How To Pick The Best Course Load For The SAT & ACT

The SAT and ACT exams are a “right of passage” when it comes to high school. The score on either test (you only have to choose one exam) is an integral component of the college application process along with a student’s high school GPA, letters of recommendation, and the entrance essay. Due to the important role of the SAT/ACT, it is at the forefront of any student’s mind, usually during junior year, who wishes to pursue higher education. These exams are also on the mind of every parent that has to “gently” (I use that term loosely) guide their child through the test-taking journey.

The key to success on the SAT or ACT is to prepare your child slowly throughout their high school career.

Taking the right types of classes in grades 9-11 significantly helps.

Essentially, “studying” over the span of three years so that the test isn’t such a life-changing event. Before we can discuss what a high school course load should look like to prepare for the SAT or the ACT, let’s break down the exams and compare each section. Below is a comprehensive breakdown of what is tested on each exam based on content, test structure, and timing restraints.

	SAT	ACT
Total time (with Essay)	3 hours 50 minutes	3 hours 35 minutes
Evidence-Based Reading	52 multiple-choice questions 65 minutes Passages are based on literature, historical documents, social sciences, and natural sciences Vocabulary in context and understanding charts/graphs Identifying evidence from the passage to support answer	40 multiple-choice questions 35 minutes 4 sections (either 1 long passage or 2 shorter, paired passages) with 10 multiple-choice questions Reading comprehension of what is directly stated or implied Prose fiction, literary narrative, Social Science, Humanities, and natural science are the main topics
Writing and Language Arts	44 multiple-choice questions 35 minutes Grammar, vocabulary in context, and editing skills 4 passages total with at least 1 containing a graphic like chart	75 multiple-choice questions 45 minutes Questions based on grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, correct verb tenses and forms, pronouns, and rhetorical skills
Math	58 multiple-choice questions 80 minutes 20 questions with No-Calculator (25 minutes) 38 questions with Calculator (55 minutes) Algebra I and II, geometry, and some trigonometry Linear equations, system, graphs, problem-solving and data analysis, manipulation of equations	60 multiple-choice questions 60 minutes Pre-algebra, elementary algebra, Algebra 1 & 2, geometry, and trigonometry
Essay (optional)	1 essay 50 minutes Read a passage and explain how the author builds a persuasive argument	1 essay – 40 minutes Plan, write and edit an essay in response to one writing prompt Take a position and defend it, address all perspectives, and explain relationships between perspectives
Science	No science element	40 multiple-choice questions 35 minutes Graphs, charts, tables and research summaries Interpretation, analysis, evaluation, reasoning, and problem solving Biology, Chemistry, Earth/space sciences, Physics

As you can see, the exams have many similarities when dealing with format and content. The major differences between the two exams pertaining to timing (amount of time on each section) and the ACT has a science element. Now, we can move on to what course load your child should take their freshman to junior year of high school to be successful on these two assessments.

English Language Arts

English classes (usually offered in 9th and 10th grade) that focus on:

Reading comprehension
Vocabulary development
Literary devices
Grammar and punctuation
Rhetorical skills (decisions made about logic, order, coherence, and unity in writing)

Reading Comprehension

English and Language Arts classes that focus on writing a comprehensive book report while also touching on:

Reading challenging texts
Developing complex vocabulary
Writing logical and cohesive reports (Rhetorical skills)

Math

Math classes that teach concepts such as:

Pre-Algebra
Algebra ( I and II)
Geometry (I and II)

While it is not critical to take Trigonometry and Calculus for the SAT/ACT, it would benefit your child to know some basic concepts, ratios, and equations from those mathematical topics to be better prepared for the exam.

It is important to also note, some of these math classes are offered in grades 7-12. Studying for the SAT/ACT can begin as early as 8th grade Pre-Algebra.

Science (ACT only)

Classes that focus on Biology and Chemistry where the focus is also on understanding the sciences from an analytical point of view:

Graphs
Charts
Tables
Research summaries
Scientific arguments

The general idea behind this high school course load is that the more you understand mathematics and general language arts principals, the better suited you are for the exam.

Your child is not only preparing for the SAT or ACT but also gaining knowledge to be successful in their first year at college.

If you would like more information on the SAT or ACT exams, check out the following blogs.

Also, if you are having problems deciding which test is right for you, check out the following link.

SAT-VS-ACT -Which test is right for you?

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Picking the Best High School Courses for The SAT or ACT