As a high school student, weighing and ultimately choosing between the ACT and the SAT is a critically important decision. Consider, for instance, that both exams cover math, but how this math is assessed differs on each test. While one student may shine on the ACT, another may perform better on the SAT.
Students can review these three differences to better understand which math section will best play to their strengths.

Average time per question: The ACT consists of a single math section. It contains 60 questions that must be answered in 60 minutes, which provides students with one minute per test item.

The SAT consists of a single math section that is divided into two portions: one with a calculator, which contains 38 questions to be answered in 55 minutes, and one without, which contains 20 questions to be answered in 25 minutes. That means that on the portion that permits the use of a calculator, students are allotted about 86 seconds per item. On the no-calculator section, students have 75 seconds to answer each question.

The time per question may seem like a significant difference between the two exams, but students should bear in mind that this timing takes various factors into account.

For example, math problems on the ACT are generally worded simply, while some SAT math questions use more complex wording that students may find tricky. A simple ACT question may ask you to perform a single specified task, while a complex SAT question may require you to independently determine which operation or operations to perform.

Calculator use: The ACT does not restrict calculator use on the math section, so students are free to consult their calculators on all math questions. The SAT, as noted above, only allows calculators on one portion of the math test.

Students should therefore reflect on how comfortable they are with calculator-free math. Are you very dependent on your calculator, or can you handle mental arithmetic with minimal stress?

You may be surprised by how far you can get without a calculator after a review of concepts like order of operations, which explains which operations to perform and when in a multi-operation problem. Remember the acronym PEMDAS: parentheses, exponents, multiplication, division, addition and subtraction.
Be aware, too, that your calculator is not a necessity to solve most problems you will encounter on the ACT and SAT. In many cases, it can even serve as an inefficient and unhelpful distraction.

Question types: The ACT consists entirely of multiple-choice questions, a format that most students are comfortable with.
The SAT is roughly 80 percent multiple-choice questions and 20 percent grid-in items. Answers to the multiple-choice questions are bubbled in on a traditional answer sheet. Grid-in solutions must be written by hand on the answer sheet, and there are special rules regarding how your answers must be recorded. For instance, if there is more than one way to express the answer, only one solution should be used.

Students may initially feel unsure about the grid-in questions on the SAT and it may take some time to become accustomed to this format, especially since there will be no answer choices to compare your solution with. However, some students may prefer the grid-in format because they are not misled by the provided answer choices.

Time allowance, calculator use and question types are three ways in which the ACT and SAT math sections differ. Students should also become familiar with the specific content of both tests before ultimately choosing one.