SAT Exam Full Form
What is SAT Exam?
Why SAT Exam?
SAT Exam in Registration
There are various things that are to be made note of and adhered to, to ensure a candidate can successfully register themselves for a SAT Exam and complete the process. They are:
- Registration for the SAT Exam can be done by the candidates online, by mail, or by phone.
- The SAT exam Registrations are open throughout the year, but the candidates are required to book their upcoming SAT Entrance exam dates according to their convenience and the available slots in the respective testing centres.
- Due to the pandemic, the College Board or The SAT official website has advised the universities to extend their deadlines mainly due to the test centres being closed owing to the lockdowns and the various protocols of the State & Central government.
- As for the change in the test date or in the case of late registration, the candidates will have to pay additional fees for the changes made.
- Also, the candidates who have missed the deadline for the date can apply for a waitlist.
- There are limited dates allocated for the SAT Exams, and so it is recommended that candidates should first find their selected college and if the SAT exams are needed or test-optional.
SAT Exam Eligibility
Though the College Board has not set any eligibility criteria for the SAT Exams, the SAT exams are used for the admissions of international students to undergraduate programs and the candidates should appear for their exams during their 11th or 12th standard. There is no specific age limit for those who are attending the SAT exam, however, those aged between 17 years – 19 years have recorded the highest turnout for their exams. Countries that majorly accept the SAT scores and their results are the USA, Canada, The UK, the Netherlands, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, and many others.
SAT Eligibility Criteria
Criteria for the Exam | Details |
SAT Exam Eligibility | There have been no fixed criteria introduced yet. |
SAT Exam Age Limit | There is no set age limit for the SAT exams, hence the candidates who wish to appear for the exams can appear for them without any confusion regarding their age being a limit. |
Educational Qualification | To apply for SAT Exam, there is no educational requirement. However, those who are in their high school student level can start preparing for this exam in their high school years if they have an idea to pursue a degree. |
Frequency | There is no set limit to the number of times a candidate can appear for SAT exams and can appear for them till they clear it. Though it is advised to ensure that the candidates appear for the exams at least twice before finishing their high school education. |
SAT Exam Age Limit
As a norm, the candidates who are studying their 10th and 11th standard attempt the SAT exam as stated by the College Board and the age of the applicants are usually around 17 – 19 years.
The statement given by the College Board states certain rules pertaining to the age levels of the candidates who can appear to the SAT exams which are as follows:
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Students who are under the age of 13 can only register via phone or mail. Due to internet privacy restrictions, students under this age are unable to apply online. Also, students who apply via phone are eligible for a cast waiver.
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Students who are below the grade of 9th do not need to submit a photo along with their registration, however, are supposed to produce a valid photo ID to the exam centre.
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Students who are above the age of 21 should bring along with them a valid government-issued photo ID to their exam centre.
SAT Eligibility for Students with Disabilities
College Board provides added facilities and exclusions to eligible candidates/students who appear for the SAT exams with disabilities. But these extra perks and additional assistance can only be provided after the approval given by the College Board’s Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) unit beforehand. Once the facilities are approved by the governing body, the student will be eligible to apply for the additional facilities for both the SAT General and the SAT Subject Tests.
Below listed are the List of the Facilities for Disabled Students:
- Usage of large–print exams and Braille for visually-impaired students
- Extra time is given to the students for completing the tests
- For during essay sections, computers are provided.
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Additional breaks are permitted to be taken during the exam.
SAT Exam Syllabus
The SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test) is a test that only tests a candidate on some of the Math and English topics which they would have learnt in their high school, hence being deemed as neither a test of academic excellence nor a test of intelligence. Though there are no set models or any reference books from which a student/candidate can work through to prepare for the SAT exam, it is possible to analyse each section and the related question types to understand its content and the necessary skills which are required to prepare oneself for the SAT exam syllabus 2023.
Some of the updates and changes that are implemented in the SAT Syllabus 2023 that can be seen are as follows:
- The College Board has announced that the optional SAT Essay Section is discontinued.
