II. The nuts and bolts

1. The structure of the SAT
2. Difficult vs. easy problems
3. How is the SAT scored?
4. How to register for the test?
5. Test dates and fees
6. What is the difference between SAT and ACT?
7. Which colleges require which tests?
8. How important is the SAT for the College admissions Process?

1. The structure of the SAT

   The SAT test consists of three sections:
   • Critical Reading: 70 minutes total (two 25-minute sections and one 20-minute section). This section includes 19 questions on sentence completion and 48 questions based on short reading passages that are typically 100 to 200 words long. The sentence completion questions focus primarily on testing the student's vocabulary typically by asking a student to choose a word that best completes a given sentence.Click here to view examples. The reading passages can cover various subjects and test the student's reading ability and comprehension. The critical reading section counts for 1/3 of the total score.
   • Writing: 60 minutes total (one 25-minute essay, one 25-minute multiple-choice section, and one 10-minute multiple-choice section). This section includes three multiple-choice grammar question types: identifying sentence errors, improving sentences, and improving paragraphs. These sections test your knowledge of sentence structure, awkwardness, wordiness, diction, etc.
   • Mathematics: 70 minutes total (two 25-minute sections and one 20-minute section). The Math section has just two math question types: multiple-choice items and student-produced responses (on each student-produced response question students have to fill in their own answer in a special four-column grid).Click here to view examples.
   The Math section also includes some Algebra II-level questions for the first time, but there are only a few Algebra II questions on each test. Essentially, the Math section on the SAT includes mostly logic and reasoning questions that also appeared on the old SAT. Click here to view examples. There are however some more technical questions that rely on formulas and calculator usage (before you take the SAT, check with the College Board Web site to see if there has been any change in the calculator policy).

2. Difficult vs. easy problems

   The question of what's hard and what's easy is obviously somewhat subjective and depends on the individual skill set and abilities. Here, however, you can find examples of questions that would be deemed to represent the different levels of difficulty.

3. How is the SAT scored?

   Each section is graded on a scale of 200 to 800, with additional subscores reported for the essay ranging from 2 to 12) and for multiple-choice writing questions (on a 20-80 scale). Since there are three sections, the total maximum score one could get is 2400. Some colleges use only the Math and Critical Reading scores in their admission decision process. The maximum score for these colleges is 1600.

   In addition to their score, students receive their percentile (the percentage of other test takers with lower scores). For example, if you scored close to the mean or average about 500 on SAT critical reading and 500 on SAT mathematics admissions staff would know that you scored as well as about half of the students who took the test nationally.

4. How to register for the test?

   One can register for the test at the official College board website, a non-profit organization that owns the SAT. Students can also register by mail. (please see details at www.collegeboard.com)

5. Test dates and fees

   The SAT is offered 7 times a year in the months of October, November, December, January, March,May and June. The tests are administered on Saturdays (Sunday administrations are offered to students whose religious beliefs prevent them from taking the test on a Saturday.

   The SAT Reasoning Test costs $45. For the Subject tests, students pay a $20 Basic Registration Fee and $9 per test in addition to basic registration. The College Board makes fee waivers available for low income students. Additional fees apply for late registration, standby testing, registration changes, scores by telephone, and extra score reports.

6. What is the difference between SAT and ACT?

   The ACT is very similar to the SAT. It is also a verbal and math test. The name of the organization that owns the ACT is ACT Inc.

7. Which colleges require which tests?

   The majority of colleges will accept either test. In addition, many colleges have developed conversion charts that compare the SAT scores directly to the ACT scores. Most of these colleges just take whichever score is higher.

   Some top-tier colleges also require SAT Subject Tests. SAT Subjects Tests is the collective name for 20 multiple-choice tests given on individual subjects such as Math, Literature, Biology, U.S. History, and a range of languages. Students should always check to find out which tests are required by the colleges they wish to apply to.

8. How important is the SAT for the College admissions Process?

   For the majority of colleges, SAT scores are an important part of the overall admissions decision. Most times the SAT scores rank second only to the student's GPA. The SAT score, however, is just a part of the application. Many colleges will pay as much attention to your other strengths and accomplishments as they do to your academic results. You can receive a very high score but may not be accepted to the school of your choice nevertheless due to some other problems with your application.