As I’m taking some time to gather my thoughts before the beginning of the next admissions cycle, I’m reminded of all the changes happening in the field. Changes with the new SAT this year have prompted students to consider taking the ACT instead. Last spring, I attended the Sudbury Educational Resource Fund’s annual college fair and became more informed about the differences between the two exams. The SAT is more like an IQ test consisting of tricky test-type questions. The ACT is more like the tests that you take in school and contains a science section. Since both exams are accepted by colleges and universities, which one is the best one for you? Many test preparation companies offer free practice tests and/or can provide analytics letting you know which test is better suited to you. In some cases, students may take both exams and decide later which one to use as part of their application strategy.  Then in other cases, students may be applying to test optional schools which means that no test scores, neither the SAT nor ACT, are required.   What makes perfect sense for one student may not be the case for another.