ACT vs SAT - Difference and Comparison
Deciding Between the SAT and ACT Across the U.S., the ACT is more common, with the SAT often being preferred — or taken alongside the ACT — in most coastal states. The ACT is popular across the U.S., while the SAT is most popular in coastal states. Regardless of a student's location, most colleges use standardized tests as just one part of the admissions process and therefore have no strong preference for the ACT or SAT, only minimum score requirements on one or the other.