Radical changes to the SAT and shifts in ACT scoring have reshaped college admissions tests in recent years. Though more and more colleges are announcing they no longer require either test for admission, both the SAT and ACT have maintained their place in students’ path to college. Here’s what you and your teen need to know:

The SAT

Students applying to college in 2016 were the first class to take the new SAT. The test they took:

  • Replaces obscure vocabulary with words students are more likely to use and need.
  • Makes the writing section optional rather than mandatory.
  • Focuses on analytical thinking skills rather than memorized facts.
  • Includes much more reading, even in the math section.
  • No longer subtracts points when students get an answer wrong.
  • Aligns with what students learn in class under the Common Core Standards.
  • Is back to a 1600-point scale, rather than the 2400-point scale that was in place from 2005 to 2016.
  • Starting in 2024: students now take the SAT only online, no more pencil and paper.
  • Also starting in 2024: The SAT’s digital testing system uses “adaptive testing.” This means the exam changes in real time based on whether or not students answer questions correctly. Test questions get easier if the student isn’t doing well, or more difficult if the student is excelling. Practice preparation for the new digital system is available at College Board.

The ACT

The ACT made some smaller changes in 2016. While the test’s structure stayed the same, students gained access to new scoring breakdowns with more information about their college preparedness. The ACT also restructured its optional writing test: students now have 40 minutes, instead of 30, to complete the writing section, on which they are asked to critically reflect on different perspectives. The writing test score was recalculated in 2016 and is reported on a scale of 2-12, with 12 as the best score students can achieve.

The ACT has made no further changes since 2016, except starting in 2024, it will be available online in “select locations nationwide.”

Which test should your student take: ACT or SAT?

Numerous key differences exist between the SAT and ACT and it’s wise to compare them so your teen takes the one that best plays to their strengths.

The SAT allows more time per question than the ACT. The SAT math section also provides students with 15 formulas and laws; but the ACT math section does not, requiring students to rely on memorization. Additionally, the SAT reading and writing questions only refer to information in the question, whereas ACT reading and English questions always refer the student to long passages. If your teen gets stressed with time pressure, and is prone to freezing up and forgetting formulas and losing focus on long passages, the SAT might be the best choice.
The SAT test is online, but the ACT is still taken using paper and pencil. The ACT has a science section that accounts for 25 percent of the overall score; the SAT does not cover science. The SAT math section includes data analysis and a slightly larger trigonometry section. The ACT math section covers probability and statistics and has a much larger focus on geometry. Math accounts for 50 percent of the total SAT score, but only 25 percent of the ACT total. The ACT includes an optional essay writing section; the SAT does not.

The best way to determine which test your teenager is best at is to have them take the practice tests, available at many online sites. ACT has a full-length practice test. Kaplan offers free SAT practice test questions. World College Prep provides 1,000+ SAT questions for 180 days for $199, and Sal Khan of Khan Academy offers free SAT tutoring through Schoolhouse.

Strategies on retaking tests and when to submit scores — or not

College Board recommends retaking the SAT because “many students improve their scores when they take it a second or third time.” ACT also suggests retaking the test so students can achieve a “superscore.”

The goal of every test-taker should be a score that is impressive to the colleges or universities they wish to attend. For example, the average SAT score at the University of Wisconsin in Madison is 1390, with the top 25 percent of applicants scoring 1500. You can research, with your teen, what the average and top ACT and SAT scores are at all the schools on their college list. Ideally, the scores your student sends in are well above average to improve their chance of being admitted.

If your teen’s ACT and SAT scores are higher than average, it is smart to submit them to the test-optional colleges and universities your student is applying to. If their scores are below average, however, it may be best not to submit their scores as part of their application (so long as the school is test-optional).

Why the changes?

First, a little history: “College boards” were some of the first standardized tests, and students have been taking them for over a hundred years. The original tests were comprised of essays covering a number of subjects, and allowed colleges to compare students from different states and schools. The College Board, which administered those tests, created the SAT.

While the SAT has been through many changes since its 1926 premier, the shifts in 2016 were unusually dramatic. By refocusing the SAT on skills like critical thinking, the 2016 redesign was an attempt to reboot the SAT’s relevance. The 2024 move to a digital format with an adaptive-testing approach is equally dramatic and relevant, in its use of education technology.

