SAT is one of the most important tests for anyone looking to gain scholarship or study in American universities. It is controversially the equivalent of JAMB in Nigeria with almost every American university making it an admission requirement. This article will provide very helpful information on SAT and also guide prospective candidates on preparations for the test.
Each part of the test is treated in adequate detail to let you know what to expect, how your tests will be scored, which areas to concentrate, and other vital tips using the most up-to-date information available as of October 25th 2019. The article also describes a step-by-step application process, documentation requirement for both able and disabled candidates, practice tests, and scholarship possibilities opened up by SAT.
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Table of Contents
WHY THE SAT IS AN EXAM WORTH PAYING FOR.
SAT is an acronym for Scholastic Assessment Test. It is a standardized test managed by the College Board – a non-profit organization founded over a century ago with the aim to facilitate mass access to higher education in the USA. The College Board comprises over 6000 schools, colleges, and universities as members. Any student who wishes to gain admission to undergraduate schools is required to take the SAT.
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The SAT is is a very good test for scholarship hunters. It may be the one tool in your toolbox to nail that big scholarship opportunity.
The SAT test developers are content experts in physics, biology, statistics, math, English, and many other disciplines. They come up with questions that allow students to demonstrate their best thinking.
To ensure that the questions are fair to students, committees of high school and college instructors review every potential question. After all, questions are supposed to model what students learn in high school classrooms.
The SAT registration is open throughout the year. It is taken 7 times a year in the US and five times a year in other countries. To participate in a particular test you are required to apply against the deadline for that session.
Recently some changes have been made to the SAT. the goal is to ensure SAT contributes highly to your future success, not only in education, but also in your career and other areas of life. The new SAT is more oriented towards skills that are critical to your success as a student. The test assesses your knowledge of high school subjects, and how prepared you are for college.
Also read How to Prepare for SAT Exam
HOW SAT HELPS WITH SCHOLARSHIPS
If you want to study at a US university, you have to pass the SAT. It is a requirement for admission in all four-year universities. In addition to this some universities require additional examination known as the Subject Test. If your scholarship is taking you to a US university, there is no circumventing SAT. Your score is directly proportional to the chances of getting an admission.
Up to 16 major universities in the US give scholarship based on SAT. You could browse these universities and check the scholarship requirements and funding option.
Institutions around the world readily accept SAT as A valid indicator of English proficiency, and so does scholarship organization. Having a qualified SAT certificate ensures would mean that you have met any English Language requirement for College.
THE STUDENT SEARCH SERVICE
The Student Search Service (SSS) is designed to help eligible colleges, scholarship bodies and other educational programs find you. It is open to all students who took the SAT. All you have to do is opt in. information about you will be provided for these eligible entities through the database, such as name and contact information, GPA, date of birth, grade level, high school, email, etc. institutions and organization normally search for students with particular characteristics or interest to recruit them into various educational or other programs.
The SSS is free and voluntary. Institutions and organizations that participate will not receive your score as part of their membership; neither will your information be sold to any third parties.
Now that we have an idea of how SAT can offer great advantages with scholarship, let’s get back to our preparatory steps for the test. First, you need to know what is in store on the SAT.
Also read GRE Test: What to Know Before You Register
PREPARING FOR THE TEST
You cannot succeed in an exam without adequate preparation. To do this you must know the areas of concentration or the syllabus for that exam. The syllabus and your course work will let you know what the examiner requires of you. SAT is no different. Although it does not have a well-defined syllabus, there is enough information regarding what is required of you. Your understanding of this requirement will guide your approach to reading and practice.
Because SAT has no clearly defined syllabus, you would learn from this section what to expect on test day. This should give you a clear idea of what the SAT examiners assess in you so that you can better prepare for it.
KNOWING WHAT TO EXPECT
Having to deal with new things can be intimidating for most of us. This intimidation stems from a lack of or inadequate knowledge about what we would tackle. If you know what to expect, you will better prepare for it with confidence.
Questions on the SAT will not ask you to provide details or names of some concept, process, or events.In other words, questions will not be about what you memorized. Everything about the SAT questions will be designed to exercise yourthinking skills.
Everything you have learnt from childhood till now contributes in building your thinking faculty and ability to process or use information. SAT focuses on your ability to think because the world needs more people who can use their thinking abilities to solve problems, communicate clearly, and understand complex relations; also because colleges are looking for students who are skilled thinkers.
