Scholastic Assessment Test, or SAT, is a globally recognized college admission entrance test administered by the College Board for students aspiring to admit to undergraduate courses abroad, especially in the U.S. and Canadian universities. It is a written test that helps evaluate the applicants' language and mathematical reasoning skills. Universities consider your SAT scores when you apply for admissions; however, mid-pandemic, many universities have gone test-optional.
In 2016, significant amendments were made to the SAT examination format and pattern and converted to the new SAT. As a result, many changes, including the subject names, examination duration, and valuation pattern, have been changed in the new SAT.
The old SAT exam had Reading, Writing, and Mathematics, whereas the new SAT has evidence-based reading & writing, and mathematics sections. There is also an essay section in the exam, but it is optional for the applicants. The time duration for the SAT has also been changed from 3 hours 45 minutes to 3 hours for the applicants not appearing for the essay section and 3 hours 50 minutes for the applicants appearing for the essay section. Besides this, the new SAT valuation system has also been changed, where the papers are now valued between a score range of 400-1600, in place of the old 600-2400 scale. There is also no marks penalty for wrong answers in the New SAT.
Why should you take the SAT?
Apply worldwide
The SAT score is accepted by over 4,000 universities worldwide, including more than 45 universities in India. Recognized globally, you can apply to a wide range of programs with just one exam.
Scholarship opportunities
Universities across the world provide scholarship opportunities based on your SAT score. It's prevalent to award merit-based financial aid to top applicants. Test scores are often one of the most critical factors in determining which students get scholarships and which don't. Even if universities you're applying to are test-optional, they may still require SAT scores for financial aid.
It’s not subject-specific
SAT does not test your subject-specific knowledge. Instead, it tests your ability to learn and understand college and university-level coursework.
Sets your application apart
A good SAT score showcases your aptitude to admissions officers from top universities worldwide. In addition, it helps you strengthen your application, acting as a supplement to your academic and extracurricular records.
Flexibility
The SAT is conducted five times a year, giving you enough time to prepare and practice. You can appear for the test based on your college application deadlines. It also provinces flexibility when it comes to signing up for the test last minute. You can also take the test multiple times and send your best scores to universities.
More time per question
Standardized tests always have a time crunch! However, the SAT gives you extra breathing room compared to other tests. The SAT is slightly less rushed when it comes to time per question. If you happen to get nervous or overly stressed under time crunches, SAT is the test for you!
Free prep resources
Various websites provide practice plans and thousands of practice questions, videos, and lessons. In addition, the official SAT Practice Tests are also available online for free.
SAT Test Format
The SAT is a 3 Hours 50 Minutes exam (including an optional essay that takes up to 50 minutes) consisting of five sections: Reading, Writing, Math (with a calculator), and Math (no calculator), Essay.
SAT Test Section | Number of Questions | Description | Timing |
Evidence-Based Reading | 52 Standard Multiple-Choice Questions | Passages or pairs of passages (literature, historical documents, social sciences, and natural sciences) | 65 Minutes |
Writing and Language | 44 Standard Multiple-Choice Questions | Grammar, vocabulary in context, and editing skills | 35 Minutes |
Mathematics | 58 Multiple-Choice Questions (20 questions No calculator section, 38 questions Calculator-allowed section) | Algebra I and II, geometry, and some trigonometry | 80 Minutes (25 minutes for the No-Calculator section; 55 minutes for the Calculator-allowed section) |
Essay (Optional) | 1 Essay | Analyzing a Source | 50 Minutes |
SAT Reading Test
The reading test presents five reading passages followed by multiple-choice questions about each passage. You have 65 minutes to complete this section, which includes 52 questions. The five passages on the Reading test include four standalone passages and one pair of passages you must read together. The standalone passages and the paired set are each 500-750 words each. Usually, the passages are drawn from the following:
One literary passage from a work of fiction.
One or two passages from a U.S. founding document or a text in the Great Global Conversation they inspired. An example of a founding document would be the U.S. Constitution. The Great Global Conversation refers to works worldwide that focus on topics such as freedom, justice, or human dignity. A speech by Nelson Mandela is an example.
One passage from a work of economics, psychology, sociology, or some other social science.
Two passages from scientific works that examine foundational concepts and developments in Earth science, biology, chemistry, or physics.
The questions around the passages, as mentioned earlier, fall into the following three broad categories:
How the author uses evidence
Herein, the questions ask you to demonstrate that you understand how an author is using evidence to support a claim. Some examples of these questions are:
Identify the part of a passage that supports the author's point.
Find evidence in a passage that best supports the answer to a previous question.
Find a relationship between an informational graphic and the passage it's paired with.
Understanding words in context
Many questions in the Reading section ask you to identify the meaning of a word in the context. The "in context" part is essential: the questions ask you to use context clues in a passage to figure out which meaning of a word or phrase is being used. Some questions also ask you to decide how an author's choice of words shapes meaning, style, and tone.
