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ACT or SAT? The Smarter Path for Jamaican and CARICOM Students
- aquest
- Jun 23
- 5 min read
Updated: Jun 23
June 22, 2025
In preparing for international university admissions—especially to competitive US colleges—families across Jamaica and the wider Caribbean often face a crucial dilemma: Which test should we choose—the ACT or the SAT? On the surface, both are accepted by nearly all accredited US universities. But beyond that parity lies a vital truth: for the vast majority of capable Caribbean students, especially those from science-rich backgrounds, the ACT is the more fitting, empowering choice.
As someone who has spent over fifty years guiding exceptional young minds through A-QuEST (in Jamaica) and G-teens (in Trinidad & Tobago), I have seen the consequences of this decision firsthand. The right test can propel a student into the Ivy League, the University of Oxford or Cambridge, or a United World College. And sadly, the wrong choice—too often made for reasons of local convenience—can leave untapped potential on the table.
Allow me to begin with a name that deserves to be remembered: Dr Shauna Miller, a brilliant student of St Hugh’s High School, trained through A-QuEST, who repeatedly achieved perfect 1600 scores on SAT mock exams before illness struck on her actual test day. She remains one of the most talented test-takers we have ever produced—proof that with the right preparation, our Jamaican young women and men can reach the pinnacle of international academic competition.
Then came Romero Heyman, from Manchester High School, who earned a score in the 99th percentile on the SAT. And Johan Gordon, of Campion College, who became the first Jamaican to score a perfect ACT score on Jamaican soil. These stories are not random successes. They are the result of tailored preparation matched to the right exam.
And that exam, almost every time, is the ACT.
1. The ACT Tests What Our Students Actually Learn
The ACT comprises four sections—English, Mathematics, Reading, and Science Reasoning—with an optional Writing component. The standout here is the Science Reasoning section, something the SAT does not have.
Unlike the SAT, which folds science into reading comprehension exercises, the ACT devotes an entire section to testing how students interpret data, evaluate experimental design, and analyse scientific problems. This is not about memorising facts—it’s about thinking like a university-level student. It reflects the exact analytical skills taught through CSEC and CAPE science syllabi. And crucially, it allows Caribbean students to shine in areas they already excel in.
This matters enormously.
In a world increasingly driven by science, technology, and data, the ability to reason with evidence is a key skill for admission and success at global universities.
2. Stability, Popularity, and Educational Relevance
Whereas the SAT has morphed confusingly over the years—moving from 1600 to 2400 and back again, and recently becoming digital-only—the ACT has been consistently structured, clear, and fair. That consistency means students and coaches can plan effectively without being blindsided by shifting formats.
Moreover, the ACT is more widely taken. In 2023, 1.9 million students sat the ACT, versus 1.7 million for the SAT. Among applicants to highly selective colleges, ACT scores are increasingly dominant.
In content and design, the ACT aligns better with global Common Core standards and the kind of critical reasoning and data analysis that Caribbean students practise daily. From Mannings School and Montego Bay High to St Hugh’s, Both Wolmers schools and Campion College, the ACT mirrors the thinking skills our students have been developing for years.
3. Why the ACT Fits Jamaican Students Best
Time and again, our students perform best on the ACT when given the choice. The mathematics section covers trigonometry and real-world problem solving, aligned with CXC and CAPE expectations. The reading and English sections are clear and accessible—unlike the SAT, whose abstruse vocabulary and logic puzzles can confuse even well-read teens.
And then there's the science reasoning—a dream section for students trained in physics, biology, chemistry, geography, and even environmental science. These students, including many from girls’ schools and rural parishes, finally have a place to demonstrate their real strengths—not just their ability to decode tricky sentences.
4. A Distressing Obstacle: No ACT Centres in Jamaica
Here lies the irony: the test best suited to our students is not currently offered in Jamaica. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, ACT testing centres have not been re-established locally. In contrast, the SAT continues to be administered rather frequently.
This forces determined students to travel—to Barbados, Puerto Rico, the Cayman Islands, the Dominican Republic, or Trinidad & Tobago. That creates an inequitable situation, where wealthier families can give their children the best testing opportunity, while others are left with an inferior but locally convenient alternative.
Why should Jamaican students be denied the exam that best reflects their talents? Why should access to the superior test depend on passport stamps and plane tickets?
5. From Jamaica to the World: Proven Success
At A-QuEST, we have helped to produce 11 Rhodes Scholars, 29 UWC scholars, and thousands of others who’ve entered institutions like Stanford, Yale, Williams, MIT, the University of Toronto, Quest, and York. Time after time, the ACT has proven a reliable predictor of not just admission, but success in those rigorous environments.
Indeed, much of that success comes from the ACT’s ability to measure readiness holistically. It doesn’t reward trickery or coaching gimmicks—it rewards structured thinking, analytical confidence, and real learning.
And as our students master that test, they carry with them the academic dignity of our region.
6. What Can Families and Schools Do?
In the short term:
Start ACT prep early, especially in 5th and 6th form.
Speak to guidance counsellors about ACT-friendly preparation plans.
Contact A-QuEST or similar programmes to gain experienced coaching and travel coordination.
Budget and plan for overseas testing, if necessary—even once makes a difference.
AQuEST '09 Retreat. Photo : @AQuESTJamaica on Facebook
In the long term:
Policy-makers and educators must act. We need to bring the ACT back to Jamaican soil. It is unjust for a generation of talented youth to be locked out of the exam that could best launch their futures.
Final Thoughts: Let’s Not Play Small
This is bigger than choosing a test. It’s about choosing equity, strategy, and confidence in our students’ strengths. Jamaica and the Caribbean produce brilliant minds—Dr Miller, Romero Heyman, Johan Gordon, and so many more are testament to that.
Let us not rob future scholars of the platform that best lets them shine. The ACT is not just a test. It is a passport to possibility.
Let’s demand its return. Let’s prepare our students for it. And let’s choose, as a region, to rise to meet the best.
By Dennis A. Minott, PhD
Physicist | Educational Consultant | CEO, A-QuEST
Email: a_quese57@yahoo,com
Telephone/WhatsApp: (876) 418 0418
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