College Prep > SAT & ACT
College Entrance Exams: SAT and ACT
For international students navigating the complex world of U.S. college admissions, standardized tests like the SAT and ACT can play a pivotal role. While many U.S. colleges have adopted test-optional policies in recent years, these exams remain one of the few consistent benchmarks for students applying from educational systems around the world. Unlike GPA—which can vary widely in meaning from one country or curriculum to another—the SAT and ACT offer admissions officers a common scale to evaluate academic readiness.
Strong scores on these tests can significantly strengthen an application, especially for international students coming from unfamiliar high school programs. They help validate a student's language proficiency, critical thinking skills, and quantitative reasoning—areas of particular interest to competitive schools. For students aiming for top-tier universities or selective scholarships, high SAT or ACT scores can serve as a powerful differentiator. They not only demonstrate academic competence but also suggest a student’s ability to handle the rigor of college-level coursework in English.
As global competition increases, the value of presenting a strong, test-based academic profile is more important than ever. Preparing strategically for these exams isn’t just about aiming for a high score; it’s about creating more options, reducing admissions uncertainty, and ensuring students are positioned to apply confidently to the schools that best match their potential.
Strong scores on these tests can significantly strengthen an application, especially for international students coming from unfamiliar high school programs. They help validate a student's language proficiency, critical thinking skills, and quantitative reasoning—areas of particular interest to competitive schools. For students aiming for top-tier universities or selective scholarships, high SAT or ACT scores can serve as a powerful differentiator. They not only demonstrate academic competence but also suggest a student’s ability to handle the rigor of college-level coursework in English.
As global competition increases, the value of presenting a strong, test-based academic profile is more important than ever. Preparing strategically for these exams isn’t just about aiming for a high score; it’s about creating more options, reducing admissions uncertainty, and ensuring students are positioned to apply confidently to the schools that best match their potential.
Which Test Should I Choose?
|
As of 2025, both the SAT and ACT have transitioned into modern digital formats, but they remain distinct in structure, emphasis, and scoring—differences that are especially important for international students navigating U.S. college admissions.
The SAT, administered by the College Board, became fully digital in 2024. It now features adaptive testing, meaning that the difficulty level of the second module in each section changes based on a student’s performance in the first. This format shortens the overall testing time to just over two hours, while still preserving its rigor. The SAT is divided into two main sections: Reading and Writing (combined into one) and Math. The digital format favors precision and efficiency, featuring shorter passages and more direct questions. Math questions focus heavily on algebra, data analysis, and problem-solving, with calculator use allowed throughout. The ACT, while also moving toward digital delivery in 2025, is not adaptive in the same way. Its format includes four sections: English, Math, Reading, and Science. However, a major change in 2025 is that the Science section will no longer be factored into the composite score. This reflects a shift in how colleges interpret ACT results, aiming to place greater weight on traditional academic skills. While the Science section remains on the test and can still offer insight into a student’s ability to interpret data and analyze experiments, it will now serve more as a supplemental indicator than a core component of the overall score. The ACT continues to place strong emphasis on grammar and sentence structure in the English section and includes a broader range of math topics than the SAT—such as more advanced trigonometry. The Reading section of the ACT contains longer passages with more questions, making pacing a critical challenge for many students. In contrast, the SAT’s modular and shorter-passage format may better suit students who are still developing English fluency or prefer more concise reading tasks. Another consideration is speed: the ACT is more fast-paced and demands quick decision-making, whereas the SAT allows slightly more time per question. This difference often helps students determine which test better matches their personal test-taking style. Ultimately, both exams are equally accepted by U.S. colleges. The choice between SAT and ACT in 2025 comes down to format preference, subject strengths, and a student’s ability to manage time and complexity—especially in a digital testing environment. |
2025년 현재, SAT와 ACT 모두 디지털 형식으로 전환되었지만, 시험의 구조와 강조점, 그리고 채점 방식에서는 여전히 뚜렷한 차이가 있습니다. 특히 미국 대학 입시를 준비하는 국제학생들에게 이 차이는 매우 중요하게 작용할 수 있습니다.
