Should my child take the SAT or the ACT?

Nick's answer is that every college in the country accepts both, so the real question is which test fits your student, and the way to find out is to take one full-length practice SAT or PSAT and one full-length practice ACT within a few weeks of each other and compare. He describes the SAT as more math heavy, with half the exam in math, and the ACT as leaning more into the humanities, with two-thirds of the composite now coming from English and reading.

Recorded December 2025.

Transcript

I'm Nick Standlea, CEO of Test Prep Gurus. And one of the biggest questions I hear from families is, should my teen take the SAT or the ACT? It feels like a huge decision. The good news is every college in the country accepts both exams. The real question is which test fits your students strengths? Now, the SAT is more math heavy. Half the exam is math. The problems are multi-step, requiring careful reasoning, strong algebra, and problem solving. Students often do well with the SAT. The ACT leans a bit more into the humanities.

Now that the science section is optional, 2/3 of the composite score comes from English and reading. Questions are a bit more straightforward, but the pacing is a little tougher. Now, I should say that at the time of recording, the science section on the ACT is technically optional, but I still recommend taking it. Some colleges will require it, and it shows additional effort on the part of the student. Either way, it's not something to stress over. It's not testing science knowledge. The science section is about reading charts and graphs. Think visual reasoning rather than scientific knowledge.

Now, most importantly, don't guess which test to take. Students, do one full-length practice SAT or a PSAT, then take a full-length practice ACT, ideally within a few weeks of each other. Compare those results. We at Test Prep Gurus can help you with that part of the process. Then, pick the one you are naturally stronger at and forget the other one. So to sum up, SAT is more math, ACT is a bit more humanities, and science is mostly visual. Every college accepts both. No one favors one test over the other, and no school wants one of each.

I'm Nick Standlea, CEO of Test Prep Gurus, and I've seen it again and again. Students who test both exams, pick one, and then focus in with their test prep. They reduce stress, they raise their scores, and they're more successful in the college admissions game.

More explainers for parents: https://www.prepgurus.com/13secrets (the free 13 Secrets to College Admission guide) and https://highschoolreach.com (look up any high school's college outcomes)