About SAT

The SAT is a standardised test for college admissions in the United States. The SAT is owned, published, and developed by the College Board, a nonprofit organisation in the United States. It was first called the Scholastic Aptitude Test, then the Scholastic Assessment Test, but now SAT does not stand for anything, hence it is an empty acronym.

The SAT is a globally recognised college admission test that lets students show colleges what they know and how well they can apply the knowledge. It tests your knowledge of reading, writing and math — subjects that are taught every day in high school classrooms. Most students take the SAT during their Class 11 or Class 12, and almost all colleges and universities use the SAT to make admission decisions.

The SAT doesn’t test logic or abstract reasoning. It tests the skills they are learning in school: reading, writing and math. The knowledge and skills in these subjects are important for success in college and throughout life.

Test Format

Section Type of Questions Score Time Alloted Number of Questions/Tasks
Reading Sentence completions, reading comprehension and paragraph-length critical reading. 200-800 65 Mins 52
Writing and Language Grammar, usage, and word choice. 35 Mins 44
Eassy (Optional) Optional and given at the end of the SAT; postsecondary institutions determine whether they will require the Essay for admission. Tests reading, analysis, and writing skills; students produce a written analysis of a provided source text. on each of three dimensions for Essay and result reported separately 50 Mins 1
Mathematics Algebra and functions; statistics, probability, and data analysis; number and operations; geometry. 200-800 80 Mins 58
Total 180 Mins (230 Mins with Essay) 154 (155 with Essay)


Major Features of SAT

Comparison of the Major Features: Pre-March-2016 SAT and New SAT
Category Pre-March-2016 SAT New SAT
Total Test Time 3 hours and 45 minutes 3 hours (plus 50 minutes for the Essay [optional])
Components
  1. Critical Reading
  2. Writing
  3. Mathematics
  4. Essay
  • Evidence-Based Reading and Writing
  1. Reading Test
  2. Writing and Language Test
  • Math
  • Essay (optional)
Important Features
  • Emphasis on general reasoning skills
  • Emphasis on vocabulary, often in limited contexts
  • Complex scoring (a point for a correct answer and a deduction for an incorrect answer; blank responses have no impact on scores)
  • Focus on the knowledge, skills, and understandings that research has identified as most important for college and career readiness and success
  • Greater emphasis on the meaning of words in extended contexts and on how word choice shapes meaning, tone, and impact
  • Rights-only scoring (no penalty for guessing)
Essay
  • Required and given at the beginning of the SAT
  • 25 minutes to write the essay
  • Tests writing skill; students take a position on a presented issue
  • Optional and given at the end of the SAT; postsecondary institutions determine whether they will require the Essay for admission
  • 50 minutes to write the essay
  • Tests reading, analysis, and writing skills; students produce a written analysis of a provided source text
Score Reporting
  • Scale ranging from 600 to 2400
  • Scale ranging from 200 to 800 for Critical Reading; 200 to 800 for Mathematics; 200 to 800 for Writing
  • Essay results scaled to multiple-choice Writing
  • Scale ranging from 400 to 1600
  • Scale ranging from 200 to 800 for Evidence-Based Reading and Writing; 200 to 800 for Math; 2 to 8 on each of three dimensions for Essay
  • Essay results reported separately
Subscore Reporting None Subscores for every test, providing added insight for students, parents, admission officers, educators, and counselors

Study Level
Under Graduate
Mode of Test
Offline
Conducting Authority
CollegeBoard

Test Format

180 Min

Duration of Test

6

Frequency per year

0 - 1600

Score Range

5 Years

Test Score Validity

Eligibility

  • There is no criteria of minimum marks etc. for appearing in the SAT Reasoning Test
  • Students can appear in this exam either after completion of their Class XII from a recognised university or education board. They can also take this test while studying in Class XII or Class XI.
  • Students should keep college deadlines in mind while appearing in the exam.
  • Scores that are finally considered depend upon which college the student wishes to apply to.
  • Students can reappear for the exam for desired results.

