SAT, ACT & US College Testing

Standardised testing is a central part of US college admissions for most applicants, but the landscape has changed significantly in recent years. The SAT is now fully digital and adaptive; the ACT has introduced a shorter format; and test-optional policies — once near-universal — have been reinstated as requirements at several highly selective universities. Understanding each test and the current policy at each school you are targeting helps you plan your testing timeline.

These guides explain the structure and scoring of the digital SAT and the enhanced ACT in plain language, walk through how to decide between them, interpret what a strong score means for your specific college list, and clarify how test-optional policies actually work in 2026. Every volatile detail — fees, test dates, score ranges, and individual college policies — is linked to the official source and should be verified there before you act.