THE SAT:What you need to know

THE SAT:What you need to know

Most colleges and universities in the United States require applicants to submit scores from a standardized admission test. The SAT is the most widely used college admission test in the U.S.A. It is also the best-known program of the College Board, a not-for-profit membership association whose mission is to connect students to college success. The SAT is a mostly-multiple-choice test that assesses students’ critical thinking and problem-solving abilities, based on the knowledge they have developed through their school coursework. SAT scores help colleges and universities make informed admissions decisions by providing one indicator of a student’s academic readiness to do university-level work. SAT scores also help students determine the colleges where they are most likely to be successful.

What does the SAT test?

The SAT consists of three sections: critical reading, mathematics, and writing. Each section is scored on a scale of 200-800.

THE CRITICAL READING SECTION, formerly called the verbal section, tests your ability to understand college-level passages written in English. The questions in this section will ask you to complete sentences with the appropriate word or words, or to answer questions that show your comprehension of short and long reading passages.

THE MATH SECTION assesses how well you analyze and solve problems—skills you learned in school that you’ll need in college. It includes questions that ask you to work with algebraic formulas, linear functions, exponential growth and manipulations with exponents, properties of tangent lines, absolute value, functional notation, geometric figures, probability, and to analyze data. Some of the questions are multiple-choice, while others will require you to fill in your own answer.

THE WRITING SECTION includes multiple-choice questions to test how well you use standard written English. You also will be required to write a brief essay. The multiple-choice questions assess your ability to identify sentence errors, improve sentences, and improve paragraphs. The essay question asks you to take a position on an issue and use examples to support your position. The readers who score your essay will know that the essay was written in a short amount of time and is a first draft. They will not expect a polished piece of writing.

They will read your essay to see how well you organize and express your point of view and develop and support your main idea.

How long is the SAT?

The test is three hours and forty-five minutes.

How does the Writing section affect students for whom English is a foreign language (EFL)?

EFL students perform just as well or better on writing assessments than they do on other verbal measures. Essay topics are selected to be accessible to the general test-taking population, including EFL students. The essay is scored holistically, that is, based on the overall quality of the essay and your demonstration of writing competence. Even with some errors in spelling, punctuation, and grammar, you can still get a top score on the essay. And remember that colleges and universities use the SAT as just one factor among others when making admissions decisions.

How should students prepare?

The best way to prepare for the SAT is to participate actively in your own education. Choose challenging classes, read as much as you can in and out of school and practice your writing. Students whose first language is not English will want to become as familiar with standard written English as they can. It is also a good idea for students to familiarize themselves with the SAT so they know what to expect on test day. You should be familiar with the different kinds of questions on the SAT and the directions for each kind of question. Sample SAT questions and a full-length practice test are available for free in the SAT Preparation Center (www.collegeboard.com/satprep). A full-length practice test is also in the free SAT Preparation Booklet, available in many high school (secondary school) guidance offices or at an advising center in your country.

If you want more preparation, you can also pay to take full-length practice SATs in The Official SAT Online Course, or purchase a copy of the College Board’s book The Official SAT Study Guide: For the New SAT. The Online Course offers 18 interactive lessons that prepare students for all the question types in the three sections of the SAT, including the essay. The book features similar lessons and a different set of practice tests in a printed format. It is available for sale online and in bookstores in most countries.

SAT Subject Tests

SAT Subject Tests are one-hour tests designed to measure how much students know about a particular academic subject and how well they can apply that knowledge. There are 20 subject tests in areas such as French, Chemistry, and World History. Check with the universities where you may apply to learn their requirements or recommendations for SAT Subject Tests.

How to register

The best way to register for the SAT is online at www.collegeboard.com. Registering online is easy and allows you to receive instant confirmation and the best chance to get your first choice test center. A credit card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover) is required. If you do not have Internet access, you can register by mail by completing the form in the SAT Registration Booklet, available at an advising center in your country, or with an SAT Representative. (The advisor or counselor who gave you this magazine will probably know who the official SAT Representatives in your country are.)

For more information on the SAT, including test dates and fees, please visit www.collegeboard.com.

by Brian O’Reilly, Executive Director of SAT Information Services at the College Board.

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