Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT)

Purpose:

SAT is a College Entrance Examination and is mandatory to clear to get admission in Colleges in USA and Canada. This is a method to compare the students by an objective way. The aim of the test is to measure the student’s ability to do college work. Scores in SAT helps the colleges to judge the applicant’s sustainability to their standards. Though SAT test scores are basic consideration for admission in various colleges in USA and Canada, the admission officer considers certain other factors like high school grades and courses, work experience, application essays, leadership qualities, the admission interview, and ethnic background.

The Education Testing Services offers the SAT dates seven times a year between October and June. Mostly the days of examination falls on Saturday. But, if, any student who cannot take the SAT on Saturday for religious reasons can appear in the test on following Sunday subject to produce a proof from clergyman on official letterhead explaining reasons that prevent the student to appear in the exam on Saturday. Accordingly, the registration form is needed to fill in special test center code i.e., 01000.

Eligibility:

All students who are desirous of joining the college education and that too in the college of their interest are required to appear in the SAT test.

Pattern:

The SAT is conducted in two parts i.e. SAT I and SAT II. The SAT I is of three hours long. It consists of 75 minutes of verbal testing (30+30+15) which consists of two sections of 30 minutes and one of 15 minutes. Math testing is also on the same system. The experimental section is of 30 minutes and can either be verbal or math. Though scores of experimental section are not considered but testing center hardly disclose which test is experimental and which is real.

The SAT II is the most important test because Colleges usually ask for three SAT II scores. This is to judge the students’ ability to recognize and correct mistakes in grammar, sentence structure and word choice. It is an hour (20+40 minutes) duration test. 20 minutes for the essay writing and 40 minutes to answer sixty multiple-choice questions. It covers subjects such as writing, literature, foreign languages, history, math, and science. Special emphasis is on essays.

The verbal section of the SAT tests vocabulary, ability to understand relationship between words, and capability to read and comprehend. For getting good scores practice of answering analogy, sentence completion, and good vocabulary helps a lot. In the test there are approx 78 questions that are further sub divided: 19 analogies, 19 sentence completions, and 40 critical reading questions. There is approx a minute time for answering each question.

In the math section, there are sixty math questions – 35 standard multiple-choice questions, 15 quantitative comparisons, and 10 grid-in questions. The students are tested in fractions/units, word problems, equations, geometry problems, and quantitative comparison.

Better score in SAT I and II can get the individual admitted in better Colleges/Universities. On-line facilities to get the score report is available on phone by paying $10.00 per report and through online after paying $6.50 per report at www.collegeboard.org/sat. Second time registration by phone or online can be made on the same address, if a student already got registered.

SAT and the Internet.

Useful Sites include http://www.review.com/. It includes dissection of recent tests.

and http://www.powerprep.com/. Which includes vocabulary tips of the day and free weekly on-line classes.