Analysis in History/Social Studies and Science
The Reading section also includes history, social studies, and science passages. You will be asked questions that require you to draw on the reading skills needed most to succeed in those subjects. The answers to these questions are based only on the content stated in the passage and not your prior knowledge of the subject. Some examples of these questions are:
Examine hypotheses
Interpret data
Consider implications
SAT Writing and Language Test
The Writing and Language test is a multiple-choice test that requires you to reach passages and find and fix mistakes and weaknesses. You have 35 minutes to finish this test which includes four passages and 44 multiple-choice questions. The passages on the test are each 400-450 words long, and the complexity of the passages varies – some might be challenging, while others might be more straightforward. The passages are about various topics, including careers, science, humanities, history, and social studies.
The format of the passages might vary:
At least 1 is a narrative, meaning it describes events in a storylike way. This passage is not a work of fiction, but it could be a nonfiction account of a historical event or describe the sequence of events in a scientific experiment.
The other passages are either argumentative, trying to convince or persuade the reader of something, or informative and explanatory.
Some passages might contain charts, graphs, or infographics that you interpret together with the written part of the passage.
Each passage has 11 multiple-choice questions that fall into two major categories – those where you improve the expression of ideas and those where you have to recognize and correct errors in sentence structure, grammar, usage, and punctuation.
“Expression of Ideas” Questions
These questions typically ask you to improve the substance and quality of the writer's messages and can be divided into three categories:
Development - These questions are about the central ideas, supporting details, focus, and quantitative information in tables, graphs, and charts.
Organization - These questions focus on logical sequence and placement of information and ideas, as well as effective introductions, conclusions, and transitions.
Effective Language Use - These questions ask you to improve precision, eliminate wordiness, consider style and tone, and combine sentences to improve flow and achieve particular rhetorical effects (such as emphasizing one point over another).
“Standard English Conventions” Questions
These questions focus on recognizing and correcting passages' grammar, usage, and mechanics problems. For example, these questions ask you to acknowledge and correct errors in sentence structure (like run-on or incomplete sentences), usage (like lack of subject-verb or pronoun-antecedent agreement), and punctuation (like missing or unnecessary commas).
SAT Math Test
The Math Test focuses on the areas of math that play the most prominent role in college and career success:
Heart of Algebra, which focuses on the mastery of linear equations and systems.
Problem Solving and Data Analysis, which is about being quantitatively literate.
Passport to Advanced Math, which features questions that require the manipulation of complex equations.
The Math Test also draws on Additional Topics in Math, including the geometry and trigonometry most relevant to college and career readiness.
The Math Test is divided into two parts: a no-calculator portion and a calculator portion. In both portions, most of the test is multiple choice, but some of the questions at the end ask you to write the answer (these are called "grid-ins"). Simple formulas are provided for you to use.
Type of Math Tested
Mathematics Topic | Number of Questions |
Heart of Algebra | 19 |
Problem Solving and Data Analysis | 17 |
Passport to Advanced Math | 16 |
Additional Topics in Math | 6 |
SAT Fees
The SAT exam is $55 + Non-U.S. Regional Fee. Non-U.S. Regional Fee for students giving SAT Test in India is $49, so the total SAT fee is $104.
The SAT exam with Essay is $68 + Non-U.S. Regional Fee. So, the total fee for the SAT exam with Essay is $68 + $49 = $117.
SAT Test Scoring
A total score is a number between 400 and 1600. The total score is the sum of the two sections: Evidence-Based Reading and Writing and Math. Each of these two section scores has a possible range of 200–800. The Evidence-Based Reading and Writing score is composed of the Reading Test and the Writing and Language Test, and each of those tests contributes equally to the section score. The Math section score is made up of the Math Test only.
SAT Eligibility Criteria
The SATs are open to all high school students. The SAT administration has not set an age limit for those who intend to take the test. Students under the age of 12 are exempt from some rules.
You can take the SAT as often as you wish, as long as you follow the College Board's rules. There is no limit to how many times you can try.
Also, there are no specified educational requirements to take the test
How to prepare for SAT Test?
Assess your skills early on
Even before you start to prepare for the exam, take some practice tests and assess your skills. This will give you a good sense of how close you are to your SAT goal. If you have a lot of skills to learn, you should start studying earlier than you had planned.
Familiarize yourself
The foremost preparation tip is to familiarize yourself with the test format, which includes different sections and their content. You can visit the official SAT website for details about the section and the content.
Official practice tests
One of the best ways to prepare yourself for the actual exam is to take the official tests available on the SAT website. Taking practice tests is paramount to your preparation for an exam. Create an ideal exam environment and take practice tests to help you assess your strengths and weaknesses. This enables you to measure your progress better! You can find the tests here: https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/sat/practice-preparation/practice-tests.
Time your exam
You must take the practice tests in an ideal environment and time your exam. This will help you manage your time well while you give the actual exam. Therefore, you should focus on time management even when solving the practice tests.
Make a study plan and stick to your schedule
Develop a realistic study schedule based on your strengths and weakness, your goal score, and the time you have. Try to spend a consistent amount of time every day studying until the test day.
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