What Does Your ACT/SAT Score Actually Mean?

We all realize having a high score on either standardized exam, the ACT or SAT, will result in a better chance of the student getting into the college of their choice. In addition, it could help them land a scholarship of some sort to assist them in paying for college expenses. However, what does the score mean in relation to education? Most graduating high school students will try their best to achieve high markings on either test, so it is a good idea to understand exactly what the test is measuring for.

College Readiness

College admission boards analyze the test scores to help determine each student’s college readiness. For instance, is the student ready to take on a full load of college courses? Will they be able to handle the classes and earn high grades? Of course, they aren’t just looking at your SAT/ACT score, but also your overall grades in high school to figure out the answers to these questions.

Predict Future Academic Success

Standardized exams are administered every single year a student is in school in one form or another starting in early elementary. The SAT and ACT are two of the last ones a student will take before they graduate from high school and they are meant to predict future academic success. Colleges are not interested in accepting students into their higher learning if these students are just going to eventually flunk out down the road. After all, this would reflect poorly on them as well and their graduation rates.

The ACT and SAT

It has been said for the last few decades that the ACT differs from the SAT because it was constructed to measure what a student already knows. The material on the test are questions that students should be able to answer based on what they have learned during their high school years.

On the other hand, the SAT is said to determine what a student is capable of down the road. This means that while their high school grades may not have been as strong, a good SAT score will demonstrate what their possible potential is. The material on the SAT is over things that many students have not learned in high school, so getting questions correct on the SAT will show promise. The SAT will measure critical thinking skills more than the ACT should.

Improve Your Scores on Either the ACT or SAT

While you now know what both tests are measuring, this does not mean that you have to just accept a low score on either one. Through the right tutoring and possibly taking the test multiple times, you can count on your score improving. This would be extremely beneficial when the college admissions board is considering you to join their school as they look at your performance up to this point in education.

Luckily, iAchieve has just the tutors you need to increase your test performance. Our tutors specialize in both the ACT and SAT and take pride in helping high school students perform to the best of their ability. As students prepare further for their education and a career in the future, achieving a high score on either exam could be just the beginning of the rest of their lives.

Related Articles

6 Tips for Acing the ACT or SAT Assessment

Tricks and Tips to Achieve a High Score on the ACT/SAT

How to Decide Which Test to Take: The ACT or SAT?