Why should you take the SAT? | Advantages of taking the SAT test

If you are a high school junior or senior student who is willing to pursue further higher education abroad and are also keen to learn what kind of entrance exam you must enroll for, we are glad to inform you that you have reached the right place! This article will inform you all about SAT exam is for what purpose?

Standardized examination SAT is structured for evaluating an individual’s language and mathematical skills with test sections like Reading, Writing, Analyzing and Math. SAT is accepted in several colleges of USA, the entrance exam is mainly for students who are willing to pursue undergraduate programs in the colleges of the United States.

The purpose of the SAT examination is to assess student’s ability to speak English and solve Mathematical equations; SAT also has an optional test which is based on Essay. If you’re a high school junior or senior student who is willing to pursue higher education in the USA, you most probably will have to take an SAT examination as a part of your entrance exam requirement listed by your college.

College Board, an independent established non-profit organization owns and manages SAT examinations. It is important that the student is wholly prepared before undertaking SAT English and Mathematical proficiency tests. Similar to other entrance exams, SAT requires regular practice of at least 3 months, which suffices thorough understanding of the test pattern, studies and time management. For study and practice references one can approach Khan Academy website that is officially affiliated with SAT, they provide free sample tests for SAT preparation.

If you’re wondering SAT exam is for what purpose, there are several reasons which explain the significance of undertaking an SAT examination:

• It improves your English reading, writing and also holds the scope of improving your English speaking skills
• It improves your numerical knowledge
• SAT results are considered for scholarship/endowment
• Compared to other entrance exams, the fees for the SAT is not very high
• Most colleges in the United States accept the SAT for under graduation level degrees
• SAT prepares a student with the basic level knowledge in English and Math
• Scoring is considerably easy
• Expands general knowledge along with improving history and social science knowledge

Now, one must note that the SAT is accepted for under graduation level degrees only. Based on the results derived from the entrance exam SAT, colleges decide if the student is fit of undertaking their syllabus and if accepting the student would be the right decision. Of course, there are various requirements while submitting application however SAT plays an significant role in declaring a student’s academic ability.

To learn better about the test we have composed brief information about each test:

SAT Reading (compulsory)

The ability to read the English language is very important; one must be able to recognize complex sentences. SAT reading test evaluates an individual’s reading ability

• 5 passages: One passage is based on classic or contemporary work of USA or world literature
• One passage based on the USA founding document or an inspiring conversation or speech from the world History. (One or pair passage)
• One passage based on the information retrieved from Social Science, Economics, etc.
• Two passages (Pair or single) based on Earth science, Biology, Physics or Chemistry
• 65 minutes will be allotted to answer 52 multiple choice questions
• Few passages might have graphical representation in the form of graphs, tables or charts
• The scores are counted separately

SAT Writing and Language Test (compulsory)

Understanding and analyzing the context and being able to provide accurate answers are something students must know. SAT writing and language test evaluates written in terms of grammar and sentence formation of an individual

• 2 or 4 passages
• Exam takers are required to guise as an Editor by finding errors and improving the context in the given passage
• 35 minutes will be allotted to answer 44 multiple choice questions
• The scores are counted separately

SAT Math (compulsory)

Students who want to pursue a career in Math, Science, Technology or Engineering fields must be well versed with mathematical equations. SAT Math evaluates an individual’s equation solving ability

• Two sections of Math test: First section, the time allotted 55 minutes with 38 questions, use of calculator is permitted
• The second section, time allotted 25 minutes with 20 questions, use of a calculator is not permitted.
• 80% are multiple choices based questions whereas 20% are gridded response
• The scores are counted separately

SAT Essay (optional)

Students are required to make use of their reading, writing and analyzing ability for this test. SAT Essay evaluates an individual’s overall ability to speak, write, and read in English

• The passage context will be topic-based which is usually in the context of general knowledge. Exam takers are asked to analyze the author’s point of view and describe the author’s point of view in their own content
• 50 minutes will be allotted to read, analyze and compose an answer
• Some colleges in the USA might require SAT essay listed on their entrance exam requirement
• The scores are counted separately

The scores of SAT test of reading, writing and language, and Math is measured on score band from 10-40. SAT Essay score is measured in 2-8 score band. The overall score is measured in the range of 400-1600.

In conclusion, SAT examination is to evaluate an individual’s ability in English and Maths which is considered to be one of the requirements for college enrollment.