SAT and ACT

De-mystifying Test Prep

The most important thing to know about the ACT and SAT is that they are skill-based (not knowledge-based) tests. Any student, regardless of innate aptitude, can dramatically improve their test-taking skill – and therefore their scores – with the right practice.

Although the “test prep arms race” is a reality for today’s college applicants, we don’t buy into the hysteria. Test prep isn’t complicated and it doesn’t have to be prohibitively expensive. It does require consistent work and dedication, but it doesn’t have to be a grueling slog.

There’s a great satisfaction in beating the clock, mastering previously unassailable problems, and seeing your scores rise. When approached with the right mindset, it can be a lot of fun.

Read on to learn about our test prep process.

What’s the difference?

While both exams test the same core subject areas of English grammar, reading, math, and science, they go about it in different ways and with different scoring systems. Colleges don’t have a preference for one or the other, so you should take the one that you feel the most confident on.

SAT

  • Administered by The College Board
  • Perfect score: 1600
  • Divided into 800 points for English, 800 for math
  • 141 multiple choice questions
  • 13 grid-in questions split between the math sections
  • Total time: 3 hours 15 minutes, excluding breaks

 Section Breakdown:

  • Reading: 65 minutes, 52 questions
  • Writing and Language: 35 minutes, 44 questions
  • Math (no calculator): 25 minutes, 20 questions
  • Math (calculator): 55 minutes, 38 questions
  • No essay

ACT

  • Administered by the ACT Company
  • Perfect score: 36
  • Sections are scored out of 36, then averaged for the “composite”
  • Essay is graded out of 12: two graders give up to six points each
  • 215 multiple choice questions
  • Total time: 2 hours 55 minutes, excluding breaks and essay
Section Breakdown:
  • English: 45 minutes, 75 questions
  • Math: 60 minutes, 60 questions
  • Reading: 35 minutes, 40 questions
  • Science: 35 minutes, 40 questions
  • Optional Essay: 40 minutes

But there’s more!

Those are just the structural differences between the exams. Here are some of the more nuanced details of the tests, as well as some of their similarities. These similarities may seem obvious, but it’s good to know exactly what the tests have in common so that students know exactly what to expect.

SAT

  • Sometimes includes a fifth, ungraded section at the end
  • Has some two-part reading questions
  • Gives a formula list at the beginning of both math sections
  • Incorporates science questions throughout

ACT

  • Math section moves from easy to hard
  • Does not give a formula list
  • Reading passages alway follow this order: prose fiction/literary narrative, social science, humanities, natural science
  • Science section has seven “passages”

Similarities

  • Designed to test speed and accuracy
  • Four answer choices (A-D)
  • Use a bubble sheet to record answers
  • Math questions range from algebra to trigonometry
  • Mixed difficulty of questions (except ACT math section)
  • Do not penalize for wrong answers

Did you know?

The SAT used to deduct 1/4 of a point for each incorrect answer. This system was discontinued in 2016.

Our Test Prep Process

Our five-step process simplifies SAT and ACT prep into clear, manageable steps.

You’ll start by finding your baseline score, set goals based on your target colleges, choose the right test, create a realistic study plan, and get tutoring support if needed. We begin with a free consultation to understand your needs and tailor a plan that fits. Follow these steps to build the skills and confidence for test day—here’s how it works.

Step 1 – Baseline Score

ACT or SAT? Regardless of the test, the first step of the process is to find your starting score by taking a practice test.

Most students will have the option to sit for both tests, so unless you have a good reason not to, take both a practice SAT and a practice ACT to get your score.

Although you can take a proctored practice test at a test prep center, you can also save time, money, and hassle by self-proctoring at home for free. Download a practice test,  grab a stopwatch (a phone is fine), set aside a few hours, and you are good to go.

Be kind to yourself – don’t take them both of these tests on the same day!

Practice Tests:

SAT: Full-length SAT Practice Tests via CollegeBoard.com

We recommend the paper test for easier review with a tutor.

ACT: Free ACT Practice Test & Resources on ACT.org

As above, we recommend downloading and printing the paper test for simpler review and recordkeeping.

Step 2 – Pick your target schools

Although a high SAT or ACT score won’t guarantee admission to a top university, a lower than average score will certainly put you at a disadvantage.

Take a look at the table for the average (50th percentile) SAT and ACT scores of enrolled students at the top 50 U.S. colleges, based on the most recent data.

To find scores for the specific colleges you are interested in, visit either:

Make a note of both the average (50th percentile) scores and the 75th percentile scores for your chosen schools.

Compare your baseline score from practice tests with the average (50th percentile) score of your college of choice. This gap shows how many points you need to improve to be competitive.

To strengthen your application further, aim to score above the average—ideally at or above the 75th percentile—on either the SAT or ACT.

