Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT)

FIVE KEY QUESTIONS ABOUT SAT

Do you dream of studying in one of the most prestigious universities of the United States? Believe it or now, but getting admitted into such legendary universities as Harvard or Princeton is feasible! To achieve this, you will have to pass a standardized test, which evaluates the general level of knowledge of the entrant - the so-called Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT).

The success of the test depends on how well prepared you are. For some, the mathematical part may be easier than the writing one.

The structure of SAT

The test was developed in distant 1901 but became popular in the second half of the twentieth century. It is favoured by northern and coastal American colleges, while their western and southern colleagues show a preference for the ACT (American College Testing).

There are two types of SAT: the broad SAT Reasoning Test and the specialised SAT Subject Test. Before 2004, Roman numerals were used to differentiate between the two (Sat I and Sat II), but this system was since cancelled.

Three types of tasks. The structure of the SAT Reasoning Test:

• Test Analysis: reading passages from specialized texts (Humanities, social and natural sciences), as well as answers to questions on the meaning and analysis of the structure of sentences.
• Mathematics (algebra, geometry, understanding charts and graphs, statistics): tasks in the test form. Since 1994 it is permitted to use a calculator during the test.
• Writing (tests and essays): in the first part of the test you will be looking for errors in the text, breaking it into paragraphs, and filling in the gaps in the sentences. The second part consists of an essay on a topic which contains philosophical overtones. Only 25 minutes is allocated for this part. The ratio of the written test is 70%/30%.
• The duration of SAT is 3 hours 45 minutes: you will be given 70 minutes to complete Analysis and Math, 60 minutes to complete Writing, while the rest of the time is devoted to organizational issues.

The purpose of SAT subject

Colleges and universities want to know whether the applicant has profound knowledge in specific disciplines. Therefore, the applicant is required to submit results both for the SAT Reasoning Test and for two SAT Subject Tests of their own choice.

Subject tests last 60 minutes; they include (but are not limited to) such subjects as:

• History of the United States and the world;
• English language and literature;
• Mathematics (two levels);
• Sciences;
• Foreign languages (including Japanese, Chinese, Yiddish and Latin).

How is the SAT score calculated

• SAT Reasoning Test: each of the three parts is graded from 200 to 800 points. An essay comes to a maximum of 12 points.
• SAT Subject Test: same grading system, with the possibility of receiving additional 20-80 points. For example, such points are awarded for comprehension in foreign language tests.

It takes 20 days to receive your test score.

The score required for admission to American colleges and universities will considerably vary. But even if you will fail your first SAT test, or you will deem that the score you have received is not high enough, you can sleep well knowing that you have an opportunity to retake SATs for as many times as you need.

When is the exam taking place and how to prepare for SAT

The SATs can be taken monthly from October to January and from March to June. You may either take a SAT Reasoning Test, or three SAT Subject Test. If you choose more than three core subjects, you will have to pay extra for additional ones. Where and when you can get tested in your country? It can be done at your local authorized test centres. You can register online on the SAT website: http://sat.collegeboard.org .

The cost of SAT for foreigners is $75.

You can try to take the test without prior training, based solely on your knowledge. But to achieve high results, you will most likely need to take a preparation course. You will be best prepared if you have studied in American or Canadian high school. Alternatively, students with a high degree of school preparation and a good knowledge of English can enrol in a short SAT summer preparation course.

What universities are looking for besides a high SAT score

In addition to the test results, universities and colleges are interested in applicants hobbies, extracurricular activities and past accomplishment. In many cases, face to face or Skype interview is required.