To improve your chances of scoring highly in your Scholastic Aptitude Test and gain admission to the college of your choice, you need to prepare well for it.
The Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) is a test designed to judge the essential skills needed for academic success at the tertiary level.
The current version of the test contains three main sections evaluating basic critical reading, math, and writing skills, as well as an open type not included in the final score.
High school students who require entry into colleges and universities in the United States typically take the SAT.
The SAT has also been approved by other countries such as Israel and Sweden as an entrance exam for admission to higher education institutions.
The SAT is made up of 3 hours and 45 minutes of actual timed sections; however, extra time for timed breaks, administration, and more is given by the administrators of the test.
We are going to look at the 20 important facts about Scholastic Aptitude Test popularly known as SAT.
Gaining knowledge of this test will help you if you are asked to participate in the test as you don’t have to get into what you don’t know.
Scholastic Aptitude Test Facts and Tips
Here are important facts and tips about the Scholastic Aptitude Test that you need to know to excel in the exam:
What is SAT?
The full meaning of SAT is “Scholastic Aptitude Test” – a widely recognized college admission test that serves as a requirement to apply for undergraduate programs in most universities across the United States of America.
College Board is a non-profit educational organization that aims to provide each student with equal opportunities to prove what they’ve learned in school.
College Board also conducts SAT – a test that is taken by more than 1.7 million students every year.
What does SAT assess?
The SAT is designed to assess the student’s knowledge of the English language and mathematics.
With four options to choose the correct one from, the exam pattern uses MCQ (Multiple Choice Questions).
As the SAT has an optional essay writing section, few universities also demand a valid score on the SAT subject test. By taking an SAT exam, you can acquire lots of advantages.
Who is eligible for the SAT?
The SAT is typically designed for high school juniors and seniors in the United States. The test can also be taken by students from other countries that have completed their 12 years of school education successfully for admission into various streams available in different American colleges.
Students in 11th or 12th class can take the SAT exam, but it is recommended that students take a practice SAT test a year before their intended year of admission.
What are the criteria for minimum marks on the SAT?
For appearing in the SAT Reasoning Test or SAT Subject Tests, there are no criteria of minimum marks but several colleges require a good SAT score along with a good academic record.
Colleges carry out their own tests in addition to the SAT scores, like Essay Writing which is the Subject Test, Personality Test, and also ask for Curriculum Vitae and recommendations from teachers.
SAT exam pattern
The SAT consists of two main sections which have 10 sub-testing sections, including Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW), and Math.
The first section of the exam comprises a 25-minute essay while the last section is a 10-minute multiple-choice writing section.
Twenty-five-minute sections are sections two through 7 while twenty-minute sections are sections 8 and 9.
Candidates close to each other in the same session while taking the test are most likely to get entirely different test books with various content orders.
Wrong answers have no negative marking.
The section known as the SAT subject test is the third section. Only a few universities or programs need their applicants to take part in the SAT subject test.
This test is obtainable in 20 subjects based on five general subject areas such as Math, Science, English, Languages, and History.
Validity of the SAT score
The SAT scores are valid for a period of five years unless their pattern changes. For this reason, students of the eleventh class can take the test.
If the score is excellent, they can use the same for undergraduate admissions in the United States.
The method of the SAT score calculation
The highest score you can realize is 1600, which is calculated by adding up the scores of two sections.
The two main sections have the highest score of 800 each.
Raw scores comprise the total number of questions you’ve answered correctly, which is then converted into a scale score ranging from 200 to 800 for each section.
This is done to ensure that the assessment across all test centers throughout the year is equal and fair, and this scaled score is not a relative score.
SAT score results
SAT score results can be obtained two weeks after the test date. Though the June scores take longer, they are obtainable within 6 weeks of the exam date.
The dos and don’ts for your SAT exam
Here are some dos and don’ts of the SAT exam that you are about to take, including:
Bring a watch that is impossible to hear.
Bring a calculator for SAT math test.
Bring enough pencils and erasers for the test.
Bring your admission and identity card.
Bring some snacks for the two breaks that are provided during the exam.
Ensure you arrive early at the center, as most exam centers are likely to be open at least 45 minutes before the test.
Don’t take any electronic devices, as it is strictly disallowed.
Don’t take color pens, highlighter, compass, etc.
Don’t take any paper or pamphlets.
Can you possibly study for the SAT in one day?
Studying for the SAT test in one day is not recommended because, in order to perform better, you need to learn and go through the exam pattern thoroughly.
You can grab most of the exam methods by merely taking the time to understand the pattern of the questions of the SAT test.
What do you need to do the day before the SAT test?
Don’t stress or over-study before the exam day and catch enough sleep. Also, get ready with exam prerequisites for the SAT test, try to solve SAT practice tests, and don’t spend an extensive amount of time working on SAT.
SAT exam preparation
The SAT exam can be a little overwhelming. Students are advised to start working on their sample test, mock test, or SAT practice test at least a month before undertaking SAT exam.
You must be prepared with your SAT test-taking strategies as the SAT test date is approaching.
Most times, students who are fully prepared with the SAT course outline do not remember to go through the SAT exam guidelines.
It is quite impressive to learn about SAT before undertaking the test. The benefits of undertaking the test will help you understand the importance of SAT better with learning about the purpose.
SAT exams are divided into three compulsory and one optional category such as SAT Reading, SAT Writing and Language, SAT Math, and SAT Essay (optional).
The purpose of the SAT examination
The student’s ability to speak English and solve Mathematical equations can be evaluated by the SAT examination.