In parallel, the ACT’s focus on critical thinking in its revised writing section and its emphasis on college readiness in new break-out scores align with the same trends that may have inspired SAT revisions. As jobs increasingly require analysis and creative thinking, schools are working hard to make sure students build those skills. By updating their questions and reporting to reflect students’ progress toward those thought-based skills, the SAT and ACT intend to give high schools and colleges better information on students’ preparedness to succeed.

How colleges are responding

Standardized testing has been in the spotlight in recent years, and critics have argued that test scores should not determine whether students get into great colleges. Of course, students’ SAT and ACT scores are not all the admissions officers consider: students’ essays, grades, and activities are all key parts of college applications. Still, testing critics say that low test scores should not be used to disqualify a student with other strong skills and aspirations. Increasingly, colleges are listening to these concerns.

In response, many colleges and universities have become completely “test-free” or “test-optional” — meaning students can choose to submit their ACT or SAT scores when they apply — or not. Other colleges and universities are now “test flexible,” meaning students can choose which test scores they submit and, for instance, submit scores from SAT subject tests rather than their SAT or ACT composite score.

One key fact has not changed even as the admissions tests have: SAT and ACT scores are only one factor colleges consider in admissions, and most indicate that they see high school achievement as a more important predictor of college success.

Colleges have adopted widely varying approaches to the tests, so it’s important for students and parents to research the colleges they’re interested in to learn what tests are required and how the results are weighed.

More colleges drop test requirements

Liberal arts colleges have increasingly modified their policy regarding the SAT and ACT. Many schools have stopped requiring SAT or ACT scores as part of students’ applications altogether, including Wesleyan University, Swarthmore, Williams, and Smith College (test-optional since 2009), and all of the University of California campuses. They join many others, like Bowdoin College, which eliminated the testing requirement more than 50 years ago. Other schools, like Middlebury College, Colorado College, and Yale, have implemented “test flexible” policies, which allow students to send different test scores for consideration with their application, such as AP exam scores, SAT subject test scores, and IB test scores.

Officials at these colleges say that other measures — grades, courses taken, extracurricular activities — are better predictors of success for their students. The National Center for Fair and Open Testing, an opponent of standardized testing, maintains a current list of these schools and their test score policies. But don’t assume that this list or any other is correct. Check admissions requirements with the colleges your teen is applying to.

Taking the test

Although many colleges are now test-optional, taking college admissions tests remains important. Even if your child plans to apply to test-optional schools, a strong test score can strengthen an application. Taking the SAT or ACT can also keep doors open to colleges and universities where test scores are required. When taking the ACT, students can choose to complete the test’s optional essay. While the majority of schools do not require students to submit their essay scores, some colleges, notably the most selective, do.

The SAT and ACT have also found a niche in high schools. Many high schools now have all of their students take the ACT or SAT to determine whether they are on track to graduate. In fact, 24 states now require students to take the ACT or SAT as part of their graduation requirements.

What the debate means to your student

It’s important for your student to contact the individual colleges and state college or university systems on her application list to learn about the weight admissions officials will give to admissions tests and more specifically to ACT or SAT writing scores.

David Montesano, a private college admissions consultant, said admissions officers are more likely to look at the score than the essay itself. Competitive schools will want high scores, including on writing sections, he said. But, in some instances, colleges might be very interested in reading what a student wrote in the timed test. “If there is doubt that the personal essay on the application was actually written by the applicant, admissions departments will drill down and compare it to the essay.”

Students with disabilities

The SAT and ACT no longer flag the score reports of students granted additional time to take the test because of a disability. This policy has raised concern that some parents may unfairly seek testing accommodations to secure better scores for their children. Both the College Board and ACT argue that they have rigorous processes for reviewing such requests.

Reasons that students may be granted accommodations include impaired vision or hearing, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), learning disabilities, physical handicaps, and some medical conditions.

Other accommodations besides additional time include access to a different testing location or access to special equipment. Extra time is granted only when a student’s disability presents a direct need for additional time or when the test is given in a nonstandard format.

You can learn more by reading Services for Students with Disabilities on the College Board and ACT sites.

If you have a child who may qualify for special accommodations, be sure to initiate the application process well in advance — ideally in the spring of the year before your child intends to take the SAT or ACT. All the necessary paperwork should be available at your child’s school.