What is SAT?
The Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores help colleges interpret students’ overall academic performance in relation to the national applicant pool, acting as a comparative yardstick of a student’s performance to qualify for the undergraduate admission criteria in some colleges/universities of the U.S.
The SAT is scored on a scale of 400 to 1600 and a 1600 is considered the best possible result. A score of 1500 shows that a student excelled on the exam and answered the majority of questions correctly. A 1500 score puts a student in nearly the 99th percentile of all 1.7 million test takers. The SAT is administered seven times per year, and students who are not satisfied with their score may retake the exam.
What are its components?
It is scientifically designed to measure basic critical reading, math and creative writing skills. Most colleges and universities have a prerequisite of ACT or SAT score results from the applicants for the admission process. Students may usually take their test of choice, but it is best to check with schools of interest before selecting (unless the student plans to take both exams).
The SAT is composed of three main sections, each with its own subsections. The three major sections will be graded on a scale of 200-800. The final score will be the sum of all sections, a number between 400 and 1600. Here is what you can expect to see in each section.
The Writing
The writing section of the test is of an hour long and is composed of both multiple choice questions (MSQ-s) and an essay. The paper begins with a 25-minute essay to articulate their expressions and substantiate their opinions backed up by evidence. The essay is scored on a scale of 2 to 8. The multiple choice portion of the writing section is composed of 49 questions with a stipulated time period of 35 minutes. The assessment aims as to test how articulate the student is with the use of the language and the use of correct grammar that tests the student’s ability to clearly communicate ideas, identify grammatical errors and to improve sentences and paragraphs. Students will have 35 minutes to complete this portion of the test.
The Math
The math section is 70 minutes long and composed of both multiple choice questions and 10 student-produced response questions. Conditions apply with the usage of calculators. All scientific and most graphing calculators, including Computer Algebra System (CAS) calculators, are permitted on the SAT Math. All mobile phone and smartphone calculators, calculators with typewriter-like (QWERTY) keyboards, laptops and other portable computers, and calculators capable of accessing the Internet are not permitted.
The Critical Reading
The critical reading section of 70 minutes tests a student’s ability to comprehend passages and logically use the best-fit options to complete sentences. There are 48 passage based questions and 19 sentence completion questions.
The importance of the exam
It’s a very pertinent question amongst the aspirants that what’s the importance of the SAT score in the college/university admission when there are other parameters of consideration.
Except for test blind and test optional schools, the admission process requires a student to submit either SAT or ACT scores. Yes, of course, if a student is very zealous, for that matter he/she can submit both the scores.
There are some scholarships which are based out of the SAT/ACT score.
Unlike ACT which has 35 minutes allotted for 40 questions on science, SAT doesn’t have a science section and is more preferred by student who are not inclined towards science. Moreover, the time crunch is more for ACT than SAT. SAT is 15 minutes longer than ACT. SAT Reading questions come in the sequential order of the progression of each passage, complete with line numbers to help find the point of reference unlike ACT which challenges a student with random questions. SAT is heavy on Algebra and light on Geometry and Trigonometry unlike ACT which focuses on Geometry. There are some math concepts like logarithms, matrices, and graphs of trigonometric functions which are all absent from the SAT (but present on the ACT). When it comes to creative handling of essays, SAT would look for a lucid explanation on the thought process, whereas ACT would want the student to evaluate, critique, back up personal opinions with evidence, invite rebuttal and express a cogent understanding of the subject matter into consideration.
There are states which have made SAT compulsory. In total, 20 states (plus Washington, DC) are contracted with the College Board to administer the SAT to some or all high school juniors for free. The states like Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Idaho, Illinois, Maine, Michigan, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia. The states or districts as Alaska, Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Texas, and Washington have kept SAT optional for students.
Some employers look for the SAT scores. A number of ads placed by recruiters and staffing firms set clear SAT goals. On the recruitment portal HotJobs.com for an entry-level or a senior investment-banking position, the minimum eligibility criterion is scoring a 1350 in SAT.
On the contrary, for Morgan Denny, a partner in a New York search firm specializing in financial services, SAT score is a mere parameter to gauge one’s potentiality. There are far more significant innate qualities in employees which stand out when it comes to smart work with passion.
