SAT Preparation
SAT Preparation is an entrance test used to make admissions decisions by most colleges and universities. The SAT is a paper-based multiple-choice exam that has been established and administered by College Board. The aim of the SAT is to assess the readiness for college and provide one standard data point for colleges that can be used to compare all applicants. Along with the high school GPA, the enrolled courses in high school, letter of recommendation from the teachers, extracurricular activities, admissions interview and personal essays, college admissions officers may review standardized test scores. The importance of SAT scores for the college application process varies from school to school.
When is SAT offered?
Currently SAT is administered seven times a year: in March, May, June, August, October, November, and December. The most common dates are August, October, May, and June with many students taking the exam once in the spring of the junior year and then again in the senior year in August or October. For seniors, the last exam that would be approved for early decision and early action application is also the October date.
The easiest way to register for the SAT is online through http://sat.collegeboard.org/register.
What is on SAT preparation?
SAT preparation includes two sections: math and evidence-based reading and writing. An optional essay portion is also included in the SAT. SAT essay results are listed separately from the complete test results. Some universities can require candidates to complete the SAT essay. On the school website or school profiles, candidates can check the admission policies of each college. The main sections of the SAT are critical reading, writing, and math. Although there are also grid-in questions in the math field, the majority of the questions are multiple-choice. An essay is also included in the writing section. The SAT Test is made up of 10 sections where the first section includes a 25-minute essay. Sections 2 till 7 are 25-minute sections and sections 8 and 9 lasts for 20 minutes. The last one is a 10-minute multiple-choice writing section.
How long is the SAT?
The SAT lasts for 3 hours. If a candidate plans to take the SAT with Essay, then the exam will take 3 hours and 50 minutes.
How is the SAT scored?
On a 200 to 800 point scale, every segment of the SAT is scored. The number of section scores is the cumulative SAT ranking. The highest Sat score possible is 2400. Candidates are provided two subscores on the writing portion: an essay score (ranging from 2 to 12) and a multiple-choice score (ranging from 20 to 80). Key scores on the Sat are extracted by giving an extra 1 point for a correct answer and subtracting ¼ for an incorrect response. Any questions candidate miss will not be counted against their ranking. This raw score is then transformed by a statistical method referred to as ‘equating’ into a scaled score (within the range of 200-800). Candidates may compare their scores with others who have taken the test to assess how well he/she have performed on the SAT (by looking at the percentile rank). Similarly, scores can also be compared to the scores of students studying in targeted colleges.
Registration Fees for SAT?
SAT registration has innumerable fees associated with it. $50 USD is the standard SAT registration fee. The fees for the subject tests differ depending on the amount of tests candidates wish to take as well as the type of the test. In general, a one-time processing fee of $23 per registration and an extra fee of either $12 for non-language tests or $23 for a language test are the SAT subject test fees. There are extra fees charged for phone registrations, adjustments to test forms, locations or dates, late registrations, and waitlisting in addition to the regular registration fees. Similarly, there are also fees associated with sending scores to the schools or requesting more information about the specific questions and answers on tests. All of the payments for the examination and registration are non-refundable.