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SAT®

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the SAT cost? What about fee waivers?

The 2007-08 fee for the SAT Reasoning Test is $43. Students from lower-income families, that meet fee-waiver eligibility guidelines and cannot afford test fees, should see their counselor to request fee waivers. Fee waivers are not permitted with late registrations (except for the October test).

High school juniors or seniors who are eligible to receive an SAT fee waiver can order up to four additional flexible score reports at no additional charge, while they are in high school. These four additional flexible score reports for fee-waiver eligible students can be used at the time of registration to order additional score reports beyond those included with the registration fee. They can also be used to send scores after scores are reported. Only four flexible score reports for fee-waiver eligible students can be used, regardless of the number of times a student registers.

Students who have previously used a fee waiver to register for the SAT or Subject Tests automatically receive flexible score reports for fee-waiver eligible students. Students who meet our fee-waiver eligibility guidelines, but have not yet used a fee waiver to register, can still utilize the flexible score reports. Students should obtain a fee-waiver card from their counselors and use the fee-waiver code, listed on the card, to order additional reports at no cost. Learn more.

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How much time do I have to complete the SAT?

Unless otherwise instructed, you need to arrive at your assigned test center by 7:45 a.m. and testing should be completed between 12:30 and 1 p.m. The total testing time for the SAT is 3 hours and 45 minutes—not including breaks, check-in time, and pre-administration activities. The total time you should plan on being at the test center is approximately five hours.

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May I bring something to eat or drink during the test?

Although for security reasons you cannot open or consume food or drinks during testing, you are encouraged to bring snacks in a book bag on test day. These snacks must be stowed under desks or chairs in the testing room. They can be consumed outside the testing room, in designated areas, during breaks.

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How are SAT scores reported?

The SAT has three scores, each on the scale of 200 to 800. Your score includes writing (W 200-800), mathematics (M 200-800), and critical reading (CR 200-800). Two subscores are given for the writing section: a multiple-choice subscore on a scale of 20-80, and an essay subscore on a scale of 2-12.

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Can I find out more detailed information about my results?

All students have access to a free, more detailed, online score report on collegeboard.com. Using the online report, you can access a copy of your essay.

Beginning in fall 2007: In addition to providing access to your essay, the SAT online score report now shows you more about how you performed on each section of the SAT Reasoning Test. It gives you the types of questions, level of difficulty, and how many in each group of questions you answered correctly, incorrectly, or omitted. Percentile information has also been enhanced to give you better comparisons with other groups of test-takers.

For certain test dates, the Question-and-Answer Service (QAS) is available for a fee. You can see the actual questions and correct answers, as well as whether you answered correctly, incorrectly, or omitted the question. QAS includes information on question types and levels of difficulty. You will have access to a copy of your essay via your free online score report.

For all other test dates, Student Answer Service (SAS) is available. SAS does not provide the actual questions, but it does send you a list of question types and difficulty levels, along with a description of how you answered the questions. Again, you will have access to a copy of your essay via your online score report.

Check the test calendar to determine whether your test date is eligible for QAS or SAS.

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What will I be asked to write about in the essay?

The essay question will ask you to develop a point of view on an issue and support it with examples from your studies and experience. You can answer the question successfully in many different ways. You won't have to have any prior knowledge about the topic to write an effective essay. However, you will have to answer the essay assignment directly. See Strategies for Success on the SAT Essay for more information on how to do your best on the SAT essay.

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Will colleges see my essay? How will they use the new writing score?

A college will be able to view and print a copy of your essay only if you sent an official score report to that college.

Writing scores may be used for admissions decisions and possibly for placement in English Composition or related courses. Check with individual colleges to see how they use your scores.

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What about students with disabilities?

Students with disabilities, whose documentation has been validated by the College Board, will receive testing accommodations. Students with disabilities that necessitate the use of a computer for writing will be able to do so for the essay portion of the writing section. Learn more about Services for Students with Disabilities.

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What do the initials "SAT" mean?

Originally, SAT was an abbreviation for the Scholastic Aptitude Test. In 1993, the test was renamed the SAT I: Reasoning Test. At the same time, the former Achievement Tests were renamed the SAT II: Subject Tests. In 2004, the numerals "I" and "II" were dropped and the tests are now named the SAT Reasoning Test (or just SAT) and SAT Subject Tests. SAT is a simple and recognizable way of referring to the SAT Reasoning Test.

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What are the similarities and differences between the SAT and the PSAT/NMSQT®?

Both the SAT and the PSAT/NMSQT measure reasoning skills in critical reading, writing, and mathematics. The PSAT/NMSQT contains actual SAT questions, but it is designed to be slightly easier than the SAT. The PSAT/NMSQT is 2 hours and 10 minutes, whereas the SAT takes 3 hours and 45 minutes. The SAT is used for college admissions, but PSAT/NMSQT scores are not sent to colleges. The PSAT/NMSQT Score Report gives you personalized feedback on areas in which you could improve, along with specific advice on how to improve. Taking the PSAT/NMSQT gives you a chance to qualify for scholarship and recognition programs and is the best practice for the SAT.

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Is it true that you get a 200 on the SAT just for signing your name?

The College Board does not report scores that are lower than 200. In reality, if we received a blank answer sheet, with only student identifying information filled in, it would be considered an automatic request to cancel scores and no scores would be reported.

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Are some SAT tests more difficult than other ones?

All editions of the SAT are developed using the same test specifications. Even if there are tiny differences in difficulty from test to test, a statistical process called "equating" ensures that a score for a test taken on one date or at one place is equivalent to a score for a test taken on another date or in another place. The rumors that the SAT in one month, say in October, is easier, are false.

