Do Math- and Science-Oriented Students Perform Best on the ACT or SAT?
School Name
Chapin High School
Grade Level
12th Grade
Presentation Topic
Psychology and Sociology
Presentation Type
Non-Mentored
Abstract
While many studies use high school students’ standardized testing scores to predict areas of success after graduation and performance on exams administered in college, and some studies detail personality traits that could predict students’ level of performance on standardized tests, there are no studies that use high school students’ areas of academic success to predict performance on the ACT vs. SAT. This study attempts to illustrate a relationship between Chapin High School seniors’ scholastic success in sciences and mathematics and performance on the ACT and SAT tests. Its results will assist parents and guidance counselors in recommending which standardized test a student should take. It is hypothesized that math- and science-oriented students will perform best on the ACT, as the ACT requires planning skills most seen in math- and science-oriented students. The following data about 139 Chapin High School seniors have been collected from the District 5 Testing Database: SAT score, ACT score, weighted math GPA, weighted science GPA, and weighted Humanities GPA. Researcher executes a multiple regression test designed to provide levels of influence of math GPA, science GPA, and humanities GPA on the difference between ACT score and SAT score on the data. The multiple regression test provides a function with coefficients whose values predict the influences of math GPA, science GPA, and humanities GPA upon the difference between ACT and SAT scores. A T-test is performed upon the influence levels yielded by the multiple regression to determine respective levels of statistical significance. Researcher analyzes the results of the T-test to conclude how scholastic success in sciences and mathematics can predict success on the ACT.
Recommended Citation
Beach, Emily, "Do Math- and Science-Oriented Students Perform Best on the ACT or SAT?" (2015). South Carolina Junior Academy of Science. 172.
https://scholarexchange.furman.edu/scjas/2015/all/172
Start Date
4-11-2015 2:30 PM
End Date
4-11-2015 2:45 PM
Do Math- and Science-Oriented Students Perform Best on the ACT or SAT?
While many studies use high school students’ standardized testing scores to predict areas of success after graduation and performance on exams administered in college, and some studies detail personality traits that could predict students’ level of performance on standardized tests, there are no studies that use high school students’ areas of academic success to predict performance on the ACT vs. SAT. This study attempts to illustrate a relationship between Chapin High School seniors’ scholastic success in sciences and mathematics and performance on the ACT and SAT tests. Its results will assist parents and guidance counselors in recommending which standardized test a student should take. It is hypothesized that math- and science-oriented students will perform best on the ACT, as the ACT requires planning skills most seen in math- and science-oriented students. The following data about 139 Chapin High School seniors have been collected from the District 5 Testing Database: SAT score, ACT score, weighted math GPA, weighted science GPA, and weighted Humanities GPA. Researcher executes a multiple regression test designed to provide levels of influence of math GPA, science GPA, and humanities GPA on the difference between ACT score and SAT score on the data. The multiple regression test provides a function with coefficients whose values predict the influences of math GPA, science GPA, and humanities GPA upon the difference between ACT and SAT scores. A T-test is performed upon the influence levels yielded by the multiple regression to determine respective levels of statistical significance. Researcher analyzes the results of the T-test to conclude how scholastic success in sciences and mathematics can predict success on the ACT.
