International Exam accepted for admission by most colleges and universities in the U.S.A.

The SAT Exam or the SAT Reasoning Test is an international exam that is used to test students on the basis of their ability to read, write and solve mathematical problems.  The basic aim of the SAT exam is not only to test your knowledge but to also see how well you can apply that knowledge. It is used by colleges and universities in the U.S to check whether a student is ready to progress to the university level of education or not.

The SAT Reasoning Test looks to understand the basic abilities of a student to analyze situations and solve problems. The whole purpose is to give the colleges an idea about whether a student can cope with the heavy workloads at the college level and to see whether a student has the necessary skills that will be required to succeed academically in college.

The SAT is created and published by a non – profit organization in the U.S, called the ‘College Board’. The exam is administered by ETS (Educational Testing Service), which is also a non – profit private organization. It is one of the most important global tests and is conducted 7 times a year in the U.S and 6 times a year internationally. More than 2 million students appear for the SAT exam every year.

SAT is only one of the many admission criteria on the basis of which colleges and universities admit students. The minimum required score in SAT is different for every college and every course. It is advisable to go through the particular college’s website to know about their minimum SAT score requirements.

What are the eligibility criteria?

There are no specific eligibility criteria for the SAT exam. However, College Board recommends that 11^th grade or above is a suitable qualification for the exam.

In India, most students choose to appear for SAT only if they want to study abroad. Most students appear for the exam during their Class 11^th or 12^th.

You can appear for the exam more than once, which is the reason why more than half of the students appear for the SAT exam again so as to improve their scores.

Please note that you cannot appear for the SAT Exam and SAT Subject Tests on the same day.

For further information, please visit: www.collegeboard.org 

How to apply?

You can register for the SAT exam online as well as offline.

To register online, you will have to make an account on the College Board’s official website: http://sat.collegeboard.org

Fill in your contact information carefully. This information should match with the details on your ID. After making your account, click on the ‘SAT’ icon.

You will get a list of upcoming SAT examinations. Go to the ‘International Dates’ section and select the date on which you would like to appear for the SAT exam.

Enter your account details and mailing address. Upload a digital copy of your photograph as well.

Make the payment using a credit/debit card.

Once the transaction is successful, your registration will be confirmed to you online.

You can also register offline (by mail). You will need the ‘Paper Registration Guide’ for the SAT exam and a Registration form. This can be procured from your USIEF offices in India.

Fill in the paper form carefully and paste your photograph. This information should match with the details on your ID. Enter the date on which you wish to appear for the test and your two preferred test centers.

You can choose to pay through a credit/debit card or also through a Bank Draft (Dollar Draft) International money order.

You will be provided an envelope with the Registration form. Send this form enclosed in the envelope along with the proof of payment at the following address:

College Board SAT® Program

P.O. Box 8056

Mount Vernon, IL 62864-0208

USA

Keep in mind that the registration generally closes a month before the exam date so you should send your application form accordingly.

Please note that you will have to apply through the offline method if you are under 13 years of age or if you do not plan to pay through a Credit/Debit card.

You will receive an admission ticket once you have been registered for the SAT exam through either method (online or offline). You will receive this through the E – mail or through post.

Keep this ticket carefully as you will not be allowed to enter the test center on the test date without a valid admission ticket.

Please note that you will also have to take an ID proof to the test center at the day of the test. For Indian students, the only valid ID proof is their passport.

In both the online and offline methods, you will be allowed to send your ‘Score Reports’ to any four colleges you mention in the form for free. To send any additional Score Reports, you will need to pay an additional amount.

You will also be sent a Score Report either online or through as per your choice.

For any further information, please visit the following website: http://sat.collegeboard.org

What is the pattern of the examination?

SAT is completely a paper based examination.

It comprises of multiple choice questions, student produced responses (for math only) and essays.

The duration of the test is approximately 3 hours and 45 minutes.

It consists of 10 separately timed subsections out of which 3 sections test Critical Reading, 3 sections test Math and 3 sections test writing. One variable section tests either of the three but does not count towards your overall score.

You will be marked on the basis of the following 3 sections:

Each of the above sections will be marked on a scale of 200 – 800. Your total score will be calculated by adding up the scores for all the 3 sections. The maximum score you can get is 2400 (800 in each section).

There is no passing or failing score. You will have to go as per the score requirements specified by the college /university you wish to apply to.

You will be allowed to use four function, scientific and graphing calculators for the Math section.

The result will be considered valid for approximately 5 years after the test date by most colleges.

For any further information, please read the ‘Paper Registration Guide’ or visit the following website: http://sat.collegeboard.org

What are the prospects?

SAT is an internationally recognized exam and provides students from all countries to gain admission into the various universities and colleges situated in the United States of America. Doing well in the SAT exam can make a huge difference to the response to your college application. Since its inception, more than 2 million students have appeared for SAT. A score around and above the range of 2100 is considered to be very good and can help you get admission into the very best of colleges in the U.S.

Dates on which the SAT exam is being held:

The SAT exam is held around 6 times a year internationally. The dates keep on changing and you will need to be aware of the dates beforehand. It is a good idea to regularly visit the CollegeBoard website so that you can keep a track of the date of the next SAT exam.

Click on the following link to see the date of the next SAT exam: http://sat.collegeboard.org/register