SAT

What it is
The SAT is taken as part of the college admission process. Many schools require SAT scores in addition to their standard application requirements. Students may take the test multiple times.

Who takes the SAT
The SAT is typically administered to junior and senior high school students applying to college.

The SAT format
This is a four-hour test that assesses students’ critical thinking skills in mathematics, reading comprehension and grammar. There is also an essay component. Most questions are multiple-choice with five answer options. There are three math sections, three reading sections, two grammar sections and one essay.

How the SAT is scored
The test is scored using a simple formula that factors in the number of correct answers, wrong answers and skipped questions. Correct answers are worth one point (+1), skipped answers are worth zero points (0) and wrong answers are worth a negative quarter of a point (-1/4).

Each student will receive an overall score, as well as three individual scores: one for math, reading and writing. Students can earn up to 800 points on each section and up to 2400 on the whole test. The essay is graded on a scale of 2-12 and is worth 30% of the whole writing score. This test is scaled.

SAT test dates, registration deadlines and fees
The SAT is administered on various dates throughout the year. Registration for each test closes approximately one month before the test date. There is a cost to take the test, as well as a fee for late registration.

• SAT 2008-2009 test dates, registration deadlines and fee
• Register for the SAT