Part 1: An Overview
Although both the ACT and SAT test the math knowledge and skills you have learned over your lifetime, they are very different tests that require different approaches to maximize your score. At Pivot Tutors, we know the content and the strategies you need to learn for each of these assessment tests.
If you have never missed a math question in your life and aren’t worried about missing a single problem, you are covered. If that’s you, then you probably don’t need to read this article or worry about preparing for the tests that will determine where you spend your college years. If, like most of us, the SAT and ACT tests are a challenge, here is some info about the test to get you started.
Here’s a summary of how both tests assess your math skills and knowledge.
Both tests are challenging.
Many students consider the ACT to be slightly easier, as it doesn’t delve quite so deeply into the complexities of the topics it covers.
The tutors here at Pivot Tutors agree that the ACT is more predictable and a little easier to prepare for.
However, the ACT Math has faster pacing-- many students struggle to finish the test before the time runs out, especially before they establish good timing habits for the test.
The SAT Math covers fewer topics than the ACT, but it requires deep understanding of those topics. Sometimes students are intimidated by the no calculator section of the test or by the fact that there are questions that are not multiple choice.
Regardless of the difficulty, preparing for likeliest content and deciding on your personal strategy is what we can do to help you maximize your score on the test.
In the next posts, I’ll go over some easy, medium, and hard level posts in our series “ACT and SAT Math: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly.”
Remember, whatever level you are at, whatever your target score, hard work and dedication can get you closer to your goal.