The full form of the SAT is the Scholastic Assessment Test. Earlier it was known as Scholastic Aptitude Test. It is required to be undertaken by the students who seek admission in undergraduate schools. It has been formulated and developed to check the written, verbal, and mathematical skill of the aspirants. Students who want to pursue undergraduate courses in the USA and Canada should undertake this test. Subject tests are also offered for History, Mathematics, Sciences, Foreign Languages, and Literature. To understand more about What is the SAT Exam, please read below.

What is the SAT Exam in India?

Students looking to pursue higher education in the premier universities in India can also appear for SAT as the entrance exam to get through the admission procedure. In 2018, the College Board has introduced an India Global Higher Education Alliance with varied academic establishments in the country. These educational establishments are accepting the SAT score as the criteria for admission.

What is the use of SAT Exam?

It is a standardized test which is undertaken by the aspirants who move from school to college. SAT Exam in India meant to evaluate the skills of the aspirants in several subjects with the help of a written examination consisting of comprehension, computational skills, and clarity of expression. It also provides a platform for the colleges to compare the students across the world in terms of their skills and respective understanding of the subjects. The SAT or ACT test score can account to almost 50% of the admission decision taken by the universities in the USA.

What does the SAT exam mean and cover?

The SAT is known as the Scholastic Assessment Test and it covers four sections along with an optional essay. The first section is about Reading, then Writing, then Language, no calculator section of Math, calculator section of Math. The exams are most in the format of multiple choices. Only 5 questions in no calculator Math and 8 questions in Math calculator are grid-type.

After every hour of the test, there is a 5-minute break for the students. This means that a break is followed after Reading and the second one after the Math no calculator segment. If the aspirants have opted for the Essay, then he/she will get a break before starting the essay as well. For the aspirants who have undertaken the exam with essay, the time will be 3 hours 50 minutes and for the aspirants who have not opted for essay, the duration will be 3 hours.

Order	Section	Time in minutes	No. of questions	Time per question
1.	Reading	65	52	75 seconds
2.	Writing and language	35	44	48 seconds
3.	Math no Calculator	25	20	75 seconds
4.	Math Calculator	55	38	77 seconds
5.	Essay (optional)	50	1
	Total	3h50m (essay), 3 h (without essay)	154(+1 essay prompt)

What is the SAT 1 Exam?

SAT is accepted as the reasoning test in some countries. The colleges accept the scores of this test as the admission criteria for the students. The reasoning abilities are tested in Math, reading, and writing. The main aim of the test is to allow admission in the undergraduate courses in the universities. The 10th and 11th grade Math ability and knowledge are good enough for the students and they should be aware of the English grammar rules to undergo the test. The practise is required to master the art of giving the examination as per the time allowed. The aspirants should learn clever tactics and techniques to finish the test faster and with accuracy.

What is the SAT exam for year 2?

SAT 2 is generally referred to as SAT subject test because it is specially taken to test the ability of the aspirant in particular subject like Math. There are 20 subject tests available and the aspirants can select the one in which they want to appear. SAT 2 tests are considered for application and admission in competitive schools.

SAT subject test is different from the SAT 1 exam. The aspirant needs to focus on the content. A practice test can be very helpful for the student and the aspirant can see how he/she performs. The preparation material is easily available as per subjects and can be bought so that a clearer perspective is achieved. SAT subject tests are 1-hour tests. The subjects who can be tested are English, Spanish, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, History, etc. it helps to evaluate the interest of the student in a particular subject.

Each of the subjects is structured differently and the content is related to the subject. Resources are easily available for the preparation of the test. This exam can be beneficial when the aspirants are applying for scholarship applications. The score report for the tests can be highly beneficial in securing admission in the college or university of choice. It is also helpful in achieving good employment status. This is because SAT 2 focuses on specialized knowledge of varied fields.

What are the subject SAT tests?

