SAT Exam: Complete Overview

What is the SAT Exam ?

In order to apply to undergraduate programs abroad, candidates must take the SAT exam, a standardized test. The test keeps track of pupils’ overall preparation and makes projections about how they will do in college. Writing and language, math, and reading are the three required areas of the SAT test in India and other nations. Starting this year, the optional Essay part has been eliminated. The composite SAT score, which combines the reading and writing (200–800) and math (200–600) parts’ results, often falls between 400 and 1600. (200–800). The exam will take three hours to complete in total.

The College Board is in charge of administering the admission exam, which applicants to prestigious undergraduate universities are required to take. People who want to study in places like Canada and the US should take the SAT. Following the Higher Education Alliance with numerous universities, the College Board introduced the SAT in 2018. The test-takers must pay a cost of $104 (INR 8000 approximately).

Eligibility for SAT examination- Key details

The requirements for taking the SAT test are based on a number of factors. For anyone desiring to take this exam, the College Board has not formally defined any specific qualifying requirements. There is no upper age restriction or lower age limit for taking this test. According to studies, test attendance is greatest among students between the ages of 17 and 19. Additionally, students are permitted to retake the test as much as they want. In India, it is administered around five times a year. The test typically occurs six times a year in March, August, May, December, and October.

SAT Examination Registration

Those who are planning to take the SAT should register in advance. Online registration is more practical and convenient than mailing in a registration form, which is the offline way. In the latter approach, applicants must first establish their official site login IDs before beginning the registration processes. Here is a closer examination of the same:

• Visit the College Board website.
• Set up an account.
• Send in all the required data.
• Select your exam and the testing location that is closest to you.
• Upload a sharp image.
• The application costs you owe.

You will need the Student Registration Guide for SAT, which is supplied at institutions, in order to register by mail. A return envelope and registration form are included with the booklet. In addition to a demand draft, the form has to be sent. The postal SAT forms are submitted immediately to the regional office of the USIEF, the local SAT agent in India. Candidates should reserve slots well in advance to minimize problems since there are only a certain number of seats available at each official testing facility.

Those who want to take the test will be required to pay fees or charges in order to do so. The cost to take the SAT is around $55 (INR 5000), and the non-US regional fees are $49 (INR4000); the total cost is thus $104 (INR8000).

Examination Fees for SAT

There is a $26 cancellation charge, that applicants must pay. There is a high cancellation charge, and the only return offered is $10 (or INR 800). For particular services like altering the exam facility or date, an extra $30, or around 2,400, must be paid. In the US and UK territories, students in the 11th and 12th grades may be qualified for a fee waiver. The same may be provided to US citizens who are abroad.

SAT Exam Dates 2022

• Last week of August 2022
• First week of October 2022
• First week of December 2022
• Second week of March 2023

SAT Exam Syllabus and Pattern

The SAT test curriculum includes a number of courses that applicants have taken throughout the years. This consists of the following elements:

Writing- (44 questions)

Section with Essay: 25 minutes
Sections with multiple choice questions last 25 and 10 minutes.
Critical Reading (52 questions)

Reading comprehension: 25 minutes

Critical Reading :20 minutes

Mathematics- (58 questions)

25 minutes: algebra and functions
20 minutes for geometry and statistics
20 minutes for probability and data analysis

There are 154 questions overall, for a total of 1600 points.

Calculation of SAT Exam Scores

Your score report’s top section has a large, black number on it. This is your total score on the SAT, also known as your SAT score. The range of possible SAT scores is 400–1600, as indicated by the numbers 400–1600 next to your score. Your score percentile, which indicates what percentage of test-takers performed better or worse than you, is displayed to the right of your overall score. Your Score Range is listed in small print below your score. This is the range of scores you might obtain if you took the SAT more than once on various days. Some colleges consider your application based on your score range rather than your overall score.

Section Score

The number of questions you correctly answered in each section determines your raw score, which is the basis for section scores. After that, the raw score is scaled to a number between 200 and 800. This method explains why some SAT versions are a little bit easier or harder than others.

For instance, the Math Test always has 58 questions. On some test versions, you can receive a scaled score of 800 with a raw score of 57; on other test versions, you must correctly answer all 58 questions. Equating refers to the process of converting various test configurations into comparable scaled scores.

SAT Pointers to Note

Validity: The SAT score will remain valid for 5 years. In order to apply to the universities of their choice, aspirants often take updated exams.

Additional reports : If a student wants to apply to other schools and universities, they may obtain additional copies of their scorecard. They must spend close to INR 450, or around $9, for this.

Score verification: It is the process of going through test results to make sure that no portions were skipped and that all scores were acquired. Within five months, a form requesting the score verification must be filled out and submitted. You must pay a charge for this reason as well. Always read the form instructions thoroughly. This cost will thereafter be reduced for applicants who have received fee exemptions. After paying the cost and completing the form, you will finally get a mail in 5 weeks with your updated and validated SAT results.

SAT Preparation Tips

• The College Board offers online study resources, which you should carefully review in addition to routinely taking practice exams.
• You have to keep studying these exams and focus on your shortcomings.
• Along with the official study guide, you should refer to reliable literature for planning.
• Maintain a regular study routine.