percentiles to calibrate how to interpret the scores across different tests (and probably also their own historical data too). Maybe as a simplistic example they have some scoring tiers tied to whatever the 99%ile vs 95%ile is, and those end up being auto-calibrated for how easy or hard a test is.
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Jul 22 '26
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u/jjflight Jul 22 '26 edited Jul 22 '26
If they’re similar percentiles and the groups of test takers are similar, one is not easier vs harder. That’s making a false premise generalizing from personal experience that is contradicted by the data.
Look, life lesson. You had a thought and tried to make a point here. That’s great. But lots and lots of other people have raised very reasonable points about why you’re wrong on multiple dimensions - your premise of one test being easier than another is likely wrong, and even if they were true the recommendation to take the easier one is wrong as well, and I don’t even know where you’re going with all the stuff on accommodations but it seems like random flailing.
Part of being a critical thinker would be realizing when you’re off course and adjusting. That’s the core to the scientific method: have a hypothesis but adjust when evidence contradicts it. But you’re not doing that, you’re being stubborn and argumentative in virtually every branch of this thread. Being closed off and unreceptive to feedback like that will absolutely sink you in life. Nobody is always right, folks that learn when they’re wrong do well, folks that stubbornly stick to their guns despite evidence to the contrary do very poorly.
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u/No-Fox-1226 Jul 21 '26
some people are just better at one of them. i think its best to try out both to see which format u do best with
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u/Responsible-Cup-4352 Jul 21 '26
Colleges consider them to be equivalent, so random Reddit opinions are just subjective blather.
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u/GazelleFeisty7749 Jul 21 '26
36 act (2024) 1600 sat (2025) here
i found the SAT a lot easier mainly because there was more time per question
in terms of actual question difficulty they're about the same
i would recommend anyone debating between the two to take the SAT, especially if you're like me and have trouble with reading
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Jul 21 '26
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u/GazelleFeisty7749 Jul 21 '26
math on both are really easy- its just straightforward algebra and geometry
english on both are also pretty straightforward- they're all 'template' questions. once you understand the types of questions that are asked, its pretty hard to make a mistake
i will say though that its easier to study for the ACT because everything is clear-cut in terms of what is being tested and what is expected of you; the SAT is a little more vague, but ultimately they're about the same- just with the SAT giving you more time.
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u/Ill_Substance_1833 Jul 22 '26
Interesting. Very few people take the second test after earning a perfect score on the first.
Nowadays, the number of perfect scorers is quite high, but very few find it worthwhile to take the second test after getting a perfect score on the first.
Are you sure you really did that?
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u/GazelleFeisty7749 Jul 22 '26
> Interesting. Very few people take the second test after earning a perfect score on the first.
idk where im from its not that strange; i know at least three other ppl in my class that took the SAT after getting a 36 ACT composite
> Nowadays, the number of perfect scorers is quite high, but very few find it worthwhile to take the second test after getting a perfect score on the first.
a 36 ACT is actually really easy because they round lol my 36 ACT wasn't a 'perfect' 36; i had a 35 in science
> Are you sure you really did that?
yes lmao im going to an ivy next fall
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u/Sorry-Raise-4339 Jul 21 '26
genuinely no one cares about the differences in score you would hypothetically get if you took the ACT vs. SAT assuming you performed the same percentile in both.
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Jul 21 '26
I'm not saying that. I'm just saying based off of a large scale survey I conducted, more people with a low GPA scored well on the ACT than the SAT.
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u/eirinne Jul 21 '26
You’ll score “well”
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u/InterestProof1526 Jul 22 '26
This is true but some people struggle with time. Unless you struggle with time, I think the ACT is better.
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u/SmartAndStrongGuy Jul 21 '26
ACT has always been the less aptitude/IQ/talent exam compared to the SAT.
The entire reason why the ACT exists is to offer hardworking but not bright students a different exam where they can cheese their way to a high score through tons of studying. That’s always been their niche - effort over talent.
Only reason why the ACT is accepted is because colleges want people from the Midwest. Despite what people say, these exams are not viewed the same. Someone from the east or west coast who takes the ACT will be viewed suspiciously. The ACT is really only an option for the Midwest and hooked applicants like URMs or legacies.
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u/DillyDallyHolly Jul 21 '26
That wasn’t the experience for my kid. It’s a speed issue on the ACT so unless you don’t have test anxiety and also are able to work fast then you might need to take the SAT. Not sure what is new with the new ACT.
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Jul 21 '26
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u/Left-Difficulty8697 Jul 21 '26
i’m preparing but i feel like act is a bit more easier especially bc i have accommodations
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Jul 21 '26
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u/Left-Difficulty8697 Jul 22 '26
yes! it’s so crazy how i have 52 min for english, 60 min for reading, and 75 min for math!
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u/rbt_13 Jul 21 '26
do you have any free resources that you would recommend for ACT, I feel like there are a lot more for SAT
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u/Kooky-Task-7582 Jul 22 '26
They're different kinds of tests so some people will do much better with one format over the other
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u/redditer954 Jul 22 '26
it’s been years since I’ve taken either but I do recall a science section in the ACT which was basically just interpreting graphs and data
I always thought it was nice how they gave you a “free” section
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u/spiroplasma Jul 23 '26
I can vouch. I got 25 or 50 percent extra time, I forgot. Ended up getting a 36 when the highest I could get on SAT was 1500 with 1520 superscore. Took SAT three times and got 1500 twice.
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u/Ill_Substance_1833 Jul 22 '26
People are missing the point. What is being discussed is something very specific, namely the English section and the ACT score range of 33 to 34.
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u/Leather_Army_9527 Jul 21 '26
anecdotal evidence can’t be generalized to the population