On June 14th, 2018, the ACT and College Board released the first joint concordance of the new SAT and ACT, which replaces the College Board’s interim concordance (the one we’ve been using) from May 2016. We summarize the impact broadly below.

Impact on Middle Range (40% of test takers)
More than 90% of SAT takers will see concordant ACT scores that are unchanged. For example, an 1100 is concordant with a 22. Under the old 2016 concordance, an 1100 was also concordant with a 22. Students in the 19 – 26 ACT range see minimal changes of 0 to 20 points in concordant SAT scores.

Impact on the Lower Range (40% of test takers)
More than half of SAT takers in this group will see their concordant ACT scores lowered by 1 point. For example, a score of 950 on the SAT is concordant with a 17. Under the old 2016 concordance, a 950 had been concordant with an 18. Students in the 9 – 19 ACT range will see concordant SAT scores 20 to 80 points higher.

Impact on the Upper Range (20% of test takers)
This pool is heavily skewed toward those applying to the most competitive colleges. The combination of concordance adjustments and score importance means that this group is most impacted by revisions. Approximately 70% of SAT test takers at or above 1260 will find that their scores are concordant with an ACT score that is 1 point higher than under the old 2016 concordance. The other 30% will find no change.

If you have questions about how to compare your SAT score to your ACT score, need guidance on which exam to pursue based on your score, or would like to be sent the official concordance report – please call our President and Founder Scott Moser at (303) 819-4328 or send an email to scott@mosereducational.com. We pride ourselves on being an educational resource to our community and would be happy to discuss your student’s situation specifically.