KEY
Differences
Digital, adaptive
More time per question
Short, single-question reading passages
Scores back within days
Paper, fixed format*
Faster Paced
Longer reading passages
Scores back in 2 to 3 weeks
TIMING & SCORING
2h
14m
Overall
Time
2h
55m
Overall
Time
Time per Question
60s
Math
52s
Science
52s
Reading
36s
English
95s
Math
71s
Reading & Writing
VS
applerouth
Reading&
Writing
(baseline module)
(adaptive module -
easier or harder)
Reading&
Writing
Math
(baseline module)
Math
(adaptive module -
easier or harder
)
200 - 800
points
200 - 800
points
Reading
English
Math
Science
1-36
1-36
1-36
1-36
32m
32m
35m
35m
DIGITAL
WEEKS
DAYS
*There will be an option to take the ACT on a computer at select test centers starting in late 2023 and early 2024, but the computer-based test
will be identical to the paper test in length and format.
TOTAL POINTS 400 - 1600 TOTAL POINTS 1 - 36
How would you score? Register for a
practice test at applerouth.com/calendar/
Total Time
70 minutes
SAT
60 minutes
ACT
Number of Questions
44
SAT
SAT
60
ACT
ACT
Question Difficulty
Time Per Question
applerouth
How would you score? Register for a
practice test at applerouth.com/calendar/
95s
Module 1
Module 2
MATH
Algebra Focus
The SAT has a much greater emphasis on Algebra, as well as
Data Analysis questions that ask you to incorporate information
from tables and charts into your calculations. In contrast, the
ACT focuses more on Geometry and Pre-Algebra.
Calculators are allowed
throughout the Math sections
on both the digital SAT and ACT
The Digital SAT testing platform
has a built-in Desmos graphing
calulator.
The SAT provides a reference
of common formulas in the
testing application.
The
ACT does not provide
formulas for reference.
Formulas
The digital SAT Math modules include 44
questions total. About 25% of these are
student-produced response questions (i.e.,
grid-in), and the rest are multiple-choice.
70%
32%
Module 2 will be more
difficult if you perform
well on Module 1.
Math section goes from easy to hard.
30 - 100 300 - 500
applerouth
• Prose Fiction
• Social Science
• Humanities
• Natural Science
• Literature
• History
• Social Science
Number of Reading Passages Topics Covered
Distribution of topics varies. Easier adaptive modules tend to
focus on literature; harder adaptove modules tend to focus on humanities.
ACT Reading passage topics are consistent and appear in the same order
on each test.
comparison
• Poetry
• Nat. Science
1 question per passage
10 questions
per passage
25-29
• Humanities
SAT
Yes, 3 to 5 Command
of Evidence questions
use graphs.
ACT
No, only on the
Science section
Graphs and Charts?
Do the Reading/Writing/English sections have
Reading
Writing/English
Avg words per passage
Passage Complexity
SAT ACT
50 - 150 600 - 800
READING/WRITING/ENGLISH
How would you score? Register for a
practice test at applerouth.com/calendar/
80 minutes
ACT
64 minutes
SAT
Reading &
Writing
Reading &
English
Number of Questions
54
SAT
115
ACT
Time Per Question
Vocabulary
What percentage of questions test vocabulary?
71 s
36s
19 %
ENGLISH
READING & WRITING
READING
READING
ENGLISH
READING & WRITING