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Are all SAT questions multiple-choice?

In addition to multiple-choice questions, the SAT has a 25-minute written essay and 10 student-produced response math questions. The math questions ask you to fill in, or "grid-in," your own answers using a special section of the answer sheet.

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What's the difference between the SAT and Subject Tests?

The SAT measures the critical thinking skills you'll need for academic success in college. It assesses how well you analyze and solve problems. SAT scores are used for college admission purposes because the test predicts college success. The Subject Tests are one-hour, primarily multiple-choice tests in specific subjects. Subject Tests measure knowledge or skills in a particular subject and your ability to apply that knowledge.

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How many times can you take the test?

You can take the test as many times as you want. Your official mailed score report shows your current test score, in addition to scores for up to six SAT and six Subject Test administrations.

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What test should I take first, the SAT or the Subject Tests?

Most students take the SAT in the spring of their junior year and again in the fall of their senior year of high school. Most students who take Subject Tests take them toward the end of their junior year or at the beginning of their senior year. Because Subject Tests are directly related to course work, it's helpful to take tests such as World History, Biology E/M, Chemistry, or Physics as soon as possible after completing the course in the subject, even as a freshman or sophomore, while the material is still fresh in your mind. You'll do better on other tests like languages after at least two years of study.

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Which test should I take?

To find out which test(s) you should take, contact the colleges you are interested in attending or use our College Search to determine admissions requirements and deadlines. Most colleges require the SAT for admission and many other schools require both the SAT and Subject Tests for admission purposes or placement. Additionally, some colleges require specific Subject Tests while others allow you to choose which tests you take. It's best to check directly with the college admissions offices.

If you're uncertain about your readiness to take a specific Subject Test, visit the Subject Test FAQ

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What do my SAT scores tell college admission staff about me?

Your SAT scores can tell admissions staff how well prepared you are for college-level academics. The scores also allow colleges to compare your college readiness with other students in a standardized way. That's because all scores are reported on the 200 to 800 scale. For example, if your scores are roughly 500 on each section, which is the mean (average) score, college admissions staff knows you scored about as well as half of the students who took the test.

The SAT is the best independent, standardized measure of a student's college readiness. It is standardized across all students, schools, and states, providing a common and objective scale for comparison. High school grades are a very useful indicator of how students perform in college, yet there is great variation in grading standards and course rigor within and across high schools.

Remember, too, that the SAT is only one of a number of factors that colleges consider when making admission decisions. Other factors, like your high school record, essays, recommendations, interviews, and extracurricular activities, also play a role in admission decisions.

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Can the SAT really show how well I'll do in my first year of college?

Combined with your high school grades, the SAT is the best predictor of your success in college. No single piece of information can predict with 100 percent certainty what your grades will be in college. This is because many factors—including personal motivation—influence your college grades. Therefore, the SAT is of great value to admissions officers and can help you find the right college match.

However, college admissions offices use SAT scores to help estimate how well students are likely to do at a particular college. For example, a college looks at the SAT scores, high school grade-point average (GPA), and college grades of its freshman class. A college may find that students who scored between 450 and 550 on the SAT and maintained a "B" average in high school are the students who perform well at that school. Knowing your SAT scores and high school GPA helps the college make a decision about how likely it is that you'll succeed in college.

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Why does the SAT have the kinds of questions that it does?

The SAT was designed so you can demonstrate your reasoning and problem-solving abilities, not just the amount of information you've accumulated during school. As an example, many math items can be answered by using complex equations, but they can also be answered correctly if you can reason through the problem. Reading passages don't just test that you can read; they require extended reasoning in order to answer the questions related to the passage. This means that you have to be able to make inferences, assumptions, and interpretations based on the passage provided, in order to understand what the author is trying to say.

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Do the questions on the SAT ask about the things I'm learning in my high school courses?

The SAT Reasoning Test shows how well you can use the content you are learning in school to solve problems. It is a measure of the critical thinking skills you'll need for academic success in college. The SAT assesses how well you analyze and solve problems-skills that you develop over years of schooling and in your outside reading and study. The test is designed to allow you to demonstrate your abilities in these areas, regardless of the particular type of instruction you've received or textbooks you've used.

These important abilities—understanding and analyzing written material, drawing inferences, differentiating shades of meaning, drawing conclusions, and solving math problems—are necessary for success in college and life in general. This doesn't mean that the SAT is irrelevant to your course work, however; the SAT is closely aligned with the type of skills being taught in the classroom and necessary for college success.

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Who comes up with questions on the SAT or Subject Tests?

High school teachers and college professors, along with educational assessment experts, develop the questions on the SAT and Subject Tests. Test development committees comprised of high school and college educators, as well as subject-matter experts, ensure the tests are consistent with curriculum standards. The committee members also set the test specifications and the types of questions that are asked, including topics and areas that should be covered. High school and college faculty and administrators review the test questions and make recommendations for improving them, if needed. After several rigorous reviews, test questions are then tried out with high school students (pretested) before ever being in a scored section of an actual SAT or Subject Test.

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Why can't I have more time to take the SAT?

Much effort is made to ensure that most students are given enough time to attempt every question on the test. But even if more time were given, not all students would be able to answer all the questions.

Studies are done to find out whether most students have enough time to attempt to answer all the questions in each test section. These studies show that time limits are appropriate if all students taking the test answer 75 percent of the questions in each section and if 80 percent reach the last question in the section. Based on studies like these, the time limits are appropriate for the majority of students.

Students with Disabilities may request extended time for taking the SAT.

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