The SAT, for Scholastic Aptitude Test, as the name suggests, is an aptitude test. Like all aptitude tests, it must use a medium within which to measure intellectual ability. For the SAT, that medium is Math and English.

The question is: does it truly measure a student's aptitude for college, or, as some commentators suggest, is its ability to predict likely academic performance only a little better than mere chance?

No test can measure all aspects of intelligence; any admission test, no matter how well written it may be, is inherently inadequate. Nevertheless, some form of admission testing is necessary. It would be unfair to base acceptance to college solely on grades - they can be misleading. For instance, would it be fair to admit a student with an A  average earned in easy classes over a student with a B average earned in difficult classes? A school's reputation is too broad a measure to use as admission criteria. Many students seek out easy classes and generous instructors in hopes of inflating their GPA. Furthermore, a system that would monitor the academic standards of every class would be cost prohibitive and stifling. So, until a better system is developed, the admission test is here to stay, and does serve a purpose.

The SAT is administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) and given nationally seven times a year in October, November, December, January, Marchx or April, May, and June.

Format of the SAT

The SAT is a three-hour test. Only two hours and thirty minutes of the test count toward a student's score - the experimental section is not scored. There are seven sections in the test.

Note: The order of the format is not fixed: the sections can occur in any order.

The experimental section, which is not scored, can be a verbal section, a math section, or a logic section. You won't know which section is experimental. You will, though, know which type of section it is, since there will be an extra one of that type.

Because the "bugs" have not been worked out of the experimental section - or, to put it more directly, because you are being used as a guinea pig to work out the "bugs" - this portion of the test is often more difficult and confusing than the other parts.

Knowing that the experimental section can be disproportionately difficult, if you do poorly on a particular section, you can take some solace from the hope that it may have been the experimental section. In other words, do not allow one difficult section to discourage your performance on the rest of the test.

Pacing

Although time is strictly limited on the SAT, working too quickly can damage your score. Many problems hinge on subtle points, and most require careful reading of the set-up. Because high school can put heavy reading loads on students, many will follow their academic conditioning and read questions quickly, looking only for the gist of what each is asking. Once they have found it, they mark their answer and move on, confident they have answered it correctly. Later, many are startled to discover that they missed questions because they either misread the problems or overlooked subtle points.

To do well in your classes, you have to attempt to solve every, or nearly every, problem on a test. Not so with the SAT. In fact, if you try to solve every problem on this test you will probably score poorly. For the majority of people, the key to performing well on the SAT is not the number of questions they answer, within reason, but the percentage they answer correctly.

Scoring the SAT

The two parts of the test are scored independently. You will receive a verbal score and a math score. Each score ranges for 200 to 800. The average for both is 500. Thus, the average total score is 1,000.

In addition to the scaled score, you will be assigned a percentile ranking, which gives the percentage of students with scores below yours. For instance, if you correctly answer 48 of the 60 math questions, then you will score better than 90% of the other test takers.

Skipping and Guessing

Some questions on the SAT are rather hard. Most test takers should skip these questions. We'll talk about how to identify hard questions as we come to them. 

Often students become obsessed with a particular problem and waste valuable time trying to solve it. To get a top score, learn to cut your losses and move on. All questions are worth the same number of points, regardless of difficulty level. So skip the hardest questions and concentrate on those that are not.

Although there is a small guessing penalty on the SAT, if you can eliminate even one of the answer-choices, it is to your advantage to guess.

Order of Difficulty

Like most standardized tests, the SAT lists problems in ascending order of difficulty. Therefore, when trying to decide which questions to skip, skip the last ones.

NOTE: Each SAT section has subsections. Within these subsections, the problems also ascend in order of difficulty. For example, the verbal section has three subsections (sentence completions, analogies, and reading comprehension). So, for example, Question 1 will be the easiest, and Questions 10 will be the hardest. Then, Question 11 (the first analogy question) will be the easiest analogy, and so on.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between the SAT and the PSAT/NMSQT*?

The only difference between the SAT and the PSAT/NMSQT is the format. Indeed, PSAT/NMSQT questions are taken from old SAT's. Hence, all the techniques that apply to the SAT apply to the PSAT/NMSQT.
* Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test

When is the SAT given?

The test is administered seven times a year -- usually in October, November, December, January, March, April or May and June - on Saturday mornings. Special arrangements are available for people not suited by this schedule .

What is SAT II?

A test intended to both measure knowledge, and the ability to apply that knowledge, in specific subject areas. Students take what is called the Subject Tests to demonstrate their mastery of specific subjects like English, history and social studies, mathematics science, and language. The tests are independent of any particular textbook or method of instruction. The content of the tests evolves to reflect current trends in high school curricula, but the types of questions change little from year to year.

What is the new SAT?

Beginning in spring 2005, the composition of the SAT will change. The new SAT is designed to better align the test with current curriculum and institutional practices in high school and college. The new SAT will include a third measure of skills, viz. writing, with the aim of helping colleges make better admissions and placement decisions. It is intended that the new SAT will reinforce the importance of writing throughout a student's education.

If I didn't mail in a registration form, may I still take the test

On the day of the test, walk-in registration is available, but you must call ETS in advance. You will be accommodated only if space is available -- it usually is.

How important is the SAT and how is it used?

It is crucial! Although colleges may consider other factors, the majority of admission decisions are based on only two criteria: your SAT score and your GPA.

How many times should I take the SAT?

Most people are better off preparing thoroughly for the test, taking it one time and getting their top score. You can take the test as often as you like, but some schools will average your scores. You should call the schools to which you are applying to find out their policy. Then plan your strategy accordingly.

Can I cancel my score?

Yes. To do so, you must notify ETS within 5 days after taking the test.

Where can I get the registration forms?

Most high schools have the forms. You can also get them directly from ETS by writing to:

Scholastic Assessment Test
Educational Testing Service
P.O. Box 6200
Princeton, NJ 08541
Phone: (609) 771-7600.