Whether you are an interested parent or prospective student, there have been many changes to the SAT and ACT tests, so it can be difficult to keep track of it all. As the ACT and SAT Director for Oxford Tutoring, I want to break it down the differences between the ACT and SAT math sections to help you determine which test is right for you.

1. ACT vs. SAT
MATH SECTIONS
NUMBER OF QUESTIONS
60 58
MATH TOPICS COVERED
Pre-Alg: 15-20%
Alg. 1 : 20-25%
Geometry: 20-25%
Alg. 2: 20-25%
Stats: 5-10%
Trig: 5-10%
Alg. 1: 33%
Alg. 2: 26%
Stats/Pre Alg: 31%
Geometry &
Complex: 10%
TIMING
1 section -
60 minutes
2 sections -
1st: 20 questions in
20 minutes
2nd: 38 questions in
55 minutes
CALCULATOR USAGE
Allowed Allowed only for the
2nd section
ANSWER OPTIONS
5 multiple choice 4 multiple choice or
free response
OXFORD TUTORING
FORMULAS
None provided A few provided
GOOD FOR
Those with a diverse
math background.
Strong analytical
thinkers