Should I take the SAT or ACT in 2026?

The SAT vs ACT decision used to be straightforward: pick the test that matches your content preferences. In 2026, the choice is more nuanced. Both exams have undergone significant redesigns, testing policies have bifurcated across colleges, and the strategic calculus has shifted.

Two major shifts have reshaped the testing landscape:

Test Format Evolution: The SAT is now a digital, multistage-adaptive exam administered on testing devices, while the ACT has rolled out an "enhanced" format with optional Science and a revised Composite calculation. These aren't minor updates, they fundamentally change the test-day experience.

Policy Bifurcation: While over 2,000 U.S. institutions remain test-optional or test-free, many highly selective colleges have reinstated testing requirements. Stanford, Yale, Penn, MIT, Brown, Dartmouth, Princeton, and Harvard all require or accept SAT/ACT scores with equity- and validity-based rationales for why standardized testing matters.

The result? Students are choosing between two very different experiences, and the stakes depend heavily on where you're applying.

Official Test Structures: SAT vs ACT Side-by-Side

The Digital SAT (College Board)

Format: Two sections, Reading and Writing (combined), and Math, delivered digitally with multistage-adaptive modules
Timing: 2 hours 14 minutes total (64 minutes Reading/Writing; 70 minutes Math; 10-minute break)
Question Count: 98 total questions (54 Reading/Writing; 44 Math)
Key Digital Rule: Once you leave a module, you cannot return to it
Scoring: 400–1600 total score (200–800 per section)
Adaptiveness: The second module in each section adapts based on your performance in the first module

The Enhanced ACT (ACT Education Corp.)

Format: Three core sections (English, Math, Reading) with optional Science and Writing add-ons. Linear, non-adaptive design
Core Timing: 2 hours 5 minutes (35 min English, 50 questions; 50 min Math, 45 questions; 40 min Reading, 36 questions)
Optional Sections: Science (40 min, 40 questions); Writing (40 min, 1 essay)
Total Questions (Core): 131 questions across three sections
Scoring: 1–36 per section and Composite. Under the enhanced format, the Composite is calculated using only English, Math, and Reading (Science is reported separately if taken)

What Each Test Actually Measures

Reading and Writing

SAT: Short passages or passage pairs with one multiple-choice question per passage. Questions are organized into four domains: Craft and Structure, Information and Ideas, Standard English Conventions, and Expression of Ideas. The experience is rapid context-switching, you're constantly moving between brief texts.

ACT: Traditional longer passages with multiple questions per passage. Reading includes paired passages with questions drawing on both texts. The experience rewards sustained focus and the ability to mine details across multiple questions from the same source.

Practical Implication: If you excel at quick comprehension shifts and prefer variety, the SAT's "one passage → one question" rhythm may suit you. If you prefer settling into a longer text and systematically working through it, ACT Reading may feel more natural.

Math

SAT Math: Organized around four categories, Algebra, Advanced Math, Problem-Solving and Data Analysis, Geometry and Trigonometry. About 75% of questions are multiple-choice; the remainder are student-produced responses where you enter the answer directly (no guessing from options). Calculators are allowed throughout both Math modules, with an embedded Desmos graphing calculator available.

ACT Math: Categories include Preparing for Higher Math, Integrating Essential Skills, and Modeling. All questions are multiple-choice. Calculators are allowed only on the Math test, and you must bring your own permitted device.

The Science Question: It's Complicated

Historically, ACT's Science section was a defining difference. Now it's optional, but that doesn't mean you should automatically skip it.

ACT's official position: Science is optional but may be useful for STEM applications, and "some colleges may require or prefer it." The section emphasizes interpretation, analysis, evaluation, reasoning, and problem-solving in natural science contexts.

Our recommendation for STEM-focused students: Treat Science as a strategic lever. If you're strong in data interpretation and scientific reasoning, Science can differentiate you. If you're weak, the risk-reward calculus changes. Check your specific target colleges and programs, many elite schools explicitly state ACT Science is optional for admissions (Stanford, Yale, Penn, MIT all confirm this), but individual STEM programs may view it differently.

College Testing Policies: The 2026 Landscape

Test-Required Selective Institutions

These highly selective universities require or accept SAT/ACT scores: Stanford, Yale, Penn, MIT, Brown, Dartmouth, Princeton, Harvard all require SAT or ACT (with limited alternatives in exceptional access cases).

Unanimous position on SAT vs ACT: Every one of these institutions states explicitly that they have no preference between SAT and ACT. The tests are treated as equivalent options.

Key quotes from admissions offices:

Stanford: "Does not have a preferred exam (ACT vs. SAT)"
Yale: Officers "do not prefer one type of test over another"
Penn: "No preference is given to the SAT or the ACT"
Princeton: "No preference for one over the other"

On optional sections: Most explicitly state ACT Science and Writing are optional. MIT's policy is typical: "Does not require ACT Writing or Science."

Test-Optional and Test-Blind Schools

Test-optional: Over 2,000 bachelor's-degree-granting institutions maintain test-optional policies, including Northwestern and UChicago among selective schools. These institutions accept scores but don't require them.

Test-blind/test-free: Some systems don't consider scores at all. The University of California states it does not consider SAT/ACT scores for admissions or scholarships (though submitted scores may be used for placement).

How to Choose Between SAT and ACT: A Strategic Framework
Step 1: Start with Policy, Not Preference
Before considering test content, sort your target colleges into buckets:

Test-required: You must submit qualifying scores (Stanford, MIT, Harvard, Yale, etc.)
Test-optional: Scores can help but aren't mandatory (thousands of institutions)
Test-blind: Scores won't be used in admissions (UC system, etc.)

If your list includes test-required schools, you're definitely testing, the question is which exam gives you the best advantage.

Step 2: Diagnose Using Current Formats
Both exams have changed significantly. You must diagnose using 2026 versions. For SAT, use official Bluebook practice tests. For ACT, use official ACT prep materials under enhanced timing.

Step 3: Focus on High-Signal Differences
After taking diagnostic tests, evaluate these factors:

Reading style: Rapid switching between brief texts (SAT) vs. sustained focus on longer passages (ACT)

Pacing tolerance: SAT Reading/Writing is ~71 seconds per question; ACT English is 42 seconds per question, ACT remains more speed-intensive

Science reasoning: Strong in data interpretation? Consider ACT with Science

Math calculator dependence: SAT allows calculators throughout (including embedded Desmos); ACT allows calculators only on Math

Question format preferences: SAT includes ~25% student-produced response (grid-in) questions in Math; ACT is entirely multiple-choice

Step 4: Interpret Results Using Percentiles and Concordance
Because the tests use different scales, compare performance using percentiles, not raw scores.

Bottom Line: SAT vs ACT Is About Fit and Strategy, Not Prestige

No test is "better" in admissions. Stanford, MIT, Harvard, Yale, Penn, all state explicitly they have no preference. What matters is maximizing your performance on the test that plays to your strengths.
The decision requires:

Understanding current test formats (both have changed)
Knowing your target schools' policies
Diagnosing your performance honestly
Preparing strategically for the exam where you can score highest