Students should start their test prep by taking both a mock ACT and digital SAT. The student’s performance and comfort on that diagnostic exam will then guide their choice of which test to ultimately prepare for the most—but preparing for one test also prepares them for the other.

Whether your child should take the SAT or the ACT is purely a matter of preference. With about 1.3 million students taking either tests every year, both are equally accepted nationwide. The SAT is more popular in Houston just because of historical preference, and Houston ISD pays for every junior to take the SAT because College Board won the contract (conversely ACT won the contract in North Carolina for example). Click here to see which state governments sold out to College Board (SAT) and which ones got bought by ACT.

Both the Digital SAT (2024) and Enhanced ACT (2025) are relatively new and an hour shorter than the versions parents took. Furthermore:

  • Digital SAT passages are only a few sentences versus more than 700 words for the ACT.
  • The Enhanced ACT is offered both online and in paper