The Scholastic Assessment Test, or SAT more commonly, is the exam that high schoolers must take to apply to their dream university. Most universities require SAT scores to apply because it shows your ability in English and math. It also shows how sincere and understanding you are in your study. However, although there are some universities or colleges where the SAT scores are not mandatory, having SAT scores can still be your biggest alpha point.
Due to the influence of COVID-19, many SAT exams were canceled, and by the end of the pandemic, paper-based tests started to change digitally, and students were allowed to take the test using their own devices. Nowadays, starting with the University of Chicago, the Universities are not considering the SAT to be a significant factor in passing, as they have turned mandatory SAT scores into optional. However, some colleges, including Stanford University and Purdue University, still require SAT scores.
The total test time for the digital SAT is two hours and fourteen minutes, according to a Princeton review, and the test pattern is largely divided into three parts: Reading, Writing and Language, and Math with and without a calculator. There used to be an optional essay, but in 2019, the college board declared that they would remove that optional essay from it. The syllabus of each section is as follows. Reading: Comprehension, and vocabulary; Writing, and Language: Correcting grammar; Math: Algebra 1 & 2, Trigonometry, Geometry, and Statistics.
The total test time for the paper SAT is three hours, and the test pattern is largely divided into three parts: Reading, Writing and Language, and Math with and without a calculator. There used to be an optional essay and SAT subject test, but in 2021, the college board declared that they would remove these two tests because of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the tests didn’t work out properly.
The organizers of the SAT are The College Board. The SAT is a well-known and approved college application test all around the world. The SAT is mostly for high schoolers who are preparing for their university. Since the SAT is hard to prepare in a short amount of time, it requires a long preparation time. Therefore, middle schoolers also get started or prepare for the SAT by studying for the SSAT.
The Reference Books are mainly three things: The Official SAT Study Guide from CollegeBoard, Kaplan SAT Prep Books, and 10 Practice Tests for the SAT from The Princeton Review. The helpful study materials are Online practice tests, Flashcards for Vocabulary, and Blue Book. For me, Blue Book helped me a lot in preparing for the SAT. Because people take the SAT through this application, it has the advantage of being able to adapt to the test environment in advance. The exact screen as the test screen can be viewed as a mock test, and there is also a timer at the top of the app to check the time. There are four types of mock tests in full-length, and a 10-minute break is given before starting the math section. However, even if you exit the test, the application saves your progress, and you can go back to your test at any time. Also, after the test, you can check the mock test score on the college board site when you finish, so I think it is the best practice textbook.
The scoring system of the SAT is divided into two sections. The total score is from 400 to 1600, and the subscores for each section are from 200 to 800. Most universities, like Ivy League, require a score of 1550 from 1580.
I took my SAT last year, and these are the list of what I learned and tips I want to give you if you are planning to take the SAT in the future. Like any test, Time management is your most important priority. Even if you can’t do your English part well, your math score needs to be perfect, with a score of 800, because the English part is much more complicated than math. So it is better to increase your grade. However, you shouldn’t make any mistakes in the writing and language part because this section is mostly grammar.
In the SAT reading part, there is a lot of new vocabulary that you might not see or don’t know the meaning of. My tip is to memorize thy, thus, and thee. These three words constantly appear in your reading passage because sometimes you have to read a passage from the 1800s and answer the question.
The American College Test, or ACT, is the same as the SAT. There are four sections in ACT: Math, Reading, Science, and an optional essay. The first three tests’ subscores are from 1 to 36. The biggest difference between the SAT and the ACT is that while the SAT requires our thinking skills, the ACT requires the knowledge we learned in high school. There are six computer-based tests per year.
I am not taking private tutoring or tutoring, unlike other students. My neighborhood is an area where international schools are concentrated, and most high schoolers spend their weekend at the SAT academy or tutoring. I have been self-taught in the SAT so far, and studying the SAT by myself and expecting high and good grades may seem unreachable. There is no one next to me who will keep me informed and guide and hold me to sit and study for hours.
I have never attended an English academy or memorized words. However, after solving the mock test a few times, I noticed my problem was reading comprehension. When I read my mock test result, I always got a lot wrong in the reading section. I can solve the math over and over again, but I still don’t get the hang of studying the English part. But what I can do is solve it many times, just like math.
I have the SAT exam in early March, but I’m very short on time because I don’t have many SAT scores, and I have to write my application this November. Rather than being pressed for time like me, I advise you to prepare for the SAT, starting from 10th grade, and take the test. If you take the test until you get your desired score before you apply, you will improve and get into the college you want.
By: Areum Irene Kim
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