What is the difference between SAT and ACT?

Both the ACT and the SAT are nationally administered standardized tests that help colleges evaluate candidates. Most college and universities accept both. Below is a chart summarizing the differences:

	ACT	SAT
Length	3 hours, 25 minutes (including the 30-minute optional Writing Test)	3 hours, 45 minutes
Sections	4 test sections (5 with the optional Essay, known as the Writing Test)	10 Sections
Areas Tested	English, Math, Reading, Science, Writing (optional)	Critical Reading, Math, Writing (includes the Essay), Experimental (unscored)
Reading (ACT) / Critical Reading (SAT)	Reading comprehension passages (vocabulary not tested)	Reading Comprehension and Sentence Completion questions (vocabulary tested)
Science	Science Reasoning (analysis, interpretation, evaluation, problem solving)	Science not included
Math	Math accounts for 1/4 of overall score Topics Covered: Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry	Math accounts for 1/3 of overall score Topics Covered: Basic Geometry and Algebra II
Essay	Last section (optional); 30 minutes Not included in composite score	First section; 25 minutes Included into overall score (1/3)
Scoring	Total composite score of 1-36 (based on average of 4 tests) 4 scores of 1-36 for each test Additional score of 0-12 for the optional Essay	Total score out of 2400 3 scores of 200-800 for each section Essay (0-12) included in the Writing section score (200-800)
Wrong Answer Penalty	No penalty	Yes, 1/4 point per wrong answer (except for Math Grid-in questions)
Sending Scores	You decide which score to send	Your entire score history will be sent automatically