Who should take the SAT® tests:

Students applying to an undergraduate program at a college in the United States. SAT Subject Tests™: Students applying to colleges that require or use scores from these Subject Tests for admissions, advisement or placement purposes.

Where to register:

Online registration is the simplest and quickest way to register for the SAT, available at www.collegeboard.com/mysat (VISA, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover credit card required).

If you wish to pay your fee by check or money order, need special accommodations, or attend a school in regions that do not accept online registration, please use the registration form and return envelope in “The SAT Paper Registration Guide” packet, which is available at your advising center or through your SAT International Representative.

Check www.collegeboard.com/sat-achieve-more or at your advising center for test dates and fees. You also can email the SAT Program at sat@info.collegeboard.com or write to:

College Board SAT Program
P.O. Box 025505
Miami, FL 33102 USA

The SAT® measures what you’ve learned in school and how well you can apply that knowledge. The SAT®assesses your knowledge of critical reading, writing and mathematics—skills you learned in school that you’ll need at university. The total testing time for the SAT is 3 hours and 45 minutes. Accounting for breaks, check-in time, and pre-administration activities, you should plan on being at the test center for approximately five hours.

For further information, visit www.collegeboard.com/sat-achieve-more. The College Board offers free and low-cost materials online to help you practice for the test. These materials include sample questions, a free full-length Official SAT Practice Test, and more. If you do not have Internet access, ask your college counselor for print versions of the SAT practice materials.

The SAT Subject Tests™ are designed to measure your knowledge and skills in particular subject areas, as well as your ability to apply that knowledge. They are one-hour multiple-choice tests in specific subjects such as French or chemistry. You may take up to three SAT Subject Tests on a single test date. Tools to help you practice for the tests, including sample test questions, explanations, and information on test timing and scoring, is available for free at www.collegeboard.com/subject tests. If you do not have Internet access, ask your advising center for a free copy of “The SAT Practice Booklet.”

SAT Program Test Dates

Verify the dates on www.collegeboard.com or with your advising center. Registrations – whether made by paper, phone or online – must be received by the registration receipt deadline.

2009-2010 Test Dates	Registration Deadline
October 10, 2009*	September 9, 2009*
November 7, 2009**	October 1, 2009
December 5, 2009	October 30, 2009
January 23, 2010	December 15, 2009
May 1, 2010	March 25, 2010
June 5, 2010	April 29, 2010

 

Sunday test dates are scheduled following each Saturday test date for students who cannot test on Saturday because of a religious observance.
*The Sunday test date for October 2009 has been moved to Oct. 18 to avoid conflict with the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah.
**Language Tests with Listening are offered in November only.

The SAT®: What you need to know

Most colleges and universities in the United States require applicants to submit scores from a standardized admissions test. The SAT is the most widely used college admissions test in the United States.. The SAT consists of multiple-choice questions and an essay that measure the same skills you have developed in school and your ability to apply those skills. SAT scores help colleges and universities make informed admissions decisions by providing one indicator of a student’s academic readiness to do college-level work. SAT scores also help students determine the colleges where they are most likely to be successful. You should remember that the SAT is just one of many factors that colleges and universities consider when making admissions decisions.

What does the SAT test?

The SAT consists of three sections: critical reading, mathematics, and writing. Each section is scored on a scale of 200-800.

The Critical Reading Section tests your ability to understand college-level passages written in English. The questions in this section will ask you to complete sentences with the appropriate word or words or to answer questions that show your comprehension of short and long reading passages.

The Mathematics Section assesses how well you analyze and solve problems—skills you learned in school that you’ll need in college. It includes questions that ask you to work with algebraic formulas, linear functions, exponential growth and manipulations with exponents, properties of tangent lines, absolute value, functional notation, geometric figures, probability, and to analyze data. Some of the questions are multiple-choice, while others will require you to fill in your own answer. You may use an approved calculator, and you are not required to memorize formulas.

The Writing Section includes multiple-choice questions to test how well you use standard written English. You also will be required to write a brief essay. The multiple-choice questions assess your ability to identify sentence errors, improve sentences, and improve paragraphs. The essay question asks you to take a position on an issue and use examples to support your position. The readers who score your essay will know that the essay was written in a short amount of time and is a first draft. They will not expect a polished piece of writing. They will read your essay to see how well you organize and express your point of view and develop and support your main idea.

How long is the SAT?

The test is three hours and forty-five minutes.

How does the Writing section affect students for whom English is a foreign language (EFL)?

EFL students perform just as well or better on writing assessments than they do on other verbal measures. Essay topics are selected to be accessible to the general test-taking population, including EFL students. The essay is scored holistically, that is, based on the overall quality of the essay and your demonstration of writing competence. Even with some errors in spelling, punctuation, and grammar, you can still get a top score on the essay. How should students get ready for the SAT?

The best way to get ready for the SAT is to participate actively in your own education. Take challenging classes, read as much as you can in and out of school and practice your writing. Students whose first language is not English will want to become as familiar with standard written English as they can. It is also a good idea for you to familiarize yourself with the SAT so you know what to expect on test day. You should be familiar with the different kinds of questions on the SAT and the directions for each kind of question. Sample SAT questions and a full-length practice test are available for free online (www.collegeboard.com/satstudy). If you are unable to access the Internet, ask your advising center for a free copy of “The SAT Practice Booklet” and a paper version of the practice test.

If you want more practice, you can also purchase a subscription to “The Official SAT Online Course™” or buy a copy of the College Board’s best-seller “The Official SAT Study Guide™,” second edition. The online course offers 18 interactive lessons that prepare students for all the question types in the three sections of the SAT, including the essay. The book features similar lessons and a 10 practice tests that are different from those given in the online course. It is available for sale online and in bookstores in most countries.

Skills Insight is another tool found on collegeboard.com that you can use to get ready for the SAT. It is a free online tools that helps you understand what skills are tested on the SAT and become comfortable with the types of questions on the test. It provides real SAT questions and answers, skill sharpening exercises and guidance for improving academic performance in school and on the SAT.

SAT Subject Tests

SAT Subject Tests are one-hour tests designed to measure how much students know about a particular academic subject and how well they can apply that knowledge. There are 20 subject tests in five general academic areas: English, history, mathematics, science, and languages. Many colleges and universities use the SAT Subject Tests to make admissions decisions, for course placement and to advise students about course selection. Check with the universities where you may apply to learn their requirements or recommendations for SAT Subject Tests.

How to register

The best way to register for the SAT is online at www.collegeboard.com. Registering online is easy and provides instant confirmation and a better chance to get your first choice test center. A credit card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover) is required. If you do not have Internet access, you can register by mail by completing the form in “The SAT Paper Registration Guide” , available at an advising center in your country, or with an SAT Representative. (The advisor or counselor who gave you this magazine will probably know who the official SAT Representatives in your country are.) For more information on the SAT, including test dates and fees, please visit www.collegeboard.com/sat-achieve-more.

By The College Board