考 SAT 還是 ACT？這是個問題.....又該如何規劃考試時間呢？

如果你在上高中并且打算申請大學那么你可能需要參加很多

Standardized Tests

像是SAT、ACT、AP測試，SAT專項測試等

首先來談談SAT和ACT的區別

ACT與SAT都是美國高考，是美國大學錄取及獎學金發放的必要條件。兩者考試的側重點各有不同。

ACT側重于考查學生在學校中所學的知識，與高中課程的關聯程度較高，更加適合中國高中生的考試特點。而SAT考試側重考查學生的邏輯推理能力和語言運用能力，對學生的批判性思維能力要求較高，對于出生在中國大陸，經歷了典型的中國式教育的學生來說，難度太大。

ACT考試科目包括英語、閱讀、數學、科學。2文2理，SAT考試科目包括英語、寫作、數學。2文1理，ACT比SAT多了一門理科，對中國學生而言就多了一門抓分的科目。

在決定考SAT還是ACT?前先問自己幾個問題：

你是否學過代數2？

你的微積分學的好嗎？

你的詞匯量有多大？

本文為Dyad導師Trevor King原創文章，轉載請注明。 Vocabulary &?Algebra 2如 何 選 擇SAT對詞匯的要求相當廣泛，但ACT則沒有，你如果學過微積分，那你則更適合考ACT 。反之，你如果對詞匯量的自信超過數學，那么選擇SAT吧。因為它只考察代數2的基本概念，并不像ACT 還考察三角學和微積分的內容。此外，SAT會給出所有你可能需要的幾何公式，ACT則要求你熟背它們。學生們通常更喜歡ACT，因為它的問題更直接，明確，只要你能抓緊時間完成它。

The most important factors to consider when deciding whether to prepare for the SAT or the ACT are whether you've taken Algebra 2 or Pre-calculus and how expansive your vocabulary is. The SAT tests vocabulary fairly extensively, the ACT does not. If you 've taken Pre-calculus, the ACT might be for you. Otherwise, I recommend sticking with the SAT as the Math sections only test concepts learned through Algebra 2. The content tested on the ACT Math section is more advanced than content on the SAT because it includes Trigonometry and Pre-calculus concepts. Furthermore, the SAT gives you all the geometric formulas you might need, but you need to have them memorized for the ACT. Students generally prefer the ACT over the SAT because it's more straightforward (the SAT is pretty tricky), although the ACT is more of a speed test.

有 何 不 同

Reading section

在閱讀理解方面，ACT要比SAT容易一些，因為他的選項內容基本上直接是原文中的說法，而SAT則是在選項中對原文句子做出解釋，要求答題者需要對文章內容有更深的理解。但ACT提問的順序和有關原文在文章中出現的順序是不一致的，這點上不如SAT的線性順序查找起來方便。

The ACT Reading section contains easier questions and answers than the SAT Critical Reading section because the correct answer more exactly matches the wording of the text in the passage. The correct SAT Critical Reading answer choice may at most paraphrase the passage. While the ACT questions are generally easier than SAT questions, the order of the questions is more scrambled. On the SAT, the specific questions (ie those that refer to a specific word, line number, or paragraph) generally correlate to the passage in a linear fashion.

Science sectionACT的Science section基本上是一道送分題，你只需根據問題定位到相關的列和行就好，不需要太多的聯系自身進行聯想。它只考察一個人基本的認知能力（即從研究，圖表，數字中分析和理解新知識的能力）。

The ACT Science section is basically a glorified Reading section-doing well comes down to locating the correct columns and rows. You hardly have to bring any crystallized knowledge to the ACT Science section-it's mostly testing your fluid intelligence (ie your ability to analyze and interpret novel scientific information in the form of studies, charts, figures, and graphs).

SupercoreACT的最大缺點是，不能像SAT那樣承認Supercore，即無論你何時取得成績，只取每個獨立部分的最好分數。但如今，也有很多大學和高中開始接受ACT的Supercore了。

The real downside to the ACT is that you can't take your Superscore like you can on the SAT. Superscoring is just taking your best performance on each individual section, regardless of the date on which you achieved that score. Although, apparently some colleges and universities have begun Superscoring the ACT as well.

當你確定了要考的科目后那根據考試時間

我們何時開始準備或參加這些考試呢

由于需要參加的標準化測試實在太多，因此，規劃好何時開始準備以及何時參加測試就顯得尤為重要

一般的學生會參加3次的SAT/ACT測試，當然，參加5次也是可以的。你每年只有一次參加AP測試的機會，而專項測試卻可以參加1－2次。

If you’re in high school and plan to apply to college, chances are you’re taking a lot of standardized tests. There’s the SAT, ACT, AP tests, SAT Subject tests—the list seems to go on and on! Because there are so many standardized tests to take, it’s important to plan out when you’re going to prepare for and officially take these tests. The average student takes the SAT/ACT three times, but it’s fine to take it five times. You only get the opportunity to take AP tests once a year, and it’s okay to take Subject tests once or twice.

建議在上高二（11年級）前的暑假開始著手準備SAT或ACT測試。

I recommend preparing for the SAT or ACT the summer before junior year (11thgrade).

大學并不關心你所提交的是哪種考試成績，但大多數學校會要求提交至少一種考試的成績。一些大學曾免除了ACT考生的SAT專項測試，因為ACT覆蓋了更多的科目，但現在已不是這樣。SAT測試由三個不同部分組成:批判性閱讀、數學和寫作。而ACT測試則包含四個部分:英語、數學、閱讀、科學和可選的第五個寫作部分(不過，你確實該選擇寫作部分)。

Colleges don’t care which test you submit, but most require one or the other. Some colleges used to exempt ACT test-takers from submitting any SAT Subject tests because the ACT ostensibly seems to cover more subjects, but that’s no longer the case. The SAT consists of three different sections: Critical Reading, Math, and Writing. The ACT has four sections: English, Math, Reading, Science, and an optional fifth Writing section (however, you should definitely opt to take the Writing portion of the ACT).

若你在高二前的暑假已做好了充分的準備，應該就能在那個秋季或是早冬解決SAT或是ACT測試的相關事宜。

If you prepare well the summer before junior year, you should be able to get the SAT or ACT out of the way that fall or early that winter.每年的10月、1月和5月里，測試服務才會提供詳盡的回答

（包括測試手冊、你的答案選項以及正確答案）希望你能在5月之前完成SAT測試，這樣春季時你就可以集中精力準備AP測試了。

如果沒有，建議你參加6月份的SAT專項測試，最好是選擇參加你所擅長的或是AP課程中所學的科目來進行測試。AP課程會為你參加專項測試打下堅實基礎因為二者的測試卷都是由同一家公司——美國大學理事會設計的。

I recommend three main dates for the SAT because the testing service only offers the full Question & Answer Service (which provides you with the test booklet, your answer choices, and the correct answers) on those dates: October, January, and May. Hopefully, you’ll be done with the SAT by May though, so that you may focus on AP tests in the spring. I recommend taking SAT Subject tests on the June date, preferably in subjects in which you were in the honors or AP class. AP Classes prepare you very well for Subject tests because the same company (College Board) designs both tests; however, definitely make sure to take some practice SAT Subject tests before you go in for the real thing too