SAT는 2024년부터 완전한 디지털 형식으로 바뀌었으며, ‘적응형 시험(adaptive testing)’ 방식을 도입했습니다. 이는 각 섹션의 첫 번째 모듈의 성과에 따라 두 번째 모듈의 난이도가 조정되는 시스템으로, 총 시험 시간이 약 2시간으로 단축되었음에도 불구하고 평가의 정확성을 유지합니다. SAT는 크게 두 섹션으로 구성되어 있습니다: 읽기 및 쓰기(통합 섹션)와 수학. 지문은 짧고 질문은 간결하며, 수학은 대수, 자료 분석, 문제 해결 중심이며 전 구간에서 계산기 사용이 허용됩니다. ACT 역시 2025년부터 디지털 형식으로 전환되지만, SAT처럼 적응형은 아닙니다. ACT는 영어, 수학, 읽기, 과학 네 개의 섹션으로 구성되어 있었지만, 2025년부터는 과학 섹션이 총점(Composite Score)에 반영되지 않게 됩니다. 과학 섹션 자체는 여전히 존재하지만, 대학들이 핵심 학업 능력에 더 초점을 맞추도록 하기 위한 변경으로, 이제는 보조적 지표로 작용하게 됩니다. 과학 지식보다는 데이터 해석 능력과 실험 분석 능력을 평가하는 성격은 유지됩니다. ACT는 영어 섹션에서 문법과 문장 구조를 보다 깊이 있게 평가하고, 수학에서는 삼각함수 등 SAT보다 더 폭넓은 내용을 포함합니다. 읽기 섹션은 지문이 길고 질문 수도 많아 시간 관리가 핵심입니다. 반면 SAT는 지문이 짧고 모듈별로 나누어져 있어 영어에 익숙하지 않은 학생들에게 더 적합할 수 있습니다. 또한 SAT는 문제당 시간 여유가 더 있어 신중한 풀이가 가능하지만, ACT는 전반적으로 속도와 정확성을 동시에 요구하는 시험입니다. 이 점에서 자신의 시험 스타일과 강점에 맞는 시험을 선택하는 것이 중요합니다. 결국, 두 시험 모두 미국 대학에서 동등하게 인정됩니다. 어떤 시험이 더 나은 선택인지는 시험의 형식, 과목별 강점, 시간 관리 능력 등 개인의 성향에 따라 달라집니다. 디지털 시대에 맞춘 시험 전략이 그 어느 때보다 중요해졌습니다. |
Concept Courses for ACT and SAT
|
We offer semester-based ACT/SAT concept courses, as well as Summer and Winter intensive courses. Please refer to our NEWS for the most current session information. |
저희 에이보프렙학원에서는 여름과 겨울에 SAT/ACT 집중 코스뿐만 아니라 학기중에도 ACT / SAT수업 진행 가능합니다. 최신 세션 정보는 메인 페이지를 참조하십시오. |
ACT & SAT 실전반
Year Round Test and Review Classes
|
Aevo Prep offers year round test prep classes every Saturday starting at 9 AM. Students will take a full ACT or SAT test and participate in detailed review sessions in the afternoon. This course is recommended to students who have previously taken ACT or SAT concept courses and have familiarized themselves with contents of the exam. The general guidelines for participating in the mock exam sessions are as follows: ACT: Composite Score of 28 or higher SAT: Combined Score of 1400 or higher If you score below the recommended minimum scores, please consider joining one of our concept classes to improve your foundations prior to the mock exam sessions. * 모의고사 리뷰 반 일정 매주 토요일 Testing: 09:00am ~ 12:00pm Review: 12:30pm ~ 2:30pm *예약은 시험일 1일 전까지 학원으로 전화부탁 드립니다 |
Aevo Prep에서는 매주 토요일 오전 9시 모의 시험을 제공합니다. 학생들은 오전에 ACT또는 SAT 시험을 치르고, 오후에는 오전에 본 Test를 토대로 Review를 진행합니다. 이 과정은 이전에 ACT 또는 SAT 개념 과목을 수강하고 시험 내용을 숙지 한 학생들에게 권장됩니다. 실전 SAT/ACT반을 수강하려면 아래와 같은 점수 이상이 요구됩니다. ACT : 28 점 이상 SAT : 1400 점 이상 해당 점수보다 낮은 점수를 받은 경우 모의 시험 세션 전에 기본적인 개념 정립을 위한 수업 중 하나에 참여하는 것을 권장합니다. |