SAT Subject Tests are college admission tests which are conducted on specific subjects. These can be selected by the aspirants to showcase their interest in a particular subject. 

• There are 20 subject tests which are conducted by the Board.
• Each paper is for an hour long. These are all multiple-choice questions and scored on a 200-800 point score.
• The tests evaluate the aspirants on the basis of their knowledge for the particular subject in the High School. This means that the high school students need to brush their skills to appear for the test. 
• These tests are given for 6 times in any school academic year. It has to be given on the same day and the same test centre as the SAT. But not all the 20 subjects are made available on every SAT date.
• The aspirants can undergo the Listening test in November. After the year 2020, the tests are offered in May. The registration will be accepted on November 2019, November 2020, and May 2021.
• The aspirant is allowed to take one, two, or three subject tests on any date.
• Both SAT and SAT subject tests can be undertaken on the same day.
• Some of the SAT subject tests require the aspirants to bring special equipment like CD players which is an aid for language and listening tests.
• The choice of subjects is only allowed at the time of registration and the aspirant cannot make any changes in the centre before the tests.

What is SAT Subject Test Vs SAT?

Colleges and universities make use of SAT and SAT subject tests to grant admission to the aspirants. SAT evaluates the general knowledge and critical reasoning of the aspirant whereas SAT subject test evaluates the proficiency of the aspirant in particular subjects.

Some points of difference between the two are mentioned below:

• Colleges make use of the SAT scores to grant admission to the aspirants. Colleges make use of SAT subject test for admission in particular courses. Some colleges may even recommend that one or more subject tests should be undertaken.
• The duration for the SAT test is 3 hours without the essay and 3 hours 50 minutes with essay. The duration of the SAT subject test is 1 hour.
• SAT test is offered 7 times in a year whereas SAT subject test 6 times in a year. Not all subjects are offered on the same dates.
• The subjects covered in the SAT are Maths, Reading, Writing and Language, and Essay which is optional. The SAT subject test offers 20 subjects in all and the aspirant can opt for a single subject.
• The score range for the SAT is on the scale of 400-1600 and SAT subject test can be 200-800.
• In SAT, there is no penalty for wrong answers and for the SAT subject test, a fraction of a point is deducted for wrong answers.

Other points of difference between the two are:

• Planning ahead for the SAT and the sat subject test are important. Both the tests cannot be undertaken on the same date. However, 3 subject tests can be undertaken in a single date. SAT subject test requires careful preparation as it is subject-specific.
• SAT subject test can be undertaken directly after high school.
• The SAT subject test is a multiple-choice test like the SAT but the preparation level of the SAT subject test should be known to the aspirant. Do not go unprepared for the test. Check the website of the Board for preparation guide. Strategies, test-taking, drills, and practise tests can be very helpful to guide the aspirants.
• Tutors can be very helpful in guiding the students who are undertaking the SAT subject test.

What SAT Subject Tests should I take for Pre-Med?

The SAT subject tests which can be undertaken for Pre-Med are Physics, Biology, Chemistry, and Math 2. Very few schools require a score of 3 subject tests. But one point to remember here is that being pre-med does not mean that all Science has to be there in the 3 subjects. Literature can also be taken. Math 2, one branch of Science, and Humanities can also be the combo to undertake the SAT subject tests for Pre-Med.

What is the SAT reasoning test?

SAT reasoning test is a standard test which can be very useful to evaluate the academic and analytical skills of the aspirants. It is common in the United States that citizens and foreigners appear for this test. A certain passing score is also important if the aspirant has to get through any prestigious university.  SAT 1 has a simple structure and is based on three main sections. Critical reading section score includes 67 diverse tasks. The time allotted to finish the section is 70 minutes.

For the writing section, the aspirants have to complete 49 tasks and the time for the test is 1 hour. In the Math section, they have to attempt 54 tasks and the time allotted to complete the task is 70 minutes. The total time for the SAT Reasoning Test is 4 hours. In the end, each aspirant has to do the tasks of the experimental section.