Deadlines

Select the academic year of your choice to see the deadlines

* {{deadline.date}} {{deadline.month}}, {{deadline.year}} *

{{deadline.label}}

* {{deadline.date}} {{deadline.month}}, {{deadline.year}} *

{{deadline.label}}

* Tentative dates. Actual dates will be updated soon.
Coming soon.
Are you prepared enough to crack the exam? Take Mock Test
Departments for which this exam is relevant
Architecture
Art & Design
Bio Sciences & Biotechnology
Business Management
Computer Graphics & Animation
Computer Science & Information Technology
Economics & Commerce (B Com/H)
Education & Teaching
Engineering & Technology
Fashion
Healthcare
Hospitality, Tourism & Events
Humanities
Journalism, Media, PR & Communication
Law
Linguistics (English Lit. & Hons)
Mathematics & Statistics
Medicine
Music & Dance
Psychology
Science
Sports

Application Process

There are few options to complete the SAT registration.

Register Online

The quickest and easiest way to register is online:

  • Choose the test date and test centre in real time.
  • Upload the required photo easily and quickly
  • Receive immediate registration confirmation.
  • Get 24-hour access to registration for printing or correcting the Admission Ticket.
  • View SAT scores
  • Order score reports and use Score Choic to select scores to send from prior test dates
  • This allows student information to be sent to colleges and scholarship programmes that are looking for students with similar profile

Procedure

  • Go to CollegeBoard's online registration page to start making an account.
  • Enter student information. This includes things like name, gender, where one lives, where he/she lives, and his/her contact information.
  • Filled in a parent or guardian's information. This requires mostly name and contact information.
  • Create a username and password as well as just a question about whose filling out the form.

Register by Mail

Students should register by mail if they need to:

  • Pay by cheque or money order (payable to "The College Board").
  • Are younger than 13 years old.
  • Register for Sunday testing for the first time due to a religious observance.
  • Request that we open a test centre nearer to your home.
  • Cannot upload a digital photo as part of the online registration process.
  • Take the test in Benin, Cameroon, Ghana, Nigeria or Togo.
  • Register through an SAT representative (required in Kenya).

To register by mail, students need the Paper Registration Guide for the SAT, which is available from the school counsellor. The Guide includes a registration form and return envelope.

When filling out the form, students may need a College Board code number for college majors, college and scholarship programmes, test centres or high schools.

Procedure

  • You must pick up an SAT Registration Booklet, which is available at your school counsellor's office.
  • The student can mail in their cheque of the fee as well as your registration.
  • If the student loses the envelope then it can be mailed to:

College Board SAT Program
901 South 42nd Street
Mount Vernon, IL 62864

Photo Requirements

Students must submit a photo with his/her registration for the SAT. The photo provides becomes a part of the student's Admission Ticket.

Waitlist Status

  • Standby test taking is not permitted.
  • In some cases, one can request waitlist status if he/she misses the last registration deadline, or if the paper registration has returned unprocessed without enough time to resubmit it.

Test registration on test day at the test centre is not available. If the requested test centre is closed due to weather or some other unexpected condition, the waitlist request is cancelled and students are notified. If there is still time, students may be able to submit a new waitlist request for another centre. Waitlist requests cannot be made for scheduled makeup test administrations.

Requests

  • This is only available online — one cannot use the paper registration form or call Customer Service.
  • Only one test centre and one test type (SAT or SAT Subject Tests) on any particular test administration date is chosen.

Test results usually are published within 15-20 days of the test. There is never a specific date for the publishing of the results.

Candidate can check the dates from here

Preparation

Required Time: 6 months / 12 months

Books
Official SAT Study Guide
The College Board
Cracking the SAT
Princeton Review
Barrons SAT
Sharon Green

Preparation Tips

A large number of web sites, study guides and coaching institutes may confuse the student, and he/she may not know where to start from. Yes, sometimes it is really helpful to have professional guidance for SAT preparation. That way it is easier to know, what is right and wrong, where one should invest more time, what are the tricks and tips and most importantly get a platform to assess ourselves, in the build up to the SAT.

International Educational Gateway Pvt. Ltd. © 2019. All Rights Reserved.