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You are no stranger to tests – you’ve taken all sorts of tests your whole life: tying your shoes, basic addition, shapes – and then the high school stuff like Geometry, Chemistry, and Biology.  Think of the SAT Reasoning Test as just one more, but for this one?  You’ve got to prepare!  So – what is the SAT?

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We know you have plenty of adjectives to describe it – but here are the facts!  What you know as the SAT Reasoning Test has also been called the Scholastic Aptitude Test and Scholastic Assessment Test and is administered by The College Board.  A rose by any other name, right?  We’re only kidding.

The SAT Reasoning Test is a standardized test which means that the test you take and the conditions you take it in – the timing, the scoring, etc. – will be the same for you as it is for a student taking the test four states away.

Most students take the test in the Spring of their Junior year of high school and then again in the Fall of their Senior year to (hopefully!) improve on the previous score – honestly, just knowing what to expect can give your score a boost.

There are three sections to the almost four hour test – Writing, Math, and Critical Reading, where you can score 200 — 800 points.  You will also see subscores, like the essay, which ranges from 2-12 points, and multiple choice, which is graded on a 20 – 80 point scale.  These subscores contribute to the writing segment of the test.

Your total score will span from 600 – 2400, after your points are combined.  The higher the score – the better you did!  Anything above a 1500 is considered good, though to get accepted at some of the more selective colleges, like Harvard University or Dartmouth College — you need to shoot higher!

Thanks to Score Choice, you may get to pick out which test date score you want your schools of choice to see – though not every college affords that option.  If your college doesn’t — don’t despair!  Many colleges take your better score into consideration, anyway.

The majority of colleges and universities will, however, want to see your SAT score because it is a factor of admittance — but it isn’t the only factor.  Don’t forget: they also have your high school transcripts, personal statement or essay, your involvement in your school and (hopefully!) the community, and perhaps even a couple strong letters of recommendation.

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Some of the more competitive colleges and universities also require the SAT Subject Test, once known as the SAT II.  The SAT Subject Test is an hour long test on a specific subject like literature, Latin, Italian, World History – there’s 20 different subjects total!  Colleges may require you to take one specific subject test (or even three) or they may let you choose your own, which gives you a chance to play to your strengths!

No matter what test you have to take – it’s a good idea to prepare ahead of time!  Consider subscribing to My College Guide via RSS or email so you can be sure to see what test prep providers, like Kaplan, Knewton, and The Princeton Review, have to say about the SAT Reasoning Test in an upcoming post – and their secrets for success!

Have more questions about the SAT?  Check out our Guru!  Browse the archives and if that doesn’t help – ask our Admissions Guru a question yourself!  It’s free and anonymous.