- They have announced that the SAT essay will be rolled out.
- They have however made the optional SAT Essay (available since 2021) in places where it is mandated under SAT School Day Administration. Hence, it is recommended for the test-takers to double-check the pre-requisites of the SAT Exam and other processes with their intended school.
The SAT exam has two types: General Test and Subject Test
SAT Exam Pattern:
The exam pattern for SAT consists of two major divisions which are:
- Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW)
- Math
- Essay(optional)
In the two sections EBRW and Math, they are scored in the range of 200 – 800. Though the SAT Essay score despite being optional, many colleges and universities require this score as well during their application process wherein the score range for the Essay section is 2 – 8.
Some of the Highlights of the SAT Exam Pattern are:
- The two sections of the EBRW (Evidence-Based Reading and Writing) and Math along with the optional Essay section have questions with Multiple-choice answers where the candidate has to select the correct or the best answer from the options.
- Math is further divided into two – One can be taken with a calculator and another, without the use of a calculator.
- For the most, questions in Math are based on Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ’s), but some questions are grid-ins (i.e. students should solve the question first and fill the answer of the correct answer in the bubble sheet.
- The duration of the exam is for 3 hours and the SAT with Essay is 3 hours and 50 minutes long.
- The time limit of the exam is further broken down into having 100 minutes for attempting EBRW and 80 minutes for Math.
- The table provided below gives an idea about the SAT Exam pattern where the candidates can know the time allotted for the exam, the number of questions asked, the score range allotted for the test, and many more.
| Number of Sections | 4 (2 EBRW: 2 Math) |
| Duration of Exam | 180 minutes (without Essay) |
| Language of Paper | English |
| Mode of Examination | Pencil – Paper |
| Negative Marking | None |
| Number of Questions | 154 |
| Score Range | 400 – 1600 |
The table given below mentions the recent updations done to the SAT Exam Syllabus and it is based on the two main sections – EBRW and Maths, and also an additional essay section which is opted by candidates sometimes.
Section | Sub-Section | Number of Questions | Time Limit (minutes) | Score Range |
Evidence-Based Reading and Writing | Reading Test | 52 | 65 | 200 – 800 |
Writing and Language Test | 44 | 35 | ||
Mathematics | Math without a Calculator | 20 | 25 | 200 – 800 |
Math with a Calculator | 38 | 55 | ||
Essay (optional) | – | 1 | 50 | 2 to 8 |
Total | – | 154 (155 with Essay) | 180 (230 with Essay) | 400 – 1600 |
SAT Exam Preparation
The SAT Exam Preparation that produces a very successful result is not an easy journey. To prepare the candidates for the high-school level SAT exam which consists of areas in Reading, Writing, Language, and Math subjects, it is crucial to create a unique study plan/program and figure out a schedule that works best for you to ensure that you ace the test. SAT preparation is a process of careful and thorough reading, research, and revision of numerous newspaper and academic articles and a recurring practice of numerous sample papers.
How to prepare for SAT Exam?
Normally for SAT Preparation, it takes an average of three months to prepare for it where the SAT coaching can help the candidates to strengthen their weaknesses through regular teaching and practice sessions. To help the candidates further understand what the SAT Exam is all about, a clear study plan is necessary which consists of going through numerous previous year SAT exam question papers because for a beginner/first time-taker, it can help in properly guiding the candidate of what he/she can expect from the Exam, and for a re-taker solving the previous year papers can help them strengthen their weak areas.
SAT Results
How to Check SAT Results?
The SAT score report is available to candidates through their College Board profile.
How to Check Your SAT Scores
Step 1: Go to the College Board’s website.
Step 2: Log in using your ID and password.
Step 3: Navigate to My Organiser and then to SAT Scores.
Step 4: Navigate to Access My Scores and input your login and password.
Step 5: Navigate to My Test Scores.
Step 6: Your SAT results will be shown on the screen.
Candidates can use Score Choice to transmit their score reports to colleges.
