The Foreign Service Journal, December 2021

80 DECEMBER 2021 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL EDUCATION SUPPLEMENT n The ACT is faster paced (less time to answer each question), but its ques- tions are simpler and more direct. If you can answer questions quickly and don’t want too much complexity, take the ACT. n Take the SAT if mental calculation is a strength. The SAT Math section is split into a calculator-assisted section and no-calculator section. (The ACT allows a calculator throughout.) Para- doxically, you should also take the SAT if you have real difficulty remembering basic math formulas—only the SAT has a “cheat sheet” included as part of the test. n If you can write well on demand, and the colleges to which you are apply- ing accept the Writing score from the ACT, you may want to take the ACT. Some other considerations may mat- ter in your individual circumstances: • The ACT for international students is only administered online, while the SAT is paper only. • To practice using the ACT online test tools, you must have Google Chrome. • There are more international SAT sites (roughly 5,000 in 189 countries) than international ACT sites. • The international ACT is a little more expensive than the SAT. The international test dates are dif- ferent for the ACT and SAT. Registration deadlines are typically 28-30 days ahead of the test, with a two-week late registra- tion (for a fee) period. Full information is on their websites (sat.org/international and act.org) . The most straightforward way to determine which test is better for you is to take a full-length practice test in both, and compare scores. A rough but accu- rate comparison formula is: (Composite ACT Score x 40) + 150 = Combined SAT Score. Example: (28 [Composite ACT Score] x 40) + 150 = 1270 (Equivalent Combined SAT Score). If you take practice tests in both, pay particular attention to the ACT Science score—the higher it is relative to the rest of your ACT score and SAT score, the more likely you’ll score better on the ACT. These Are “College Readiness” Tests Both the SAT and ACT are tests designed to predict “college readiness,” not content knowledge. Both tests are significantly different than most, if not all, school tests. That means you have to learn unique skills for taking these tests, and you might possibly have to unlearn those skills that may help you on school tests but hurt you on a time-compressed, complex standardized test. Let’s examine the unique challenges and the techniques you can use to meet them. 1. The tests are long—175 minutes on the ACT, 180 minutes on the SAT, plus breaks. Technique —Atomize the test; that is, break each section into its smallest parts. For the ACT, each English passage has 15 questions and should take about 9 minutes. You have 1 minute for each math question. The four Reading pas- sages each have 10 questions, and each passage should take 8-9 minutes. The six TheACT is faster paced (less time to answer each question), but its questions are simpler andmore direct.