The SAT ( Scholastic Aptitude Test ) is a test frequently requested by Universities in the US to measure student performance in relation to school content, especially the content that makes up high school subjects. Thus, the SAT exam is used in the US as a way to assess the aptitude of students to enter Universities.
North American universities are known worldwide for their high level of demand and for their reputation for training good professionals for the job market. Thus, to be able to adhere to the content covered in the classroom in an Undergraduate course, the student must have had a minimum income in high school. If, during high school, the student has not made good use of the content, the student will probably not be able to adapt to the University’s classes. For this reason, the SAT aims to filter the public entering higher education courses at US universities.
Another interesting aspect about the exam is that the SAT is used by foreign students who intend to study in the USA . As the student did not attend high school in the US, there is a high probability that the student has not developed the prior knowledge necessary to adapt to a highly demanding higher education such as what happens with US universities. Therefore, the foreign student takes the SAT exam, since, by passing the SAT exam, the student proves to be able to enter a US university.
Finally, another important aspect of the SAT exam is that it assesses student performance by different areas. This is especially important when submitting the SAT exam grade to the US university , as each course has a specific area preference. Thus, if the student takes the SAT exam and does not show much knowledge in writing, but his/her course of interest does not consider writing a priority (as occurs in some Engineering courses, for example), the student may be accepted at the University.
All of this must be taken into account when applying for the SAT exam to study in the USA . And to help you through this process, in this article, you’ll find everything you need to know about the SAT exam to enter a university in the United States .
What is ACT Exam and how much does it cost
When should I take the SAT
As the SAT exam is a criterion for admission to a US university, you must take the SAT whenever you wish to take the entrance exam for an undergraduate degree at a US university. In Brazil, the SAT takes place six times a year, more precisely in the following months:
- March
- May
- June
- October
- November
- December
You can take the SAT exam as many times as you deem necessary, sending the exam result to the University of interest until it is accepted.
Although it is recommended to contact the University of interest as soon as you pass the SAT exam , the score obtained on the SAT exam is valid for a few months, a period that may vary according to the criteria of the university or the desired course.
It’s important to note that since you can take the SAT exam multiple times, you can apply for the SAT even before deciding which university to study at, or even which course you want to pursue. Taking the exam for the first time can even help you to better target your study for future editions of the exam.
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What does the SAT cover
Upon enrolling in the SAT exam, the student will have their aptitude assessed from different areas and skills. Each skill has an individual grade, and each test that assesses that skill has a specific duration, since each skill is assessed individually, as exemplified below:
- Reading: the reading test is assessed using 52 questions, and can last up to 65 minutes
- Writing: writing is assessed through 44 questions, which can be performed in up to 35 minutes
- Math 1: the first part of the math test must be done without the aid of a calculator, and can be done in up to 25 minutes
- Math 2: the second part of the math test can be done using a calculator, and the student has 55 minutes to complete all the questions
- Essay: the essay, equivalent to an essay, is optional, and the student who chooses to do this activity will have 50 minutes to complete it.
The candidate should be aware that, although the essay is optional, some courses require the essay grade as a decisive criterion for admission to the course. Therefore, before you even register for the SAT exam, it is important to be clear about which course you intend to take and which universities you will try to pass, as all of this can influence the moment of your approval.
If you are unsure about the course or university criteria, it is best to add the essay to your assessment and prepare to write a good essay in English.
What the SAT does not cover
The SAT exam does not cover very specific content that may eventually be required by some undergraduate courses. A student wishing to take one of these courses must enroll in the SAT Subject Test , also called the SAT-II.
The SAT-II is a complementary exam, which the student takes to prove his knowledge and mastery in a specific area of knowledge (eg Philosophy, Chemistry, History). However, it should be remembered that, even if the student wants to take a course that will require taking the SAT-II, it is necessary to pass the conventional SAT exam first, as the SAT-II does not replace the SAT exam .
Often a student gets a good grade on the SAT exam, but when they enroll in the university course they find that they will need to take the SAT-II, as the desired course has very specific criteria. Because the SAT exam grade tends to be accepted for at least two years, even if the student has already missed the SAT-II application deadline for that period, he or she is usually able to enter the desired course in the following semester. However, to avoid this type of setback, the ideal is to contact the university to find out about the basic and specific criteria of the course of interest.
