National Trends Show More Students Taking ACT Over SAT

The ACT  tests have started to win a national popularity test. According to a blog on the Washington Post, it has overtaken the SAT as the most popular college admissions exam in the United States.

A report information from FairTest showed that in 2012, the ACT has finally surpassed the more traditional SAT exams.

2011: 1,623,112 took the ACT; 1,647,123* took the SAT

2012: 1,666,017 took the ACT; 1,664,479* took the SAT

(* Once it saw that the number of ACT-takers had grown larger, based on a historically consistent measure, the College Board revised the 2010 SAT total upward by including more exam administrations, a practice it continued in 2011 and 2012.)

However, in Lower Providence Township, students aren’t trending in the same direction. Here, in the Methacton School District (MSD), the SAT exams are still the dominant test.

In 2010, students in MSD took far more SAT exams than ACT exams. According to reports from the Pennsylvania Department of Education, in 2010, 365 students took the SATs, while only 91 took the ACT exam.

In 2011, just one school-year later, the report shows that 381 MSD students took the SATs, while only 110 took ACT.

While the ACT exams are marginally tracking upward (i.e., more Methacton students are taking the exam), the number is nowhere near surpassing the SAT figures, as they did nationally.

In a report from the MSD, which was presented to the district’s juniors and their parents last year, as they prepared to look at colleges, both the SAT and ACT exams were explained.

“SATs are 140 questions, taking three hours and five minutes in length,” said the presentation. “The test reviews Critical Reading, Math and Writing.”

They also explained the ACT.

“ACT evaluates overall educational development with four, multiple-choice subject tests including English, math, reading and science,” said the presentation slides. “It takes two hours and 55 minutes to do the 215 questions.”

The district recommends students find out more about the particular colleges' applications when trying to determine which is right for them. When in doubt, students may take both to be prepared for the college application process.