In the past, prospective college applicants had just two choices regarding standardized testing—taking the SAT or sitting for the ACT. In 2024, test-optional has become a stronger-than-ever third consideration as such policies have spread rapidly, particularly since the disruption caused by COVID-19. When comparing the SAT and ACT, colleges do not favor one test over another. Rather, highly selective colleges are looking for superior scores on either the SAT or ACT. Given these two choices, it can be a useful exercise to compare the equivalent scores by viewing an SAT to ACT conversion chart. Doing so can give you a deeper understanding of the value of your score and inform future retake decisions. We will explore this topic in the following blog and also look at some major differences between the SAT and ACT.
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To understand why SAT to ACT conversion matters, let’s consider an example. Sophie, a high school junior, decides to take a diagnostic exam for both the SAT and the ACT. On the diagnostic SAT, she scores a 1450. On the diagnostic ACT, she scores a 30. Since Sophie should only focus on studying for one of the exams moving forward, she’ll want to use her scores to determine how she should proceed.
According to the SAT to ACT conversion table (more on that below), Sophie’s 1450 on the SAT is roughly equivalent to an ACT of 33, meaning that she performed better on the SAT than she did on the ACT. As such, Sophie might opt to move forward with the SAT instead of the ACT.
Other than your overall score, there are several additional factors to consider when determining which test to focus on. Major differences between the SAT and ACT include:
The ACT is composed of four sections—English, Math, Reading, and Science—that are each between 35-60 minutes. The Digital SAT is composed of four “modules” that are each between 32-35 minutes. However, the Math sections of the two tests vary most significantly. The SAT typically requires a higher-level understanding of math and also has multiple choice as well as student-produced response questions (the latter of which you cannot “guess” on). As a result, the general advice is that math lovers may score more highly on the SAT while strong readers may do better on the ACT.
The ACT offers longer sections and shorter time intervals, so speed and time management are important to scoring high. Test-takers must complete 215 questions or one math question every minute, one English question every 36 seconds, and one Reading/Science question every 52 seconds. In total, ACT test-takers can expect to be in ACT Test Land (including breaks) for about 3.5 hours.
The new Digital SAT is just 98 questions in length, and students will have 2 hours and 14 minutes to make their way through all four modules. This means they’ll have approximately 73 seconds per question. However, the test’s questions are quite reading-intensive, even in the math section, meaning that the extra time is less a case of charity and more one of necessity.
Overall, if time is an issue for you, you might prefer the SAT’s slightly slower pace over the ACT.
The SAT does not have a Science section, but don’t let the “Science” label scare you away. The ACT Science section assesses graph/chart/research study interpretation and reading comprehension rather than any specific content knowledge of biology, chemistry, or physics. That being said, students who like science are usually less distracted by mentions of metamorphic rocks or RNA than science-avoidant students. Again, you don’t need to be a scientific scholar to excel on this test, but it’s worth taking multiple practice tests in order to get accustomed to wading through the jargon so you can focus on what the question is really assessing.
Several years ago, the SAT ended its experiment with an optional writing portion. The ACT continues to have an optional 40-minute essay section. However, not all colleges require this section, so you’ll want to check your college’s requirements ahead of time before you tack on another hour to your test.
Another difference? It’s harder to earn a perfect score on the SAT; under 0.1% of test-takers ultimately secure that elusive 1600 while approximately 0.25% of ACT test-takers earn a perfect 36.
The technical term for the below chart is a “concordance” table, which translates to an attempt to spell out the relationship between scores on two very different assessments. It is not an exact calculation of what you would score on one test versus another. Rather, the concordance tables give an approximate equivalent based on scores that share a strong statistical relationship. These calculations are made based on hundreds of thousands of sample test-takers, giving them a solid level of reliability.
