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In the previous articles, I’ve been talking a lot about types of scholarship, the requirements for getting scholarship and many more. Well, I also have said a little about SAT, but actually what is that? Let’s talk more about it.

The College Board’s SAT Program consists of the SAT Reasoning Test (SAT) and SAT Subject Tests. The SAT is three hours and 45 minutes long and measures skills in three areas: critical reading, math, and writing. Although most questions are multiple choice, students are also required to write a 25-minute essay.

The SAT Subject Tests are one-hour, mostly multiple-choice tests in specific subjects. These tests measure knowledge of particular subjects and the ability to apply that knowledge. Many colleges require or recommend one or more of these tests for admission or placement purposes.

The SAT test, also known as the SAT Reasoning Test, is used in the application process to colleges and universities in the United States. The test measures critical thinking skills and the ability to analyze and solve problems, and is often thought of as a measure of future college success. The SAT is owned, published, and developed by the College Board, a non-profit organization in the United States, and was once developed, published, and scored by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) at various locations across the country. ETS now administers the exam.

The current SAT Test costs $43 ($68 International), excluding late fees. Since the SAT’s introduction in 1901, its name and scoring has changed several times. In 2005, the test was renamed as “SAT Reasoning Test” with possible scores from 600 to 2400 combining test results from three 800-point sections (math, critical reading, and writing), along with other subsections scored separately.

A student typically chooses which tests to take depending upon college entrance requirements for the schools in which he or she is planning to apply. Until 1994, the SAT Subject Tests were known as Achievement Tests, and until January 2005, they were known as SAT IIs; they are still commonly known by these names. Every test is now a one-hour timed test. Historically, the exception to the one-hour time was the writing test, which was divided into a 20-minute essay question and a 40-minute multiple choice section; it was discontinued after January 2005.

A student may take up to three SAT Subject Tests on any given date. Most SAT subject tests are offered on the same dates as the regular SAT, except for the March administration. The language tests with listening are generally available only once a year, in November. The SAT test is given seven times a year in the United States. A calendar of test dates and registration deadlines can be found on The College Board’s official website.

The SAT (Reasoning Test) measures critical thinking skills that are needed for academic success in college. SAT assesses how well the test takers analyze and solve problems—skills they learned in school that they will need in college. The SAT is typically taken by high school juniors and seniors. Specifically, the College Board states that use of the SAT in combination with high school grade point average (GPA) provides a better indicator of success in college than high school grades alone, as measured by college freshman GPA. Various studies conducted over the lifetime of the SAT show a statistically significant increase in correlation of high school grades and freshman grades when the SAT is factored in.

The SAT test consists of four sections; critical reading, mathematics, writing, and a variable or equating section. The essay part of the writing section is always first on the test, and the multiple choice part of the writing section is always last on the test. The other sections can vary in their test placement. The critical reading section of the SAT test consists of two 25 minute sections and one 20 minute section. All of the test items in this section are multiple choice questions that pertain to either short reading or long reading passages. These questions test reading comprehension, sentence completion, sentence level reading, and paragraph length critical reading. The mathematics section of the SAT test consists of two 25 minute sections and one 20 minute section. The test questions in this section are either multiple choice or student produced response (grid-in) questions. Subjects tested in this section include number and operations, algebra and functions, geometry, statistics, probability, and data analysis.

The writing section of the SAT test contains a 35 minute multiple choice section and a 25 minute essay section. The multiple choice questions test grammar, usage, and word choice through improving sentences, paragraphs, and the identification of sentence errors. The essay question deals with the development of a point of view on an issue. The variable or equating section of the SAT test is an unscored section of the test, and it is used to aid in the development of future SAT test questions and to compare the difficulty levels of different test versions. The variable section can be either a critical reading, mathematics, or writing section, and test takers are given 25 minutes to complete the section.