The SAT test is used to evaluate a candidate’s critical thinking and problem solving skills which would help to measure their overall ability and potential to undertake the bachelor level study program.
SAT is a compulsory test to secure admission in any undergraduate program of any college of USA. This test is developed, managed and administered by College Entrance Examination Board, based in USA. SAT is prepared and scored by the Educational Testing Service. It is an approximately 4 hour long test. There are two types of SAT tests namely, SAT Reasoning Test and SAT Subject Tests.
| Name of the Test | Components of the Test | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| SAT Reasoning Test | Verbal, Mathematical and Reasoning skills | 3 hours, 20 minutes |
| SAT Subject Tests | Assesses knowledge of a specific subject | 1 hour |
SAT Reasoning Test Format:
| Section | Type of Questions | Score | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Critical Reading | Sentence completions, reading comprehension, and paragraph-length critical reading | 200-800 | 70 minutes (25 +25+20 minutes) |
| Writing | Grammar, usage, and word choice ( multiple choice and student written essay) | 200-800 | 60 minutes (25+25+10 minutes) |
| Mathematics | Algebra and functions; statistics, probability, and data analysis; number and operations; geometry | 200-800 | 70 minutes (25 +25+20 minutes) |
SAT Subject Test Format:
SAT subject test can be divided into 5 general areas – English, History and Social Studies, Mathematics, Science, and Languages.
A college may require one or more of the subject tests for the purpose of admission and placement. SAT subject test consists of multiple choice questions.
It should be noted that there are some subjects for which questions are asked in a unique pattern.
SAT Eligibility Criteria
There are no eligibility criteria for SAT. You can take it during your Class XI or even after the XII boards. Just keep your college application deadlines in mind as admission decisions are largely dependent on SAT scores (along with GPA, transcript, recommendations, etc.).
Preparing for SAT
The mere thought of cracking the SAT test can be never wrecking for most of the students. However, the test itself is no rocket science. Mentioned below are a few simple guidelines that can help you attain a good SAT score.
Study the previous SAT test papers well now! The time to learn the test directions is before the paper and not during the paper. Every minute spend reading the instructions is a minute less for solving the answers