Average Admissions Scores

 
College NameSATACT
Harvard University154035
Stanford University154035
Massachusetts Institute of Technology155035
Yale University152034
Princeton University152034
University of Pennsylvania152034
Dartmouth College152034
Brown University153035
Cornell University150034
Columbia University153035
University of Chicago154035
Duke University153034
Johns Hopkins University156035
Northwestern University153034
Vanderbilt University153034
Rice University153035
Washington University in St. Louis153034
University of California, Los Angeles141032
University of California, Berkeley143032
University of Southern California144032
New York University151034
Carnegie Mellon University152034
Georgetown University147033
University of Michigan144032
University of Virginia146033
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill140031
University of Florida140030
Georgia Institute of Technology145033
University of Texas at Austin136030
University of Wisconsin-Madison142031
Boston College148033
Tufts University149034
Emory University149033
Northeastern University150034
Ohio State University139031
Purdue University133030
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign143032
University of Washington135030
Boston University144033
University of Maryland, College Park143032
University of Georgia136031
Texas A&M University127028
Florida State University129028
Clemson University132030
University of Miami139031
University of Pittsburgh137031
Villanova University142033
Indiana University Bloomington129029
University of Minnesota Twin Cities138030
Michigan State University126028
Williams College152034

50th Percentile Scores

College SAT  ACT

Harvard

 1520 34

MIT

 1540 35

U Penn

 1500 33

Duke

 1500 33

U Chicago

 1500 33

Northwestern

 1490 33

Williams College

 1480 33

Swarthmore

 1470 32

Amherst

 1470 32

Step 3 – Pick a Test!

Now that you know where you want to apply, and how much you’ll need to improve, it’s time to decide which test to focus on.

Although a few schools strongly prefer one or the other, most will readily accept both.

Take a look at the concordance table, and find your scores for both tests.

If you scored higher on one test than the other,  such as a 1430 on the SAT but only a 28 on the ACT (equivalent to a 1310 SAT score), it’s probably best to focus on the test that you did better on naturally.

If your scores were pretty close, or you are still unsure, check out our in-depth article on How to Choose Between the SAT and ACT.

ACT / SAT Concordance

 
ACTSATSAT Range
3615901570-1600
3515401530-1560
3415001490-1520
3314601450-1480
3214301420-1440
3114001390-1410
3013701360-1380
2913401330-1350
2813101300-1320
2712801260-1290
2612401230-1250
2512101200-1220
2411801160-1190
2311401130-1150
2211101100-1120
2110801060-1090
2010401030-1050
191010990-1020
18970960-980
17930920-950
16890880-910
15850830-870
14800780-820
13760730-770
12710690-720
11670650-680
10630620-640
9590590-610

ACT / SAT Concordance

ACT SAT SAT RANGE

36

  1590 1570-1600

35

  1540 1530-1560

34

  1500 1490-1520

33

 1460 1450-1480

32

 1430 1420-1440

31

 1400 1390-1410

30

 1370 1360-1380

29

  1340 1330-1350

28

 1310 1300-1320

etc…

 … …

Step 4 – Make a (realistic) study plan

How many more points do you need to hit your target?

If you score within 50 on the SAT or 2 points on the ACT, an additional 10-20 hours of study will help get you there. Need 100 points on the SAT or 3-4 points on the ACT? Plan to invest at least 40 hours.

Increasing your score by 200 points or more on SAT or 6 points or more on the ACT is doable, but will require dedicating a significant amount of time and effort – 80 hours or more.

While it might seem helpful to have a chart linking specific point increases to study hours, this isn’t practical. Every student is unique, with differences in prior preparation, learning pace, test-taking skills, and study habits. These factors make it impossible to predict exact score improvements based solely on hours studied.

For more information, check out our in-depth article on when to start studying for standardized tests, though these will be heavily influenced by personal factors like your schedule and learning style.

Step 5 – Get some help – if you need it!

The bad news is that tutors can’t a) take the test for you, or b) magically imbue you with their skills.

They can, however:

  • guide you through the test-taking process
  • assess your weak-points
  • help you formulate an effective, personalized study plan to maximize your score
  • show you different ways to efficiently attack specific problem types
  • teach you any material that you don’t know
  • help you stay on track
  • inspire confidence
  • and more!

If you choose to work with a tutor, we recommend about 1 hour of tutor time for every 3-6 hours of solo practice time.

A Brief History Of Test Prep:

1975: “You can’t prepare for the SAT.” — The College Board

2003: “Standardized Tests are highly trainable.” —Test Prep Companies

TODAY: “Taking the SAT or ACT without preperation is like going to the Olympics without training and expecting to win.” –Modern College Applicant

How does tutoring help?

One-on-one tutoring is the fastest, most effective way to raise your score on these tests. Your tutor can teach you the content knowledge required for each section and show you how to apply it, no matter what each individual problem looks like. The benefits of having a tutor are the same as hiring any type of master teacher: you will get where you want to go more quickly, more effectively, and without wasting time.

Learn how to:

  • Decide which test you should take
  • Identify important indicators within each question
  • Get unstuck during difficult problems
  • Eliminate incorrect answers
  • Recognize patterns
  • Find the problem types you often miss
  • Stay focused for the entire test
  • Manage the timing of each section
  • Write a high-scoring essay
  • Determine how many times you should take the test

How we measure results

The best metric for measuring student growth on these exams is by examining “points captured”: the percentage of the points a student originally missed that they now get right. Take a look at this data from BMT Students.

ACT – Real Tutoring Results

SAT – Sample Tutoring Results

Diagnostic Final Percent Points Captured Hours Tutored
1240 1420 50% 15 hours
1240 1330 7.26% 12 hours
1340 1490 11.19% 20 hours
1330 1420 6.77% 10 hours
1190 1380 15.97% 22 hours

We’re here to help

Let us make your test prep journey as simple as possible. Schedule a consultation with us so that we can help you get the scores you deserve!

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