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Alexis Avila, Founder/CEO of Prepped and Polished Tutoring, Test Prep, and Executive Function Coaching in Wellesley, Massachusetts covers 5 similarities and 5 differences between the SAT vs ACT grammar sections.
When we’re looking at both the SAT and ACT tests, there is a common section known as the SAT writing language section and the ACT English section. In our episode today, we’re going to be talking about five similarities and five differences between both sections.
Similarities
1. Structure
When looking at both sections, there’s definitely a similarity between the structure of each one. There’s going to be a certain amount of passages and during those passages, as you are reading you’ll be answering questions on a variety of topics that deal specifically with how the passage and how these sentences are structured.
2. Passage analysis
You will have to pay attention to simultaneously individual sentences and what they are saying as well as the broader the topic within either the paragraph itself, individually, multiple paragraphs, or the entire passage.
3. No change answer
Another similarity is both the SAT writing and language section and the ACT English section have an answer choice where we have a no change answer.
4. Grammar questions
There are grammar topics in both sections of the test. There are questions about modifying clauses, pronouns, nouns, verbs, and adjectives, as do questions about commas, semicolons, colons, dashes, etc.
5. Rhetorical based questions
When you start to see a question forming should the author add this or should the author delete this, these kinds of questions, that is when you actually have to answer based on what the question is asking.
Differences
1. Timing
The standard time for the SAT is 35 minutes for this section, also you have only 44 questions. On the ACT, you have 45 minutes, more time, but you also have 75 questions, almost double that of the SAT.
2. Proportion of questions
Another thing to keep in mind is the proportion of questions. If you’re looking at 75 questions for the ACTT English section, you can expect a lot of question types to be asked, and there’s a good amount of quantity for each one. On the SAT, however, since you have fewer questions, there are not as many of each style.
3. Physical location
On the ACT, the English section is the very first section. However, on the SAT, it’s actually the second section of the test following the reading section.
4. Scale score
The fourth difference is the scale and the score. With the ACT, each section score, including English, is ranked out of 36. This score is combined with a composite, creating your average test score. The difference between the SAT and the ACT is that the writing language is combined with the reading to create what is known as your critical reading and writing score.
5. Unique questions
There are certain unique questions to both the ACT and SAT. A few question types from the ACT are sentence combination questions and the author’s purpose. As for the SAT, we find a lot more questions about effectively combining sentences and infographic questions.
What is your biggest takeaway from this vlog about SAT vs ACT Grammar? Do you have any questions for Alexis?
Post your tips/comments below.