Comparing the SAT and ACT: What Educators Should Consider

Throughout its 125-year history, the not-for-profit College Board has been unwavering in its mission to connect all students to postsecondary opportunities.  

The SAT plays an important part in this work.

Along with the entire SAT Suite of Assessments, College Board has offered the SAT in a fully digital format since spring 2024.

In one 2-hour test, the SAT offers an objective measure of the core math and reading and writing skills students need for any postsecondary pathway. Aligned to state standards, the SAT provides insights and resources educators and students trust—coupled with unmatched flexibility, operational stability, and accessibility.

Today, the SAT is the #1 college admission test in the U.S. and is taken by more students than any other test. 

Keep reading to learn about the unique benefits the test offers to educators and students, as well as the differences between the SAT and ACT.

The Journey to Digital Excellence

Before introducing digital testing to state, district, and school partners, College Board spent three years developing a new digital testing app, Bluebook, and conducting extensive research and field testing. 

More than 70,000 students participated in pilot administrations to transform the SAT into an effective digital experience. 

This process allowed us to deliver a test that’s:

• Fast: The adaptive format allows for a shorter testing time—just over 2 hours—while also preserving the validity of the test. This means less time testing and more time for instruction.
• Flexible: In the fall, states, districts, and schools can choose to offer SAT School Day any day during the October testing window. In the spring, they can choose any day throughout March and April.
• Secure: Each student receives a unique, but comparable, set of questions, which eliminates the most common security challenges.

The Bluebook app allows for flexible, consistent test delivery regardless of location. It can withstand intermittent disruptions in both internet and power—and includes other features that make testing easier for students and educators.  

In October 2023, Bluebook delivered the largest-ever digital test. Nearly 1.25 million students tested on a single day—more than other tests that other organizations deliver in a single year. As of June 2025, more than 15 million tests had been taken successfully.

In a recent survey, two-thirds of students and nearly all educators said their experience with the digital SAT was good or excellent.

“It was easy to navigate. I like the digital SAT better because it's shorter and a little less stressful since you don't have to keep switching between materials when answering each question.”—Lindsay, student

Because College Board developed its own systems for digital testing, we have full control over the experience. That means no student information is shared back and forth with third parties during testing, and we’re able to work with our members and partners to prioritize their feedback and introduce improvements. 

ACT’s Digital Offering and New Test*

In 2024, ACT announced it would roll out a new test. In fall 2025, the ACT reportedly has 12 different formats with variations among paper or digital, including or excluding science, and including or excluding writing. This comes on the heels of ACT’s purchase by a private equity firm in April 2024, Nexus Capital Management, which significantly shifted ACT’s organizational focus. 

When compared to the SAT:

• ACT’s digital exam uses a linear form. ACT also removed over 40% of test content and made the science section optional to create a shorter test.
• Unlike like College Board's digital testing app Bluebook, ACT’s platform requires a stable internet connection.
• Bluebook was built by College Board. ACT relies on third parties for test delivery.

Districts will need to evaluate the new ACT’s ability to help them identify learning gaps, and colleges will need to assess the reliability and validity of the new exam for their admission purposes. 

Download Comparing the SAT and ACT >>*

Free Resources for All Students

To help reinforce the skills they’re learning in class while also preparing for test day, College Board offers a comprehensive set of free practice resources to all students. Created specifically for the SAT Suite of Assessments, these resources include:

• 7 full-length practice tests in Bluebook, the same testing app used on test day
• Official SAT Prep through an exclusive partnership with Khan Academy.

“The Khan Academy resources worked well, and I love College Board’s feature where you can see what you missed on practice and have explanations. I think the new update where it shows your skills in areas like algebra and advanced math help find what you need to improve on.”—Cesar, student

In addition, paper practice tests are available for students who will be testing with accommodations that require a paper format and/or for students who are just looking for additional sample questions.  

Currently, ACT’s practice resources include one free downloadable practice test and two online practice tests. Through partnerships with test prep companies, students have self-paced, live online, and face-to-face tutoring ranging from $159 to more than $4,000.*

In addition to practice, College Board also provides every student with an evidence-based set of tools to make it easier for them to identify their strengths and navigate their path to postsecondary options.

Every student receives a Career Insights Snapshot with their SAT scores. The snapshot provides a list of growing careers across the state that are connected to students’ math and reading and writing skills. According to a fall 2024 national survey, 80% of students who viewed Career Insights Snapshot reported that they're committed to learning more about their abilities and interests. 

Students can use the free BigFuture School mobile app—designed specifically for students taking the test during a school day—to view their scores, the Career Insights Snapshot, customized future-planning guidance, and messages from colleges. No student data in BigFuture School is ever shared with third parties; students decide if and when to share their information directly with the institutions they're interested in.

Innovations for Excellence

Our priority is serving students, families, and the more than 6,000 K–12 schools and colleges that make up our membership.

While the education landscape will continue to change, our mission remains the same. We’ll continue to evolve and enhance our programs to ensure they meet the full set of postsecondary pathways, including workforce, military, and two- and four-year colleges.

Frequently Asked Questions by Educators

When can I administer the SAT?

For the fall, the SAT can be administered anytime in October. In the spring, the SAT test window runs from March 2 to April 30. The test itself is 2 hours and 14 minutes. The Educator Experience webpage provides more dates and preparation information. Because the assessment is digital, there's no paper to manage or ship and score reports are generally available within two weeks of the test date.

How is the SAT test administered?

Students download College Board’s proprietary testing application, Bluebook, to take the test. Test coordinators and proctors use the Test Day Toolkit to plan for and administer the SAT. Test coordinators receive step-by-step instructions, as well as detailed technical requirements, so both administrators and students are ready for test day.

Is the ACT given by College Board?

No. College Board, a not-for-profit membership organization, produces the SAT Suite of Assessments and the SAT is the #1 college admission test in the U.S. The ACT isn't affiliated with College Board. In April 2024, Nexus Capital Management, a private equity firm, acquired ACT transitioning the organization to a for-profit public benefit corporation.

*Based on publicly released ACT information as of July 2025