By Patrick Fitz

The two primary standardized tests used for college and university admissions in the US are the ACT and the SAT. An earlier post on this blog identified key differences between the two exams. This post covers recent trends in test administration and seeks to address an interesting question: who exactly takes these exams?

Students and their parents, sometimes less familiar with the American system, often inquire to education consultants about the similarities and differences between the two exams and which offers better results in the college admissions process. The truth is that both the ACT and SAT are equally valid and the two exam scores are considered comparatively, not absolutely, meaning colleges and universities want students who performed more highly than their peers and not just well generally by some arbitrary standard.

But which students sit which exams depends on geography, access, and reputation. These will be explored below.

Domestic Trends

The number of students who take either the ACT or the SAT ebb and flow through time. Recently, the figures have been about evenly matched: within the United States, approximately the same number of high school students sit the SAT in a given academic year as do the ACT.

Historically, the tests were known for being featured more prominently in certain geographic areas. In fact, it used to be the case that many students in the Midwest, near Iowa where ACT Inc. is headquartered, would never even be offered the SAT. Similarly, students in the Northeast and Mid Atlantic states would almost exclusively take the SAT; it would be a rare high school or learning center that even proctored the ACT.

As individual state education departments have mandated either the ACT or the SAT as a graduation requirement, and as competition between the two standardized tests has resulted in geographic expansion, many more students are now offered both exams and the regional dynamic has become less stark.

US colleges and universities accept both exams and no clear preference is expressed for either. This also contributes to an environment in which students may sit both and choose which to dedicate resources to for the purposes of more serious and intensive study.

International Dynamics

The under-acknowledged reality is that few international students actually take either the SAT or the ACT exam. The absolute numbers may be large, but by percentage the number of students at schools outside the US or US citizens studying at international schools abroad is simply very small compared to the global population of secondary school students.

Mostly this is because not many international students actually study in the US, at least not compared with domestic students.

In terms of which exam these international students take, the difference is more pronounced than it is for domestic students. Take, for example, the current situation in the United Arab Emirates. Here in Dubai and in Abu Dhabi, as well as in the other five emirates, students have far greater opportunity to sit the SAT than they do the ACT: recently there have been more than forty SAT testing sites country-wide while at the same time the ACT has been offered at fewer than five. There are plainly more seats for the SAT than for the ACT.

Beyond sheer availability, there is also brand awareness outside the US. For whatever reason, the SAT seems to be better known than the ACT. If parents of international students have heard of standardized testing, it tends to be the SAT that they cite. Test prep, really SAT prep, is understood to be SAT classes (not ACT classes or ACT prep).

Possibly this is do to media presence (the SAT has historically been more common on the US coasts, where much of both news and entertainment media is produced) or because College Board, which creates and administers the SAT, has a far larger international profile, supporting both AP classes and exams and the now-extinct Subject Tests, in addition to the PSAT and extensive online college application resources.

The Future

Over the last year and a half, the testing dynamic in the college admissions process has been greatly altered. While the shift toward test optional (or even, in some cases, test blind) policies by some high-profile colleges and universities in the US has been ongoing, the sudden inability to administer in-person exams has accelerated the move away from testing as an essential component of a successful college application.

While other dynamics are also at play, especially domestic currents around education more generally, the future of both exams is unclear. There appear to be troubles around the administration of the computer-based ACT exam outside the US, while the SAT is reputed to be undergoing significant changes that could be revealed any day now.

Conclusion

The most common question students and their parents ask regarding standardized testing is this: “Should I take the ACT or the SAT?” Assuming equal opportunity to prepare for either exam, students should prioritize efforts on the exam best suited to their strengths as test takers.

We’re living through a dynamic moment in the education industry, and standardized testing has not been spared. From the elimination of the SAT Subject Tests to the increasing adoption of test optional admissions policies, the situation around these exams is rapidly shifting. Yet, most top universities, including the Ivy League, still require exam scores from all applicants, and some scholarships and award monies are given based on performance on the ACT or SAT.

That said, insofar as both options are available, education consultants would recommend that students study for the exam that will maximize their chance of admission. A top score on either is still a top score, and high performance relative to peers is what offers the edge to students in the college admissions process.

- Hale Education Group