Need Help Studying for the The SAT Exam? Test preparation and complete study guide
First known as Scholastic Aptitude Test and later Scholastic Assessment Test, the SAT Reasoning Test is a standardized test used in determining college admissions. The College Board (a non-profit organization) published the SAT test first in 1901. At present the Educational Testing Services (ETS) administers the exams. The present name, SAT Reasoning Test was adopted in 2005.
The SAT test is designed to assess and measure critical educational thinking skills needed for academic success in colleges. The test is used to see how well high school graduates have learned and their ability to analyze and solve problems. The test is open to any high school juniors and seniors. The SAT is more popularity among colleges on the coast while it’s rival test ACT more popular in the South and Midwest. Some schools however do not accept SAT at all.
Exam Format
Three sections with a possible maximum score of 800 points each make up the SAT test.
The sections include:
• Critical Reading
• Writing
• Mathematics
Each main section has three parts. There are 10 sub sections and an additional experimental section of 25 minutes. The experimental section can be in any of the other main sections and its scores do not count towards total score (questions used as experiments for future test questions).
Total time for the test is 3 hrs 45 minutes but time used in orientation, distribution and other administration activities take the total test time to about 4 hours.
The Critical Reading section was formerly called the verbal section. There are two 25 minutes and one 20 minutes segments in this section. Questions are varied and include sentence completions and questions from long and short passages.
The Math section also referred to as the Quantitative section is made up of three sections. Two of the sections last for 25 minutes each while one is for 20 minutes. One of the 25 minute sections has only 20 multiple choice questions. The other has 10 grid-in questions and 8 multiple choice questions. The 20 minute section is has just 16 questions all in the multiple choice format.
The writing section includes multiple choice questions as well as a brief essay. There are error identification questions amongst the multiple questions as well as sentence improving questions and paragraph improving questions. The essay part of this section amounts to 30% of the section score while the multiple questions make up the other 70%.
The questions on the SAT test all carry equal weight. Each correct answer earns the student a point, while each wrong answer deducts a quarter of a point. It is only recommended you make educated guesses. Wrong answers to grid-in math questions however do not get penalized. The final number of points earned becomes the final test score.
SAT Exam preparation & Study Tips
This is a multiple choice exam.
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