SAT

The SAT Reasoning Test (formerly Scholastic Aptitude Test and Scholastic Assessment Test) is a standardized test for college admissions in the United States. The SAT is owned, published, and developed by the College Board, a non-profit organization in the United States, and was once developed, published, and scored by the Educational Testing Service (ETS). ETS now administers the exam. The College Board claims that the SAT can determine whether or not a person is ready for college. The current SAT Reasoning Test takes three hours and forty-five minutes and costs $45 ($71 International), excluding late fees. Since the SAT's introduction in 1901, its name and scoring has changed several times. In 2005, the test was renamed to the "SAT Reasoning Test" with possible scores from 600 to 2400 combining test results from three 800-point sections (math, critical reading, and writing), along with other subsections scored separately.

 

Originally, SAT was an abbreviation for the Scholastic Aptitude Test. In 1993, the test was renamed the SAT I: Reasoning Test. At the same time, the former Achievement Tests were renamed the SAT II: Subject Tests. In 2004, the numerals "I" and "II" were dropped, and the tests are now named the SAT and SAT Subject Tests.

 

Your SAT scores can tell admissions staff members how well prepared you are for college-level academics. The scores also allow colleges to compare your college readiness with other students in a standardized way. That's because all scores are reported on the 200-800 scale. For example, if your scores are roughly 500 on each section, which is the mean (average) score, college admissions staff knows you scored about as well as half of the students who took the test.

The SAT is the best independent, standardized measure of a student's college readiness. It is standardized across all students, schools, and states—providing a common and objective scale for comparison. High school grades are a very useful indicator of how students perform in college, yet there is great variation in grading standards and course rigor within and across high schools.

Remember, too, that the SAT is only one of a number of factors that colleges consider when making admissions decisions. Other factors, like your high school record, essays, recommendations, interviews, and extracurricular activities, also play a role in admissions decisions.

 

The SAT measures what you have learned in school and how well you can apply that knowledge. It assesses how well you analyze and solve problems. SAT scores are used for college admissions purposes because the test predicts college success. The SAT Subject Tests are one-hour, primarily multiple-choice tests in specific subjects. SAT Subject Tests measure knowledge or skills in a particular subject and your ability to apply that knowledge.

 

The SAT is designed to measure a secondary school student's reasoning skills. It is a requirement for applicants to some, but not all, U.S. and international universities. The SAT I is made up of multiple-choice questions that measure mathematical and verbal reasoning abilities.

The SAT II is a series of tests on specific academic subjects. Some of these tests may be required by some U.S. and international colleges and universities, both for entrance and placement, during the undergraduate admissions process. Among the tests offered are

# Writing

# Literature

# U.S. History

# World History

# Math Level IC

# Math Level IIC

# Biology (Ecological/Molecular)

# Chemistry

# Physics

# Languages, including French, Spanish, and English, among others

 

You can take the test as many times as you want. Most students take the test once or twice. Research shows that taking the test more than twice won't help you significantly improve your score. Your online score report and the report sent to your high school (if you give us your high school code) shows your current test score, in addition to scores for up to six SAT and six SAT Subject Test administrations. You have the option to choose which scores (by test date for the SAT and by individual test for SAT Subject Tests) you send to colleges-in accordance with each institution's stated score-use practice. You can choose scores from one, several, or all SAT test dates.