By checking your ability to think, SAT can assure colleges that you are ready to study, and this will dramatically increase your chances of being accepted. Colleges are only interested in admitting students who are very likely to succeed academically and in their careers. Because the SAT is developed according to rigorous specifications, it has a high standing with colleges in terms of its ability to measure students’ college and career readiness and success possibilities.
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TEST FORMAT
There are four parts to the SAT test, with Essay being optional, although it is mandatory for some institutions. You will have to check the requirements of the university or scholarship body you applied or will apply to. When in doubt, it is better to take the Essay. The four parts of SAT includes: Reading Test, Writing and Language Test, Math Test, and Essay. Each of these parts will be described briefly to help you understand which skills are required in each case.
| COMPONENT | TIME ALLOTED (MINUTES) | NUMBER OF QUESTION/TASKS |
| Reading | 65 | 52 |
| Writing and Language | 35 | 44 |
| Math | 80 | 58 |
| Essay (Optional) | 50 | 1 |
| Total | 180 (230 with essay) | 154 (155 with essay) |
THE SAT READING TEST
Any course you study at the university will demand a good reading skill. The ability to read text from various fields and comprehend the message will be crucial to success for a student. This section of the SAT test will evaluate how prepared you are to tackle the reading challenge at university.
About the reading passages
You will be given a pair of related passages from which questions are drawn. Passages will vary in genre, purpose, subject and complexity. The variations will ensure that you are capable of comprehending a diverse range of tests similar to those you will come across in many different university courses.
Some passages are literary in nature, and others are mainly informational. The purpose of a passage can be to narrate a story, share information, describe a process, or persuade you on something. Passages are also drawn from a wide range of subject areas with some more challenging than others such as: US and World literature, History/Social studies, and science.
Literature passages will leverage classic and recent works of fictions by authors from the US and around the world. History/Social Studies passages will select topics from economics, sociology, and political science. It can also include selections from U.S founding documents and similar texts.
Variation in complexity makes some passages relatively straight forward in purpose, presentation, and style. Others will be more complex with multiple levels of meaning, or present a twisted series of events, use long complex sentences, and other literary arts.
Nature of the questions
Some questions will require you to identify relations between passages. Because a passage or more will contain info graphics, other questions will ask you to link the information contained in them with information in the passage. Questions will focus on what is explicitly said, or implied in a passage. You will be asked about information and ideas in a passage. Some questions will be about structure, purpose, and analysis of info graphics. Unless you read closely and understand much of the messages in a passage and info graphic, you may find this part more challenging to pass.
THE SAT WRITING & LANGUAGE TEST
You are expected to know how to write both formally and informally before studying at college. With good writing skills comes effective communication. To pass any test or exams, you must be understood by the examiner. For this reason, a whole section on the SAT is dedicated to assessing this very vital skill.
Be it an essay, a poem, a news article, book, exams, etc., there are certain rules to be followed in order to make your work sharable with colleagues, teachers or an audience. There are rules guiding every writing process, from planning, to structuring, all the way to the final edit.
SAT questions will confirm whether you are able to follow the conventions of standard written English. Questions in this section are designed to stress you on a number of features. You are presented with a badly written text. Your job is to improve the expression of ideas, correct errors in sentence structure, usage, and punctuation. In other words, revise and edit.
Passages can vary across a wide range of factors similar to the ones in the reading section – from simple and straightforward passages, to horribly complex ones with all sorts of problems including graphs, chart, tables and some mechanics issues. For clarity, the passages and questions are placed side-by-side in tow columns. Each passage will spin out across multiple pages in the left column, but associated with questions on the right column with embedded question numbers.
The questions will deal with expression of ideas in the passage, like topic development, organization, and language use. Other questions will test your knowledge of English conventions with sentences, usage, and punctuation. The questions are designed to reflect closely the decisions that editors and writers make.
To succeed here, you will need to have a good understanding of context in addition to your knowledge of English conventions. Sometimes you have to focus on a particular sentence in the passage to get the right answer.
Expression on Ideas: questions about expression of ideas focus on the rhetorical elements of a passage. You will improve the substance and quality of the message being put across. Development questions ask you to improve elements of the passage such as topic and thesis sentences, supporting details, focus, and quantitative data in info graphics. Organization problems will focus on arrangement of ideas in a logical order, relevancy of sentences in a paragraph, transitions, introductions and conclusions.
With effective language usage, you will be improving precision against redundancy, style and tone consistency, and sentence flow.