SAT Scores
- The Total Score: The Total Score, as the name implies, is the total of the two Section Scores, and it runs from 400 to 1600.
- Sectional Score: The sectional score varies from 200 to 800 and is based on the candidate’s performance on the Math Section and the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing Sections.
- Subscore (marks scored in each type of question): Reading, Writing and Language, and Math Sections all have multiple point subscores ranging from 1 to 15. The primary goal of Subscores is to give extra insight into the students’ performance.
- Essay score (if applicable): Candidates who took the SAT with the essay will see their essay reading (2-8 points), writing (2-8 points), and analysis (2-8 points) scores posted under the Essay Details ta
SAT Scores
- The Total Score: The Total Score, as the name implies, is the total of the two Section Scores, and it runs from 400 to 1600.
- Sectional Score: The sectional score varies from 200 to 800 and is based on the candidate’s performance on the Math Section and the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing Sections.
- Subscore (marks scored in each type of question): Reading, Writing and Language, and Math Sections all have multiple point subscores ranging from 1 to 15. The primary goal of Subscores is to give extra insight into the students’ performance.
- Essay score (if applicable): Candidates who took the SAT with the essay will see their essay reading (2-8 points), writing (2-8 points), and analysis (2-8 points) scores posted under the Essay Details tab.
- Student’s percentile: The student’s percentile score indicates how well the student fared on the SAT exam in comparison to other test-takers.
At a Glance – Components of an SAT Score Report and what they mean
| Components | Description | Score Range |
| Total Score | The aggregate of the two-section scores | 400–1600 |
| Section Scores | Evidence-Based Reading and Writing, and Math Sections | 200–800 |
| Test Scores | Reading, Writing and Language, and Math Sections. | 10–40 |
SAT Essay Scores (optional) | Reading, Analysis, and Writing. | 2–8 |
| Cross-Test | These scores show how well you use your skills to analyze texts and solve problems in these subject areas. | 10–40 |
| Sub Scores | Reading and Writing and Language: Command of Evidence and Words in Context. Writing and Language: Expression of Ideas and Standard English Conventions. Math: Heart of Algebra, Problem Solving and Data Analysis, and Passport to Advanced Math. | 1–1 |
SAT Score Range
The SAT score range is 400 -1600; this is your overall score. It is the total of your results on the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (ERW) and Math sections, each of which has a scoring range of 200 – 800.
SAT Scaled Score Range (Out of 1600) | Percentile |
1600 | 99+ |
1550 | 99+ |
1510 | 99 |
1450 | 98 |
1400 | 95 |
1330 | 90 |
1230 | 80 |
1170 | 71 |
1110 | 61 |
1060 | 51 |
1000 | 40 |
950 | 31 |
890 | 21 |
810 | 11 |
750 | 5 |
680 | 1 |
630 | 1- |
400 | 1- |
FAQs
The SAT exam conducted by the College Board is open to all high school students. As such, it is advised for students who are in their 11th or 12th standard to attend the SAT because the said age group has the highest ratio in being accepted into the universities of their choice with the scores they get in the exam.
Students can attempt the SAT Exam as many times as they wish for as there are no set limits for one to attempt them.
While appearing for the SAT Exam, candidates are required to carry with them:
- Admission ticket
- A valid photo ID
- 2 pencils with erasers
- A calculator accepted by the College Board
- If the candidate is 13 years of age or older, he/she can create a free account on College Board and register online.
- Candidates who are younger than 12, can register only through mail or phone and they need not pay for the phone registration fee.
- Candidates studying in the eighth grade or lower are not required to include a photo during registration. However, they need a valid photo ID when appearing at the exam centre.
- There is no age limit set by the College Board to attend the SAT Exam. However, those aged under 13 years are exempt from some rules mentioned.
- Those aged above 21 years are supposed to provide a government-issued valid photo ID as proof.
- Indian students, however, are only allowed to use their current valid government-issued passports as ID proofs.
Countries that majorly accept the SAT scores and their results are the USA, Canada, The UK, the Netherlands, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, and many others.
