SAT vs ACT Essay
SAT vs ACT Essay
The importance of the Essay writing skill:
The skill of writing is a very crucial part in someone’s life. It is the way of expressing one’s thoughts and ideas. This is the reason it in important in the life of every student and professional regardless of their field of specialization.
In both SAT and ACT, essay writing is an optional part. But there are several colleges that take these marks into consideration because of the intellectual value of this skill. The essays required in both these tests are different in many aspects. In this article, we will know more about various requirements in this section of the exams and the minute differences that make the sections different in the two exams.
The two essays in these two exams vary in different features. The time provided, the points provided, the analysis and outside knowledge required and the complexity of the topics are different in the tests. Below, we are discussing the features of the two tests in details.
Example of the types essays expected in SAT and ACT:
As we have discussed before, the SAT essay demands high analysis and the ability to search for important information in a given passage. It is like re-developing a pre-written historical incident. One has to explain the incidents based on the proofs and witnesses available to them. It takes the ability to analyze every proof and deeply understand the root of the incident. To give it a complete shape, one has to describe every layer of the story, from it’s origin to it’s superficial surface. And there is always a chance to be wrong as there is a right answer present and the examinee has to achieve that through their researching ability. This can be harder than it sounds and it is always recommended to seek expert guidance while preparing for SAT. If you too want to be completely ready before sitting in that exam, contact us for the best SAT coaching in Gurgaon.
THE AMOUNT OF TIME PROVIDED IN EACH TEST:
The time provided in SAT and ACT exams are 50 minutes and 40 minutes respectively. Even though the time allotted in SAT is more, the length of the essay is also more than the essay in ACT. The ACT essay needs to be written in 250-300 words but the SAT essay’s word limit is 650-800 words.
So, even though the time is more, the length of the essay is a contributing factor in the time management in each test. The SAT and ACT essays both need a fair amount of reading. So, time management is the game changer in these tests. To understand the best ways to manage time SAT and ACT coaching centers help a lot. We are the best SAT coaching in Gurgaon and the best ACT institution in Gurgaon, too. Contact us to enroll yourself for the course.
THE PROMPT FOR SAT AND ACT ESSAY:
The prompts provided in both tests have very different features and the requirements also vary for the tests.
In SAT, one is provided with a piece that has an established argument. The examinee needs to thoroughly read and understand the passage first. Then the examinee has to describe the thought process of the author of the piece in accordance with the given passage. He/she has to take parts of the passage as evidence to describe how the author established the argument. It takes a fair amount of analysis and the ability to stand in someone else’s shoes while describing their point of view. To obtain such analytical skill you can contact us for best SAT coaching in Gurgaon.
On the other hand, in the ACT essay, the passage given has different perspectives. The examinee has to thoroughly read and understand the perspectives, analyze them and develop their own perspective based on that conclusion. The essay should also contain the relation between the perspective of the examinee and the given individual perspectives. To help you with the preparation of that, we have the best institute for ACT in Gurgaon. Contact us to enroll yourself for the preparatory course today.
Analysis and outside knowledge:
Different types of writings require different skills. The SAT essay demands a deep analytical thinking where you can think from the author’s perspective. Authors are generally great with words and metaphors and it is really complicated to interpret the true meaning. In SAT if you can’t interpret the true meaning, you will be considered as wrong.
On the other hand, in ACT there is no question of being correct or incorrect. You have to develop your own perspective for the essay. But one needs fair amount of outside knowledge to describe and establish the perspective with examples.
The ACT essay on the other hand requires a very different approach. You can neither be completely right nor be completely wrong. As the essay tests your outer knowledge and your ability to form your very own perspective by judging both sides of a story. It can be best explained by the example of a half filled glass of water. Some say it’s half filled, some say it’s half empty. The ideal answer for this would depend on the point of view of the writer. One has to understand the meaning and roots of optimism and pessimism and come up with a point of view that is neither optimistic nor pessimistic. As long as you stick to the truthfulness and integrity of the given statement you can never be wrong. And that is what makes this test tricky. As you cannot be wrong, only being right is not enough. You have to obtain the ability to come up with the most suited point of view and explain it in the best set of statements you can think of. As the essay only allows you 250-300 words, you need to be precise and objective. We always recommend good guidance to prepare for the test. If you are planning to give the ACT test soon, contact us to enroll yourself in the best ACT Institute in Gurgaon.
This diversity makes both essays complex in different ways. One needs to look deep within to understand their strengths and weaknesses to understand which test is suitable for them.
The following chart outlines the major differences between the ACT and SAT essay:
The most important point of difference between the SAT and ACT essay prompt is that the SAT essay tests for whether a student understands how an argument works, whereas the ACT essay prompt asks for the student to make an argument. It’s important that students understand this crucial difference, especially those choosing between the SAT and ACT tests. Each prompt presents its own particular challenges and difficulties, and it’s important that the student know what is expected of their writing to achieve the best score possible.
While the essay on both the ACT and SAT is now optional, many colleges still require a writing score as part of the college application. Preparing for the ACT or SAT essay can be daunting, however, with proper tutoring and guidance, students can achieve strong writing scores that will only help enhance their college applications.
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