One major logistical difference between the SAT and ACT is the ability to cancel scores. The SAT only provides a one-week window after students take the test for them to cancel their scores, but takes two to three weeks to release test scores. This means that students would cancel scores based on how they think they did on the test.

On the other hand, the ACT allows students to cancel their scores at any time, including after scores are released. This lack of permanence, combined with the options of SuperScore and, now, test optional colleges and universities, lessens the pressure of high performance. And while the lessened pressure can also be lessened stress on students, on the test prep point of view, a lack of pressure can equate to less motivation.

Instead of the idea that they must do well on their next ACT test date, students can think, “If I don’t do well on this test, I can just take the next one. And if I don’t do well on that test, too, I can just not submit my scores on my college application.” On a classroom management standpoint, this lack of pressure often appears first in the form of inconsistent attendance.

Of course, we don’t stand by scare tactics and paralyzing pressure. But students, as well as adults, often need the pressure of an impending deadline or the college/university goal to motivate them to strive for better.

A super obvious difference between the SAT and ACT lies in their scales. The Math and English sections of the SAT are graded on a scale from 200 to 800, combining into a composite score between 400 and 1600.

Each of the four sections of the ACT, on the other hand, are graded on a scale of 1 to 36, and the sections are averaged for a composite score that is also between 1 and 36. Because of this difference in scale, students don’t see their improvements quantified in their score as frequently on the ACT.

So if a student’s composite SAT score goes from a 1450 to 1490, which would be considered a considerable jump in score, their equivalent composite ACT score would stay at a 33, which, on a numerical scale, does not show the improvement that they’ve made throughout that time. This illusion of stagnation can often demotivate students, as they may seem stuck at a single score or increase in score very slowly, despite their continued efforts.

Thus, ACT Prep requires resilience and patience. It requires students to resist discouragement, as well as a critical eye to read their score reports thoroughly and identify points of improvement, even if they don’t appear as large score improvements.

Especially because students may often find themselves with the same ACT score over a prolonged period of time, the test prep and practice that they need will often feel highly repetitive. While the composite ACT score moves very slowly, the section-by-section scores on the ACT show that every question counts a great deal. As scores get higher, the stakes for each question get larger. The difference between a 33 and a 34, a 34 and a 35, and eventually a 35 and a 36, is one question.

But that one question is what keeps most students focused – because they know that one question could make a difference in the college or university that they will go to.

Scary, yes. But with applicant pools getting larger and acceptance rates going down every year, we cannot afford that one question.

So, to eliminate that difference, we practice. And practice, and practice.