What is SAT Test
The SAT is a widely used standardized test for college admissions in many world countries like US and all over the world. This test was first introduced in 1926. The name and scoring of this test have changed several times. It’s originally called the Scholastic Aptitude Test, but some people also refer it as Scholastic Assessment Test, simply it’s called as SAT.
The SAT is actually owned as well as published by the College Board which as a private and nonprofit organization in the United States. It is administered and developed on behalf of the College Board by the Educational Testing Service. The purpose of SAT is to assess a student’s readiness for college.
Type of SAT Tests
There are two types of SAT which are:
- SAT Reasoning Test
- SAT Subject Tests
SAT Reasoning Test
This is basically a standardized multiple-choice test. This new version of the SAT introduced in March 2005. The time duration is three hours and forty-five minutes. There are four sections but they may be differed in order than listed here:
Section |
Number of Questions |
Time Duration |
Essay |
1 |
25 minutes |
Writing – Multiple Choice Question |
Improving Sentences – 25 |
1 section of 25 min |
Critical Reading |
Passage or paragraph based reading – 48 |
2 sections of 25 min each |
Math |
Multiple Choice Questions – 44 |
2 sections of 25 min each |
SAT Subject Tests
SAT subject was previously called SAT II. In 2004, the numeral value “II” was dropped and replaced with “Subject Tests” so it’s now named the SAT Subject Tests. The time duration for this SAT subject tests is one hour, it is also a multiple-choice tests that measure participants’ knowledge of particular subjects and their ability to apply that knowledge. Many universities nowadays require students to take this along with SAT Reasoning Test. SAT Subject Tests fall into 5 general subject areas listed below.
- Mathematics Level 1 and Level 2
- English Literature
- United State History
- Biology, Chemistry and Physics
- Languages
Which Test you should Take, Subjects or Reasoning Test?
To select the SAT tests for you, contact the college or university you are interested to enroll in. Most colleges usually only require the SAT Reasoning Test for admission and but nowadays some schools and colleges also require both the SAT Subjects Test and Reasoning Test for admission. Furthermore, some institutes require specific SAT Subject Tests while some others allow you to select which tests you take. It’s best for you to get information from the institutes you want to enroll in.
How to Prepare for Sat Test?
There are different ways to prepare for the SAT tests. First of all, you should know about the SAT subject or reasoning test format. Study should also involve in Practice questions which will help to be familiar with the format. You may buy a best SAT preparation book or you may visits some good websites for online study material and MCQs help. These books or online websites usually include sample tests, of the same or similar length as the actual SAT tests. This will surely help you to become more familiar with the structure and time requirements. You may also take tuition from an experienced SAT consultant or teacher.