ESADE Admission Test vs SAT: Which Should You Take?

To satisfy ESADE's selection-test requirement you can use the ESADE Admission Test or, for some programmes, the SAT or the ACT: ESADE treats them as alternatives. So which gives you the best shot for the least effort? Here's how to decide.

The quick answer

• Already taking the SAT/ACT (e.g. on an American curriculum, or applying to US universities too)? Use it: you're preparing anyway, and a strong score does double duty. Check the programme scope below first.
• Everyone else? The ESADE Admission Test is usually the cleaner route: it's built for ESADE admissions and needs no curriculum-specific content. ESADE says it assesses abilities rather than knowledge and cannot be studied for, and recommends consulting its sample test so you know the item types.^[1]

Whichever you choose, know what you're walking into: ESADE gives the test equal weight with your online application and your academic transcript.

Head to head

What they measure. All three test reasoning rather than recall. The ESADE test's reasoning sections depend on your programme - the BBA sits Sufficiency of information, Numerical analysis and Logical reasoning, while the Bachelor in Law swaps Numerical analysis for Verbal ability. The SAT covers reading, writing and maths on a broader, US-oriented blueprint.

Format and marking. The ESADE test runs 185 minutes on the official sample test (the website rounds it to 3 hours), and 85 of those minutes are the English level test: a 25-minute written task plus 100 multiple-choice items in 60 minutes (the website lists it as 90 minutes, or 80 for two programmes).^[2] On the three reasoning sections, points are deducted for wrong answers: 0.25 per wrong answer, or 0.50 in Verbal ability for the Law programmes; on the English test they are not. The SAT uses its own scoring without the same penalty structure, so if you've trained for SAT pacing, ESADE's penalty rules are a different habit to build.

One limit worth knowing before you plan around the SAT: ESADE's other-admissions-tests page lists it as a substitute only for the BBA and the Double Degree in Business Administration and Law.^[3] ESADE's pages disagree on this, though: its admissions page says you can sit the SAT or ACT when applying to any of its programmes, and its requirements page lists SAT/ACT figures with no programme named. Confirm with admissions@esade.edu before relying on the route for another programme.

Where and when. The SAT runs on fixed international dates at test centres, which can be scarce depending on where you live. The ESADE test has no calendar to watch: you submit your application at least a week before the test, receive an email to choose the date and time from a calendar, and ESADE schedules several tests a week from October to June.^[4] You can sit it once per academic year.

Cost. The SAT has registration fees (often higher with international surcharges) plus travel to a centre. The ESADE test has no separate fee: it sits inside your ESADE application, which carries a non-refundable €150 application fee.^[5] One catch: if you miss two scheduled test dates and still want to sit it, ESADE charges another €150 processing fee.

Score signals. ESADE publishes SAT/ACT figures, but its pages disagree. The other-admissions-tests page says "We do not require a minimum test score" and gives averages of SAT 1320 and ACT 31; the admission-requirements page publishes SAT: average 1350, minimum 1200 and ACT: average 30, minimum 24.^[6] Treat the minimums as the bar to confirm with admissions, and don't read the averages as targets. For its own test, ESADE publishes no cut-off, has no pass mark, and never shows you your score.

How to choose

1. List your other applications. If several also take the SAT, the SAT does double duty.
2. Check test-centre access. No convenient SAT centre nearby tilts you toward the ESADE test.
3. Match the format to your strengths. Comfortable with fast reasoning under a penalty, in sections of 16, 48 and 45 questions? The ESADE test suits you. Already SAT-trained? Lean on that.
4. Mind the timeline. Whichever route, leave enough runway before your test date: ESADE runs rolling admissions until places fill, and its own test can be sat once per academic year.

Sources: ESADE's official bachelor admissions pages (admission test, other admissions tests, requirements, admissions, FAQ) and its official sample test, verified 21 September 2026. SAT/ACT fees and dates vary by year and region; confirm current fees and dates with the College Board / ACT. EsadePrep is independent and not affiliated with or endorsed by ESADE.