How long does the SAT test last
The SAT exam exam is divided into two parts, totaling 3 hours and 50 minutes in duration. Altogether, the SAT exam contains multiple-choice and essay questions, as well as an essay, although the essay is optional on the SAT exam.
How the SAT test is assessed
The SAT exam is assessed based on the overall average of the different parts that make up the assessment, namely:
- Critical Reading: The main purpose of this section of the exam is to assess a student’s ability to read and understand higher-level texts written in the English language, as a student will experience when entering a higher education course at a US university. To identify the student’s level of mastery, the exam has both questions that the student must answer based on previously provided text (written in English), as well as gaps which the student must fill in with the proper words and expressions to maintain the sense original of the sentence.
- Mathematics: Mathematics questions are predominantly focused on solving equations and interpreting statistical data represented through tables and graphs. Such questions cover concepts associated with geometric figures, algebra, calculus with exponents, probabilities, data analysis and other possible functions that the student must have mastery in order to enter higher education.
- Writing: the essay can be evaluated either through multiple choice questions or through the production of a short dissertation (commonly called essay in English, which would be a text model similar to an essay).
Both in its performance and with regard to the assessment, the test is separate from the essay. Each part of the test is worth from 200 to 800 points, so that the final evaluation of the SAT exam can be evaluated between 400 and 1,600 points.
The essay, in turn, is evaluated based on three criteria:
- Reading
- Analysis
- Writing
Each of the criteria is worth 8 points, so the maximum score for the essay is 24.
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How do I sign up for the SAT
Enrollment for the SAT exam is done online through the College Board website. When accessing the website, you must create a personal account with login, password and identity data. It is from this registration on the College Board website that you can register for the SAT exam .
SAT Exam Fees
The SAT exam has three different fees:
- Registration Fee: The registration fee for the SAT exam is $49.50
- Fee for international competitions: competitions held in any country outside the US also have an additional fee of US$43.00
- Essay fee: the essay (production of text equivalent to the essay) is an important evaluation criterion in some areas of expertise and, therefore, whoever wishes to study such areas should opt for the essay. However, this option has a $15.00 surcharge.
Therefore, the investment to take the SAT exam varies depending on your goal and the country where you reside, ranging from US$49.50 for individuals living in the US who choose not to take the essay, to US$ 107.50 for individuals who choose to take the test in other countries and want to take the essay.
It is important to remember that, in many cases, taking the essay is a must, since even if you get an excellent grade on the SAT exam, without the essay you will probably not be accepted into the undergraduate course of interest (especially for courses in the areas of human sciences and languages).
SAT scores for colleges
- Harvard: 730 a 790 no Reading and Writing, 730 a 800 em Mathematics
- MIT: 720 a 770 no Reading and Writing, 770 a 800 em Mathematics
- Stanford: 690 a 770 no Reading and Writing, 700 a 770 em Mathematics
- Caltech: 750 a 790 no Reading and Writing, 780 a 800 em Mathematics
- University of Chicago: 730 a 780 no Reading and Writing, 750 a 800 em Mathematics
What is the best way to prepare for the SAT
If you want to pass the SAT, the best way to prepare is by following these steps:
- Be clear about which course you want to take: having clarity about which course you want to take makes it easier for you to know which subjects will be most relevant to the university’s perception. This will greatly facilitate your study schedule and preparation for the SAT exam.
- Train your language skills in English (reading, writing and interpreting text): if you do not have English as a native language, it is fundamentally important that you seek to develop knowledge about the language, at least enough for you to read and interpret texts, know the main grammar rules and, above all, writing a good text defending your arguments in a narrative way.
- Review your knowledge in mathematics, emphasizing skills involving statistics, simple and compound mathematical operations, geometry and logic: even if mathematics is not the main subject to be considered by the university you want to study, it is very important that you review your knowledge in Basic math functions as there are several math questions on the exam. Furthermore, it is very likely that the course you want to take will give priority to mathematics, as this subject is relevant to be accepted in most undergraduate courses.
- Hone your argumentative writing skills, especially important if you choose to take the essay: the essay is an optional part of the test, in some cases you won’t even need to take it. However, in some courses, the essay grade may be decisive to ensure its approval, so it is important to be prepared to write and defend arguments through writing fluently, demonstrating command of the language and knowledge of grammar.