SAT has an optional test that is based on Essay. As part of your entrance exam requirement listed by your college, you most probably will have to take an SAT examination if you’re a high school senior or junior student who is willing to go after higher education in the United States.
A regular practice of at least three months is good for the SAT
It’s really necessary that the student gets fully prepared before undertaking the SAT English and Mathematical proficiency tests.
Regular practice of at least 3 months is required for the SAT, which is similar to other entrance exams that suffice a thorough understanding of the test pattern, studies, and time management.
SAT score verification
To ensure that you have received scores in all sections and nothing has been left out, the SAT Score verification is nothing but a reassessment of your test scores.
So, you may have missed or made a mistake in marking your answers if you feel that the SAT score that you received is different from what you expected.
Another tangible reason for a different SAT score than what you anticipated can be that your Essay is impossible to read or blank when one sees it online.
You have three options, including multiple-choice hand score verification under SAT score verification, essay score verification, or both, as well as multiple-choice and essay scores.
By filling in an SAT score verification form you can put in this request within the next five months after the test day.
It’s recommended to read the instructions given on the form carefully before going further.
You will also need to submit a score verification fee.
This score verification fee will be reduced for students with a fee waiver.
Once you pay the verification fee and submit your form, you will receive a letter with the new and confirmed results within five weeks.
The verification fee will be paid back to support any changes in the SAT scores post verification as a result of an inconsistency in the scoring or scanning process.
SAT score cancellation
Here are two methods through which you can cancel your SAT scores in case you have any reason to cancel your SAT score:
i. At home
You can cancel your test at home if you find out you got poor performance after you depart the test center. There is however time limit to it.
You can submit your cancellation request by writing to College Board as hurriedly as you can as the deadline for receiving such requests will be 11:59 PM (IST) on a Wednesday after the test date.
ii. At the test center
You can cancel your test right then and there if you have probably skipped a number of questions or feel you are not sure about how the test went.
You can ask the supervisor for a ‘Request to Cancel Test Scores’ form right at that moment, at the test center.
All you need to do is fill in all details along with your signature, and then submit the form to the supervisor.
SAT cut off
After appearing for their SAT, The College Board does not have any SAT cut-off listed for students desiring to apply for universities abroad.
Candidates are expected to fall within a certain range to be eligible for admission to top schools as there are no strict SAT cut-offs for top colleges/ universities.
However, for unusual cases, exceptions would be made.
Countries where SAT score is acceptable
Every country has its own criteria for the selection of international students. The SAT Exam is accepted globally in different colleges.
It is most popular for undergraduate courses in the USA and Canada, although it’s also accepted by some universities in the UK and Australia.
What are the best books recommended for SAT exam?
You would always need a set of the best books to get you prepared for the SAT Exam whether you decide to study on your own or join a coaching class.
This set of books will help you cover the whole syllabus along with a series of sample papers or practice tests.
Practicing these questions will give you an insight into the entire feel of the exam paper along with allowing you to figure out how much you have achieved.
Sample papers and question papers for the SAT exam
Solving SAT Sample papers is one of the most suitable methods of getting ready for the SAT.
Solving SAT Test Papers not only allows the candidate to prepare for the exam day but also self-estimate his performance.
Scholastic Aptitude Test Practice Questions and Answers
Here are practice sample questions and answers to help you in your SAT exam preparation: Question One
What is the square root of Y if the sum Y of three consecutive even numbers is a perfect square between 200 and 400?
A 15 B 16 C 18 D 19 The answer is C = 18
Explanation: Let the number be x, x+2, and x+4. Therefore, Y=x+x+2+x+4 = 3x+6=3(x+2) This means even number (as the sum of 3 even numbers is even). So, Y should be even and a multiple of 3. Thus, 256 (16)² and 324 (18)² are the even perfect square number between 200 and 400. But from the above calculation, Y should be a multiple of 3. 324 is the multiple of 3 instead of 256 So, Y is equal to 324. And the square root of 324 becomes 18 (answer).
Question Two
The sum of the first T natural numbers is A, for a certain T>1, the sum of their cubes is B, and then log A√B is what? A. 4 B. 3 C. 2 D. 1 The answer is A = 4
Explanation: A = sum of n Natural number =2T (T+1) B = sum of cubes of N rotation = (2T (T+1)) 2 log A B=log2(T(T+1))2 (2T(T+1))21=212log2T(T+1)(2T(T+1)) =4
Question Three
The mean of 16 numbers is 48. What is the new mean if each number is divided by 4 and diminished by 3? A. 12 B. 48 C. 52 D. 9 The answer is D = 9
Explanation: Mean of 16 numbers = 48 If each number is divided by 4, Then mean of 16 numbers = 4 Original mean = 448 =12 Now, 3 is diminished by every number Mean is also diminished by 3 = 12 − 3 = 9 Ans.
Conclusion
The Scholastic Aptitude Test popularly known as SAT is a globally recognized college admission test that serves as a qualification to apply for undergraduate programs in most of the universities across the United States of America.
The test is a non-profit education organization that is conducted by the “College Board” to provide each student with equal opportunities to prove what they’ve learned in school.
Every year, more than 1.7 million students take the SAT exam.
The aim of this test is to assess the student’s knowledge of the English language and mathematics.
It has MCQ (Multiple-Choice Questions) patterns with four options to choose the right answer, with an optional essay writing section.
This article provided you with the information you need to get yourself ready for the exam if you are asked to sit for the SAT test. Remember that practice is the key to succeeding on the test.
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