The Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) is a specifically designed test that examines students on whether they are prepared to go to college or not. The SAT Reasoning Test has been developed and is owned by the College Board of USA, and on it admissions are based for the graduate colleges in the country. SAT was initiated in the year 1901 and since then has undergone a number of changes to create the form it has today. It is essential as it tells the institutes whether a school pass out is actually learned enough to attend college in USA.
The SAT is accepted by almost all graduate level colleges in US. Any student who has appeared for the final year of high school is eligible to apply for it. It costs an approximate amount of 45$. SAT Reasoning Test takes place seven times in a year, in the months of October, November, December, January, March (or April in alternate years), May and June. It usually happens on the first Saturday of the month.
The SAT Reasoning Test is a three hour and forty five minute long examination. It marks a student on his/her literacy and writing skills, skill to analyze, and problem solving skills.
SAT Reasoning Test is divided into three broad categories. The Critical Writing Section, the Mathematics Section, and the Writing Section. Each of these sections are subdivided into three parts and ten sub-sections. Questions in SAT range in difficulty from being easy, medium and hard. Generally the easy ones appear at the top of the segment and the hard ones in the end.
The Critical Writing Section (60 minute section) consists of three parts. Two of them are of 25 minutes each, and one of 20 minutes. It will test the candidates’ knowledge of grammar, usage and diction. Also vocabulary and understanding of the English language. The three segments comprise of sentence completion and correction, and comprehension. The latter occupies most part of this paper. There can be a passage in any subject. The number of questions and difficulty level, of them, depends on the length and comprehensibility of the passage given.
The Mathematics Section (70 minute section) is commonly known as the Quantitative or Calculation Section. It also has three divisions – two of 25 minutes each, and one of 20 minutes. The first sub section consists of 20 multiple choice questions. The second has 8 multiple choice questions and 10 grid-in questions. And the third segment includes 16 multiple choice questions. The latest subjects added to the Mathematical Section is algebra II and scatter plots. The common and most significant topics include numbers and operations, algebra and functions, geometry, statistics, probability, and data analysis.
The Writing Section (70 minute section) comprises of multiple choice questions, that form 70% of the paper, and a brief essay forming 30% of the paper. The MCQ consists of questions on error identification, sentence improvement, paragraph improvement and grammar. The essay is a 25 minute section and the topic is provided on-prompt. It judges students on their critical reading ability and sentence reading skill.
Score in SAT is between 200-800. Most of the questions are multiple choice with five choices provided for each. All the questions are given equal weight-age. A correct answer fetches one raw point and an incorrect answer deducts one fourth of the marks. However there is no negative marking for the maths grid-in questions. The average score of the Critical Section is 493, of the Mathematical Segment is 515, and of the Writing Segment is 501.
The score of a candidate reaches him/her in around three weeks. The score card contains the score obtained between 200-800, the percentile score, and the raw score which is the detail of how many positive and negative marks have made up the final score. Admission to any college is based on the SAT score in addition to the grades in school.
The SAT provides special accommodating facilities for the differently-abled students. Also for those who may not be able to appear for the test on the specified date and day.
Recently the College Board has allowed the use of calculator during the test. This is a provision that has made the Mathematics Section simpler for the students.
Preparation material is available in bulk for students to acquire. Though preparation has to be intensive, dedicated and individual based, the material provided in books, course materials, classrooms, coaching centers, is definitely helpful, as they make the basics clear and aid in solving the paper effectively.
SAT also has a Subject Test. The Subject Test is different form the Reasoning Test. While the latter is compulsory and the same for everybody, the former has a wide range of subjects to choose from. A student chooses the subject for the test according to his preference and decision of pursuing whichever subject he wants in college. So if a candidate desires to take up history in college, he will give the subject test meant for history.
SAT Subject Test consists of 20 Multiple Choice Questions. It is a Standardized Test for individual subjects respectively. Score is again in a scale of 200-800. the Subject Test is a one hour examination irrespective of the subject chosen.
Though enough care has been taken to make SAT an authentic, widely and popularly acceptable test for US colleges, it does face allegations of bias – cultural and written. Many times it has been said that students with legible neat cursive writing score more than the rest. The allegations have however failed to prevent students from taking the test.
SAT is a highly acclaimed and recognized test in the United States of America. It is kind of compulsory for admission to the good universities. It is not difficult per say, but needs extensive and intensive study by the students, both at the macro and micro level to get a high score.