Questions about Standard English Conventions focus on recognizing and correcting grammar, usage, and mechanics problems in the passages. For example, you will correct errors in sentences such as run-on or incomplete sentences, lack of subject-verb/pronoun-antecedent agreement, and punctuations such as missed or wrongly placed commas.
THE SAT MATH TEST
The math test focuses on topics you are most likely to deal with in college and your career. There are three primary areas: Heart of Algebra, Problem Solving and Data Analysis, Passport to Advanced Mathematics.
Heart of Algebra deals with linear equations, systems of linear equation, and functions. Questions will focus on your ability to create equations that represent a situation and also to make a link between varying representations of linear relationships.
The Problem Solving and Data Analysis section includes ratios, percentages, proportional reasoning with real-world problems in the fields of science, social science and other contexts. It also includes the description of relationships from a graph and the analysis of statistical data.
These two parts is all about being able to deal with quantitative problems and demonstrating a good command of the math that resonates throughout college courses, career training programs, and everyday life. It will ensure schools and organizations that you have a good foundation of the math you will be doing in the future.
The Passport to Advanced Mathematics area of SAT deals with the math you will need in order to study in a wide range of disciplines such as science or economics. It is also tailored to test your readiness in career opportunities in the STEM fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
To succeed you need to be familiar with more complex equations and functions in preparation for calculus and advanced courses in statistics.
There will be 19 questions on Heart of Algebra, 17 on Problem Solving and Data Analysis, and 16 on Passport to Advanced Mathematics. A different set of 6 questions will try your understanding of additional topics such as: area of shapes, volume, circles, triangles, and trigonometry.
You are expected to be familiar with key concepts from geometry with applications to volume, area, surface area, etc. there is also coordinate geometry with applications in similarity, properties of line, angles, polygon, and circles. Some questions will explore fundamental concepts of trigonometry and radian measures, others will feature arithmetic of complex numbers, both concepts being essential to success in the STEM fields.
There is a Calculator and no-Calculator portion to the Math Test. You are expected to know when to or not to use a calculator. Many questions in the Calculator section can be solved even faster without a calculator though questions in this section are more complex. In the no-Calculator section you are expected to demonstrate your ability to solve questions efficiently and accurately all by yourself.
A scientific or graphing calculator is recommended. Being familiar with one will give you an advantage with some questions. Although all questions on the SAT can be solved without a calculator, knowing when to use it can reduce the time you spend on some questions, and even prevent computation errors.
Some 80% percent on the Math Test are multiple-choice with four answer-options to pick from. Other question types include gridded-response questions which make up 20% of the test. With gridded-response, you have to compute and then input an answer in the form of fraction, decimal, or positive integer.
THE SAT ESSAY TEST
The recommendation by SAT is that you take the essay regardless of the requirements of your current institution of choice. Some institutions may not require the essay but would prefer that you submit an essay score as well.
The essay test is taken after the multiple-choice question test. Time allocated is 50 minutes which should be enough based on the length and complexity of the passages you will be reading. You must read, analyze and draw evidence from it in order to do well.
You will be required to analyze a particular argument and explain how the author builds the argument to persuade an audience. The justification you provide for your answer does not require any prior knowledge on the subject, your opinion or experience. Instead you will use information in the passage to support your answers as you explain the strategies an author uses to build a case.
You will not be asked to support a particular viewpoint. Your primary assignment will be to analyze the passage and describe how the author composes a persuasion.
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THE SAT ESSAY PROMPT
The SAT Essay uses the same prompt with every new test. Only the passage and its descriptive sentence changes each time, but you will always know what you are going to be writing about. Passages will be between 650 and 750 words long.
Your major preparatory focus for the essay test should be to develop your reading, analysis and writing skills. As the essay task will be the same each time with only the passage and descriptive sentences changing, you should try to get familiar with the Essay prompt. This will save you a great deal of time on test day and probably result in your writing a better essay.
The essay will be graded based on three areas: Reading, Analysis and Writing. With Reading, the examiners will assess your understanding of the passage. The Analysis part will check how well you synthesis, build and organize the information provided in the passage to provide your answer. The writing score will reflect your expertise in presenting written information. You are advised to focus on these three criteria while preparing for the test because that is how you will be evaluated.
The score is divided in this manner so as to provide deeper insights on your academic abilities. For example, you could be good at understand and analysis, but struggle with writing. If the scores were combined and presented as one, it will be hard to know where you need improvement.