Preparation of the SAT Reasoning Test

It is recommended to work for each segment and take care of the weaknesses. The aspirant should possess a good and sound vocabulary, knowledge of the sentence formation, and the skill to identify the text quickly. The regularity of reading is a must for the exam.

The Writing Section requires effort and time for the preparation of the test. Grammar, vocabulary, and spelling are the parameters for the aspirants to prepare for this segment. People writing the essay should also prepare for the same so that they can easily undertake the exam. The successful completion of the SAT reasoning test will give the opportunity to avail admission in the undergraduate course.

What time the SAT Exam starts?

Timing plays a very important role when it comes to the SAT test. Managing and planning the test as per the time allotted is an important step which cannot be overlooked. Plan the day ahead on time as latecomers are not allowed in the test centres. SAT happens on Saturday mornings and the gate closes at 8 a.m. Hence the aspirants should aim to be present in the centre by 7:45 am. The aspirant has to come with the Admission Card and requires time to locate the class and the seat for the test. The examiner will distribute the sheet and the aspirants will take some time to fill the personal details and the actual test will start by 8:30 a.m.

SAT stands for Scholastic Aptitude Test or Scholastic Assessment Test. It is a standard test which allows the students to undertaken test to judge their critical reasoning aptitude and get admission in the undergraduate courses in varied colleges and universities abroad, especially United States, Australia, and Canada. It is given by nearly 2 million students every year. A valid passport is required by the foreign students to appear for the test in the country.

What does the SAT Exam test stand for?

Initially SAT meant Scholastic Aptitude Test and in 1993, it was renamed as SAT Reasoning Test for SAT 1 and SAT Subject Test for SAT II. Due to the popularity attached with it, it has emerged as a brand and people know that it stands as a ticket to admission in colleges and universities which accept the scores to grant entry for the undergraduate courses. There are several colleges in the USA which accept the scores both for US citizens and foreigners to grant admission. Interested students can view the test dates every year as the test is scheduled 7 times in a year.

What does the SAT test you on?

SAT test which is meant to judge the skill of the student in three core areas. These are critical reading, Math, and writing. Evidence-based reading and writing are undertaken by the aspirants. Students of Grade 11th and 12th can appear for the test and this gives them time to submit the scores on the SAT to colleges as a part of the admission procedure. There is also an optional essay writing which requires a time duration of 50 minutes extra for completion. Section score is mentioned below:

Section Sub-Section Total testing time questions and types Content/skill required & breakdown

Evidence-based Reading 65 minutes 52 reading and vocabulary

Reading/writing Writing 35 Minutes 44 grammar and usage

Math 80 minutes 58 problem solving, data

Analysis, the Heart of  Algebra.

What is the difference between the SAT and ACT?

Both are universally accepted by the colleges and universities in the USA. For a test-taker, it is common to undertake both the exams. It allows admission for the undergraduate courses in the colleges. The idea behind the tests is to make high school students ready to face college admissions.

• The time duration for the SAT is 3 hours and 50 minutes whereas for ACT is 2 hours and 55 minutes.
• There are 154 questions in the SAT and 215 in the ACT. Every question in SAT offers 1 minute 10 seconds for attempting and in ACT the time offered for each question is 49 seconds.
• Scoring also differs for each test. For the SAT, the total scores range from 400-1600 whereas in the ACT the composite score runs from 1-36. The ranges do not include optional essays.
• Cost of the exams also varies. SAT costs $47.50 for test and $64.50 for the optional essay. The ACT costs $50.50 for exam only and $67 if the optional writing test is undertaken. SAT and ACT can be undertaken as organised by special authorities. It is state support.

Take-Away

It depends upon the student to select the test which they want to appear. Both are popular in the USA. Sat has become quite popular across the world and aspirants in overwhelming number appear for the test. There are varied reasons for the students to take coaching for the tests. It gives them the confidence and the skill to write the test.