Both the ACT and the SAT have been redesigned, which means the old advice your family may have heard no longer applies. The good news: choosing between them is simpler than it looks once you know how they now differ.

Here's the parent-friendly comparison.

They're both new tests now The SAT is fully digital and adaptive — it adjusts difficulty based on how your student answers, and it's taken on a computer, scored on the familiar 1600 scale. The Enhanced ACT is shorter than it used to be, offered on paper or computer, keeps its 1-36 scale, and makes Science optional. Two redesigns, two different feels.

The practical differences that matter - Format: ACT is linear (every student sees the same questions); the digital SAT is adaptive (the second section adjusts to performance). Some students find linear tests less stressful; others like adaptive. - Science: Only the ACT has a Science section, and it's optional. Students strong in data and graphs may like showcasing it; others appreciate skipping it. - Pacing: The Enhanced ACT gives more time per question than the old ACT. Both tests are less of a speed race than their older versions. - Paper option: The ACT still offers paper testing. The SAT is digital only. For a student who prefers working on paper, that alone can decide it.

Do colleges prefer one over the other? No. Colleges accept both equally and state no preference. This is worth repeating because it's the single most common worry parents have: your student will not be penalized for choosing one test over the other. Pick the test that fits how they think.

The fastest way to choose: have your student take one timed, official practice section of each under realistic conditions. Whichever one feels more natural — and produces the stronger relative score — is usually the right test. Strengths beat guesswork every time.

A simple way to decide - Prefers paper, likes science/data, wants a shorter test → lean ACT. - Comfortable on a computer, likes an adaptive format → lean SAT. - Genuinely unsure → take a diagnostic of each and let the scores talk.

And once the choice is made, commit. A student who focuses on mastering one test almost always outperforms a student who splits energy across both.

There's no "better" test — only the better test for your student.

Test formats and policies evolve. Confirm current details at act.org and on the College Board's official SAT pages before deciding.