Below is more detailed example on the nature of the Essay prompt. This is identical with every SAT essay. This is taken exactly as it is in the current SAT preparatory guide.
| As you read the passage below, consider how [the author] uses • evidence, such as facts or examples, to support claims. • reasoning to develop ideas and to connect claims and evidence. • stylistic or persuasive elements, such as word choice or appeals to emotion, to add power to the ideas expressed. |
| Write an essay in which you explain how [the author] builds an argument to persuade |
[his/her]
audience that [author’s claim]. In your essay, analyze how [the author] uses one or more of the features listed above (or features of your own choice) to strengthen the logic and persuasiveness of [his/her] argument.Be sure that your analysis focuses on the most relevant features of the passage.
Your essay should not explain whether you agree with [the author’s] claims, but rather explain how the author builds an argument to persuade [his/her] audience.
All passages will be taken from an argument aimed at a broad audience with no background knowledge required. All the information you will need to answer the questions will be included in the passage.
Buy asking you to focus on the author’s way of building an argument, you are being instructed to conduct what is called rhetorical analysis. Study the techniques and elements of writing the author uses to convince you. Like what the author does, why they do it, and the possible effects on readers, the author’s use of evidence, reasoning, and other elements of persuasion.
Take care that you do not end up summarizing the passage. The goal is to explain how it contributes to the argument.
REGISTRATION PROCESS
There are four stages to the application process: Creation of a Student Profile, Filling a form, booking a test date and center, and payment of fees. There is no restriction by age, but students under 12 can only register by mail.
STAGE ONE
At the SAT homepage click on “Sign Up”. Click on “I am a student”. Fill in your bio-data including name, sex, birth date, email, and date of graduation (secondary school), etc. For the zip code option, tick the small box behind “Outside the US”. Any field without the red asterisks is not mandatory.
Under “Personal Information” click on “Outside the US” option. Check the “I agree with the terms and condition” box, and then click next. On the next page, select all four boxes representing certain of your details and click confirm.
Because you are charged a fee for taking the test, they don’t even bother to confirm if you provided a working email. So don’t expect to see a confirmation email in your inbox. You are taken swiftly to a page with a message welcoming you onboard. They promise to get you started on the road to college. Well, let’s go to the next stage.
STAGE TWO
Click on “Register for the SAT”. You will be asked to verify your password. A form will open upon verification. At every step of filling the form, click continue at the bottom left or “save and exit” to return to it later.
STAGE THREE
Select a country of test venue, Test Type, Test Date. Select Essay option. This is optional but it is highly recommended. If you have disabilities and want some special provisions, provide SSD number. Select your test center from the list. Upload a clear photo to be used for on-site verification. Exemptions are for students below eight grade.
STAGE FOUR
Select study material if need be. Review the information provided, making changes where necessary. Click on make payment, and then proceed using PayPal or Debit/Credit card.
If you either of the following situations affects you, then you can only apply by mail (tangible not electronic). You are to apply by mail if:
You are requesting testing closer to home
Requesting Sunday testing for the first time
Paying via check or money order
Under 13 years of age
Cannot upload a digital photo online
Registering through an international representative
To register by mail, you need to request for a Student Registration Booklet from a counselor or College Board. Fill the application form and mail it together with a money order or cheque to the address:
College
Board SAT Program
P.O. Box 7502
London, KY 40742-75027
INSTRUCTIONS FOR DOMESTIC TEST TAKERS
- For students who want to take the test in the US, ensure your documents are postmarked before the first deadline.
- Documents must arrive in time for processing by College Board authorities for the requested date.
- Consider hiring a Private Tutor for SAT to enhance your preparation and boost your chances of securing a high score.
- For missed deadlines, documents will be postmarked against a new deadline.
- If the late deadline is missed, applicant will be registered for the next SAT.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR INTERNATIONAL TEST TAKERS
- Students taking SAT for other purposes other than scholarship or admission can only appear for the test in May.
- A student registering from outside of the US must mail their documents early against deadline
- Late arrival of documents will mean being registered for the next SAT
- For requests of testing closer to home or registering through an international representative, the student must register by the early deadline
PHOTO REQUIREMENTS
For online registration, the candidate’s photo must:
- Be properly focused with a shot of head-shoulder view,
with the entire face, hair and eyes clearly visible
- Do not wear any sunglasses or reflectors.
- Head covered for religious reasons is acceptable if eyes and face are clearly visible.
- Be identifiable as candidate, and match his/her appearance on day of the test.
