ACT and SAT General Information

The ACT or SAT is required by most colleges and universities as part of the process of applying for admission. Your test scores help compare you to other students across the country who have also taken the same test. Your results provide one way for colleges to measure your potential for college success.

Test Dates
Click on link below for ACT and SAT test dates, registration deadlines, fees, and contact information:
ACT National Test Dates
SAT National Test Dates

ESF Test Preparation
ESF offers several means of assisting students prepare for tests. Click on a topic of interest:
Free ACT Prep Workshops
ACT/SAT/PSAT Prep in the College Planning Centers

Frequently Asked Questions
Click on a question for a quick answer:
What is the ACT?
What is the SAT?
How are the test scores used?
How are the tests scored?
Find out more at ACT Frequently Asked Questions

What is the ACT?

The ACT is a test that measures your achievement in several academic subjects. It is not an intelligence or aptitude test, and it doesn't test your memory. It measures abilities that you have developed over time, throughout years of academic preparation, and it tests your problem-solving skills.

The ACT is required by many colleges and universities as part of the process of applying for admission. Your test scores help compare you to other students across the country who have also taken the ACT. Your results on the assessment are one way colleges can tell how well you will be able to do in college. The ACT can also help you determine appropriate career choices and educational options.

What is the SAT?

The SAT is another assessment test used in the college admissions process. It measures your verbal and mathematical reasoning ability. It does not cover reading and science skills like the ACT Test.

The SAT verbal section includes analogies and sentence completions, which are not included on the ACT test. The SAT math section also includes several questions that are not multiple choice; students must calculate their answer and fill it into a number grid.

Whether you take the ACT or SAT depends on which colleges and universities you are interested in attending. Almost all colleges require standardized test scores, but you may submit scores from the ACT or the SAT. Some schools prefer one test over the other; you should check the admissions requirements for specific schools to see which one they require.

How are the test scores used?

Both high schools and colleges use the results of the ACT and SAT.

High schools use test results in academic advising and counseling. They also use results in:

• evaluating the effectiveness of instruction
• identifying students who need special help with certain subject areas or academic skills
• planning changes and improvements in the curriculum

Colleges use test results in a variety of ways:

• Admission decisions - ACT or SAT test results, high school grades, academic preparation, out-of-class accomplishments, special interests, and future plans—these and other kinds of information help admission officials identify applicants who can benefit most from their programs.
• Course placement - Colleges usually try to take into account individual strengths and weaknesses as they place students in freshman-year courses. For example, a college may offer three sections of a subject—developmental, regular, and advanced. A student's test results, academic background, and high school grades might be used to determine which section would be most appropriate.
• Academic advising - College academic advisers may consider ACT or SAT results, high school academic program, high school grades, college grade estimates, planned extracurricular activities, areas in which there is a need for help, and part-time employment plans to help a student tailor an appropriate program of study.
• Scholarships and loans - Some scholarship and loan agencies may use ACT or SAT test results and grade predictions, with other information such as high school grades, to identify qualified candidates. However, the agencies may not look only at academic potential. The ACT or SAT score report provides information about a student's educational needs, extracurricular achievements, and educational plans. This information, along with high school grades and test scores, helps the agencies evaluate applications for scholarships, loans, and other financial assistance.

How are the tests scored?

Your score on the ACT is more than just the number of questions you answered correctly. Your "raw" scores on each test section are turned into "scaled" scores ranging from 1 to 36. You will get one score for each of the four test sections, and a composite score for the entire test. On some sections, your score report will have subscores, which you can use to see how well you did on the specific components of each test, for instance, algebra questions compared to geometry questions.

Nationally, most students score between 17 and 23 on the ACT. In Mississippi, the average score is between 18 and 19.

In addition to your composite score, your score report will also have a percentile rank listed. This percentage compares you to all the other people in the country who have taken the ACT, and lets you know how you did compared to them.

The SAT is scored out of 800 points on the two sections, giving you a maximum score of 1600. The SAT test has a penalty for guessing, unlike the ACT.

If you have any questions about planning and financing a college education or selecting a career, please call 800.986.4322 (toll-free) or email us at collegeplanning@esfweb.com. If you wish to visit a College Planning Center, please call for an appointment to ensure that a counselor is available.