It’s a Tuesday night. You’re staring at a 29 on your ACT practice test and wondering if that’s actually better than the 1310 you got on the PSAT last fall. You pull up an act sat concordance chart on your phone, expecting a simple answer. But here’s the thing: those numbers aren't exactly "equal." They’re just statistical best guesses.
Most students treat these charts like a currency exchange. They think moving from an ACT score to an SAT score is like swapping US Dollars for Euros. It isn't. The College Board and ACT, Inc. actually fought about this for years before finally collaborating on the official 2018 data most people use today. They don't measure the same things. One tests how fast you can think; the other tests how well you can parse tricky phrasing.
The Secret History of the ACT SAT Concordance Chart
Back in the day, the SAT was the king of the coasts. If you lived in New York or California, you took the SAT. If you were in the Midwest, you were an ACT person. It was a geographic divide that made comparing applicants a nightmare for admissions officers at places like Harvard or Stanford. How do you compare a kid from rural Iowa with a 33 to a kid from Jersey with a 1500?
You use a concordance.
In 2018, the two testing giants finally sat down and looked at the scores of about 589,000 students who took both tests. They used a method called "equipercentile concordancing." Basically, they looked at what percentile a score represented on one test and matched it to the same percentile on the other.
But there’s a catch.
The SAT underwent a massive redesign recently, shifting to a digital, adaptive format. This changed the "feel" of the test entirely. While the official act sat concordance chart still technically applies, many independent consultants, like those at Compass Education Group, have noted that the "concordance" might feel a bit off for high-scoring students. A 35 on the ACT is often cited as a 1530 to 1560 on the SAT. That’s a huge range. If you’re gunning for an Ivy League spot, the difference between a 1530 and a 1560 is the difference between "maybe" and "probably."
Why the Numbers Shift Depending on Who You Ask
Let’s be real. The College Board wants you to think the SAT is the gold standard. ACT, Inc. wants you to believe their test is the more "fair" representation of high school curriculum.
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When you look at a score of 30 on the ACT, the official chart says it’s roughly a 1360 to 1380. But if you talk to a private tutor who has seen a thousand students, they’ll tell you that a student who scores a 30 often struggles to hit that 1380. Why? Because the SAT math section requires a deeper level of conceptual understanding, whereas the ACT is a race against the clock.
You’ve got to consider the "Science" section too. The ACT has one. The SAT doesn't, though it embeds science passages throughout. If you are a data-crunching wizard but hate tricky "evidence-based" reading questions, your ACT score will almost always look better on paper than your SAT equivalent.
Honestly, the act sat concordance chart is a tool for colleges, not necessarily for you to decide which test to take. Admissions offices use it to flatten the applicant pool into a single metric. They use software like Slate to automatically "concord" your scores so they can rank you. They aren't looking at the nuance; they’re looking at the benchmark.
Breaking Down the Big Score Brackets
If you’re sitting in the 1200–1400 SAT range, you’re in the most volatile part of the chart. This is where most college-bound seniors live.
- A 1200 SAT is roughly a 25 ACT.
- A 1300 SAT is roughly a 28 ACT.
- A 1400 SAT is roughly a 31 ACT.
Notice how a 100-point jump on the SAT only equates to a 3-point jump on the ACT? This is why the ACT feels so punishing. One or two missed questions can tank your composite score by a full point, which in turn shifts your "concorded" SAT score by 30 or 40 points. It’s high-stakes gambling with a Number 2 pencil.
At the very top of the scale, things get even weirder. A perfect 36 on the ACT covers a range of 1570 to 1600 on the SAT. If you have a 1570, you might feel like you "missed" something, but according to the act sat concordance chart, you’re at the same level as the kid with the 36.
The Digital SAT Factor
We have to talk about the Digital SAT (dSAT). Since the SAT went digital, the test is now "adaptive." If you do well on the first module, the second module gets harder. This has slightly skewed how students perceive their scores compared to the old paper ACT.
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Many students find the dSAT shorter and less exhausting. However, the concordance tables haven't been radically updated to reflect the "fatigue factor" difference between a 2-hour digital test and a nearly 3-hour paper ACT. If you have ADHD or struggle with focus, you might actually score "higher" on the SAT concordance than you ever would on the ACT, simply because the test ends before your brain checks out.
The Problem with "Superscoring"
Most colleges now superscore the SAT (taking your best Math and best Reading from different dates). Fewer colleges—though the number is growing—superscore the ACT.
When you use an act sat concordance chart to compare a superscored SAT to a single-sitting ACT, you aren't comparing apples to apples. You’re comparing a "best-of" highlight reel to a live performance. Always check if your target schools (like University of Michigan or Georgia Tech) allow ACT superscoring before you decide which score is actually "better."
How to Use the Chart Without Losing Your Mind
Don't just look at the middle number.
If the chart says your 27 ACT is a 1260-1290, don't assume you're a "1290 student." Treat the lower end as your baseline. If you’re applying to a school where the 50th percentile is a 1300, and your concorded score is a 1260, you need to retake the test or switch formats.
Actually, the best way to use these numbers is to take a full-length, timed practice test of both. Don't guess. Don't "sorta" time it. Sit at a desk on a Saturday morning and do the work. Once you have both scores, pull up the official 2018 concordance table.
If one score is significantly higher (we’re talking 60+ SAT points or 2+ ACT points above the other's equivalent), that’s your test. Stick with it. Don't look back.
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What Admissions Officers Won't Tell You
They have preferences. They’ll say they don't, but they do.
Some technical schools historically leaned toward the SAT because of its math depth. Some liberal arts colleges liked the ACT for its reading speed requirements. However, in the 2026 admissions cycle, with many schools returning to "test-mandatory" policies, they are desperate for any data that helps them filter 50,000 applications.
The act sat concordance chart is their shortcut.
If you submit both, they will concord them and use whichever one makes you look better. They aren't trying to find reasons to reject you based on the test type. They are looking for reasons to justify your admission to the board.
Practical Next Steps for Your Testing Strategy
Stop obsessing over the conversion and start focusing on the margins. If you are within the "concordance range," you are essentially the same candidate in the eyes of an algorithm.
- Download the official 2018 Concordance Tables from the College Board website to ensure you aren't looking at "estimated" charts from a random blog.
- Take the "Big Two" diagnostic tests. Compare your raw percentiles.
- Check the "Common Data Set" for your top three colleges. Look at their 25th and 75th percentile scores for both tests.
- If your ACT concorded score is higher than the school's 75th percentile SAT score, you are in the "safety" zone for testing.
- Focus on the test where you felt less "rushed." Speed is the #1 factor that separates ACT and SAT performance.
If you’ve already taken one test and you’re happy with the result, stay put. Chasing a higher score on a different format just because the act sat concordance chart suggests a 10-point "gain" is usually a waste of time. Spend that energy on your personal statement or your GPA instead. The chart is a guide, not a gospel. Use it to find your lane, then run as fast as you can in it.
Actionable Insight: Download a PDF of the official 2018 ACT-SAT Concordance Guide and highlight the "Score Range" for your current result. If your goal school's median score is at the top of that range, plan for at least 15 hours of targeted prep on your weaker sub-sections to bridge the gap.
Expert Tip: Pay attention to the Math concordance specifically. If you're applying for STEM, colleges will often ignore the composite concordance and look strictly at whether your ACT Math score (say, a 30) matches their SAT Math requirement (a 700). Sometimes the individual section concordance matters more than the total.