Taking the SAT Reasoning Test
General Information
The Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) used be referred to as the SAT I. In 2004, the SAT I became simply known as the SAT, and the SAT II are SAT Subject Tests.
Most students take the test as juniors and seniors in high school. Some privileged students are able to take the test earlier in their secondary schooling.
Most colleges require SAT testing for admission. Check directly with the college you plan on attending for complete requirements.
Topics and Types of Questions
You have a total time of 3 hours and 45 minutes to complete the test, which should be plenty. During your test, you have mostly multiple choice questions along with a 25 minute written essay and 10 'fill-in' type of math questions.
Starting in 2006, a new SAT came into place. It has been formatted so that colleges can still cross reference the old and new scores. There are three sections each with a scoring range from 200-800:
- mathematics
- critical reading
- writing
The topics vary and most likely will not be familiar to your former high school experience. You will find yourself reasoning, analyzing, and making associations to achieve your answers.
Preparation and Test Day
It is recommended to take the PSAT along with practice tests to get a feel for the kind of questions you will encounter. The test is not what you would call 'cut and dry'. The manner in which you are asked a question greatly affects how you respond. Get used to the format and you will save time during the test. Please note there is no limit on how many times you can take the test.
On test day, make sure you eat a low sugar breakfast. You may bring drinks or snacks for use during break times, but eating or drinking during the test is not allowed. Also stay away from booze the night before since hangovers do not mix well with test taking, and yes, you can take your calculator as long as it's not noisy or has a keyboard.
Differences between the SAT and ACT
Especially in the South and Midwest sections of the United States, you may have difficulty in deciding which test to take. It wouldn't hurt to take both, but I doubt you like testing that much.
The ACT consists of a science section dealing with reasoning instead of general science knowledge. The ACT also does not require an essay section to be included in scoring, unlike the SAT. To college admissions offices, either test is sufficient, but you may want to take one over the other in regards to your strongest skills.
Popular Myths
You may have heard rumors that it's a harder test in either spring or fall. All tests on all dates have the same level of difficulty. It's also been said that you receive a 200 or 400 is you just sign you name. There is some validity to this because the SAT scorers do not report any score under 200. If you do not fill out any answers, it will be treated as a request to cancel your scoring sheet. It's still basically a zero.