These numbers are in line with the latest concordance tables released by the ACT.
| SAT Score | ACT Score |
| 1600 | 36 |
| 1590 | 36 |
| 1580 | 36 |
| 1570 | 36 |
| 1560 | 35 |
| 1550 | 35 |
| 1540 | 35 |
| 1530 | 35 |
| 1520 | 34 |
| 1510 | 34 |
| 1500 | 34 |
| 1490 | 34 |
| 1480 | 33 |
| 1470 | 33 |
| 1460 | 33 |
| 1450 | 33 |
| 1440 | 32 |
| 1430 | 32 |
| 1420 | 32 |
| 1410 | 31 |
| 1400 | 31 |
| 1390 | 31 |
| 1380 | 30 |
| 1370 | 30 |
| 1360 | 30 |
| 1350 | 29 |
| 1340 | 29 |
| 1330 | 29 |
| 1320 | 28 |
| 1310 | 28 |
| 1300 | 28 |
| 1290 | 27 |
| 1280 | 27 |
| 1270 | 27 |
| 1260 | 27 |
| 1250 | 26 |
| 1240 | 26 |
| 1230 | 26 |
| 1220 | 25 |
| 1210 | 25 |
| 1200 | 25 |
| 1190 | 24 |
| 1180 | 24 |
| 1170 | 24 |
| 1160 | 24 |
| 1150 | 23 |
| 1140 | 23 |
| 1130 | 23 |
| 1120 | 22 |
| 1110 | 22 |
| 1100 | 22 |
| 1090 | 21 |
| 1080 | 21 |
| 1070 | 21 |
| 1060 | 21 |
| 1050 | 20 |
| 1040 | 20 |
| 1030 | 20 |
| 1020 | 19 |
| 1010 | 19 |
| 1000 | 19 |
| 990 | 19 |
| 980 | 18 |
| 970 | 18 |
| 960 | 18 |
| 950 | 17 |
| 940 | 17 |
| 930 | 17 |
| 920 | 17 |
| 910 | 16 |
| 900 | 16 |
| 890 | 16 |
| 880 | 16 |
| 870 | 15 |
| 860 | 15 |
| 850 | 15 |
| 840 | 15 |
| 830 | 15 |
| 820 | 14 |
| 810 | 14 |
| 800 | 14 |
| 790 | 14 |
| 780 | 14 |
| 770 | 13 |
| 760 | 13 |
| 750 | 13 |
| 740 | 13 |
| 730 | 13 |
The best way to answer this question is to take both exams. However, there’s no need to subject yourself to an “official” version of each test. Instead, you can take a practice test at home or even sit for a proctored diagnostic exam, which are offered (usually for free) by many test preparation companies. Ultimately, once you determine which test you’re most likely to score highest on, you’ll want to move forward with that exam only.
Use the SAT to ACT conversion chart to determine which test you scored most highly on, and submit that score to colleges. For example, if you scored a 1440 on the SAT and a 34 on the ACT, you’ll want to submit your ACT score.
However, if you are a unicorn who received perfect or nearly perfect scores on both exams, consider submitting your SAT score. Fewer students receive a perfect score on the SAT.
Not happy with your current SAT or ACT score, or not sure which test to focus on? No reason to panic yet. You have many options at this juncture. For starters, taking diagnostic exams for both tests can provide you with the baseline data you need to formulate a plan for targeted study. Repeat SAT-takers see an average gain of roughly 40 points while ACT-takers who score between 19 and 29 see an average gain of 1 point. Encouragingly, those who study utilizing free resources see even greater gains. For example, one study found that students who utilized Khan Academy for 20 hours saw an average SAT gain of 115 points.
Ultimately, if you’ve taken both the ACT and SAT, understanding how those scores stack up in relation to one another can help you make smart decisions about which test to prioritize and submit.
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Dave has over a decade of professional experience that includes work as a teacher, high school administrator, college professor, and independent educational consultant. He is a co-author of the books The Enlightened College Applicant (Rowman & Littlefield, 2016) and Colleges Worth Your Money (Rowman & Littlefield, 2020).
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