- Not have all or part of head cut-off
- Not be a photo of full profile or three-quarter profile
- Not be too blurry, bright, tampered with, or digitally altered
To register by mail, the candidate’s photo must:
- Be 2 x 2 inches and no more than 2.5 x 3 inches in size.
- Not be an ID card or other laminated photos.
- Have name, date of birth, and high school code written on the back(for registration by mail).
- Be taped over the barcode.
- Use clear tape around the edges of the photo. Do not use paper clips, staples, or glue
The SAT fee is $47 without Essay. $64 with Essay. Registration fee is $26; Subject Test (Language Test with Listening) is $22 additional per test. Language Tests with Listening will attract $26 additional per test.
Upon payment candidate will print the admission ticket which must be provided along a valid photo-ID at test center. Information on the admission ticket include: Student Name, Student Address, Date of Birth, Gender, High School, Test Date, Test Type, Test Center, Registration Number, and Instructions for Test day.
Students 21 years or above must produce a non-expired government issued ID on test day. Waitlist option is not available for such students. Visit the official SAT website for more information.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
Not all disabled candidates are eligible for accommodation (special arrangements) on College Board exams. Certain conditions must be met first. For this reason, a candidate cannot take the SAT with accommodations unless they have been approved by Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD). To be eligible, the below criteria must be met:
- Student Has a Documented Disability: this includes conditions like, but not limited to blindness, visual impairments, learning disorders, physical and medical disabilities like cerebral palsy or diabetes, and motor impairments. Any disability must have documentation. It can be a psycho-educational evaluation or a medical report. Documentation type depends on the disability and accommodation being sought. In some cases, documentation must be submitted to the College Board.
- Participation in the SAT is affected: the disability must be capable of a significant functional limitation with possible consequence on performance. For example, functional limitations on reading, writing, sitting for long periods, and so on. Conversely, students with some disabilities will not be eligible for accommodation. For example, students on a limb or crippled who need assistance walking, students with hearing impairments who need help taking notes in class, those with psychiatric conditions that does not affect their ability to take or perform in the SAT, and similar conditions.
- Requested accommodation can be justified: the type of accommodation you seek must relate to your disability. For example, if you have a documented problem with sitting for extended periods, you can request for time-extension during the test. Other accommodations can be Braille, large-print exams, computers for essays, extra break, etc.
- Accommodation is received on School Tests: with few exceptions, students who apply for accommodation on College Board exams receive such accommodations on tests that they take in school.
PROVIDING DOCUMENTATION
Your disability documentation should contain the following information:
- The disability
- Functional limitation: the extent to which the student’s activities will be impacted
- The need for the specific accommodation request: that is the kind of accommodation you are asking for.
Requesting accommodation through your school is the easiest way to get approval for accommodation.
DOCUMENTATION GUIDELINE
It is important to follow this guideline strictly when forwarding a request. You adherence will help reviewers determine the right accommodation (special arrangements) for you.
1. The diagnosis is clearly stated.
2. Information is current.
3. Educational, developmental, and medical history is presented.
4. The diagnosis is supported.
5. The functional limitation is described.
6. Recommended accommodations are justified.
7. Evaluators’ professional credentials are established.
SOME DOCUMENTATION TIPS
- In addition to the diagnosed disability, documentation should contain details supporting student’s need for the requested accommodation.
- Doctor’s notes or IEPs alone may not be sufficient without supporting information.
- Where applicable, proving test scores, and subtest scores.
You can learn more about documentation on the official website.
ONLINE SAT PRACTICE TESTS
You will find many websites online offering to help you practice on the SAT questions for a small fee. However, there is completely free option to do this. In fact it is officially endorsed by SAT.
Just visit the Official SAT Practice on Khan Academy®. Sign up with your email and follow the onscreen guide to start practicing. Khan Academy is actually a very user-friendly website. You should be able to find your way around pretty easily. Your answers will be scored automatically and the timer will keep you informed how well you are doing against time. Best of all, you will get personalized practice recommendations after your practice test.
There is also a paper version of the practice test for those want to do things the analogue way. You are to download and print the paper practice test from the official page here. You will need a pencil, calculator and a timer to take the test. Follow the paper instructions to answer the questions.
When you are through with the test, get instant feedback with a question-by-question result from your phone. Simply open the free app, Daily Practice for the SAT, and snap a picture of your answer sheet. If you prefer, print out the guide that comes with the test and score by hand.
