The SAT exam is taken by students who wish to study abroad. This test is taken annually and it is a Standardized International Exam required for the colleges in the United States. All candidates who wish to study in the US or Canada must take this test. The fee for taking this exam is around USD 47.50.
It is a three-hour test and is conducted by Education Testing Services on behalf of the College Board. It is an offline test held at the test centers. Around 1.7 million students took this exam in 2017 and almost 2.1 million students appeared for the same in 2018. Some other countries where this exam is accepted are Singapore and Australia. The SAT exams are also taken by students who wish to pursue, history, literature, mathematics, science and foreign languages.
The paper is divided into four parts: reading, writing, mathematics, and Language. The evaluation is done in the score scale of 400 to 1600. The test takes about three hours to finish (three hours and fifteen minutes with breaks). If you opt for an optional essay, then it takes three hours and fifty minutes to finish (or four hours and five minutes with breaks). A student can also opt for some other test for a particular course.
Broadly the paper is divided into two parts, one with the use of calculators and one without the use of calculators. The paper has four parts: reading, writing, mathematics, and Language. The time allotted for these four parts in three hours. A student can also opt for the fifth part, which is optional writing, which increases the time allotted to three hours fifty minutes. A student can go for subject tests as well. These tests take about an hour to finish and held six times a year.
Subject |
Duration |
Score Range |
Maths |
80 minutes |
200-800 |
Writing and Language |
35 minutes |
200-800(combined) |
Reading |
65 minutes |
200-800(combined with writing) |
Essay |
50 minutes |
Not defined |
The results are usually available online. The multiple choice question paper releases the results in about 13 days after the test day. The SAT essay scores are released 5 days after the MCQ paper results are out. Once the candidates get their scores, they can send it to their chosen colleges. These scores are valid for 5 years unless there is any change in the rule.
The frequency of SAT exams ranges from 5 to 7 times per year, though it varies from country to country. The students can choose their date according to their preference. The subject exam dates have different dates. The candidates are allowed to give as many subject tests as they want. There are two registration dates for the Sat exam.
Subject |
Exam Date |
SAT test Date |
March 9, May 4, June 1 |
SAT Subject Date |
March 9, May 4, June 1, August 25, October 6, November 3, December 1 |
The SAT fee is around $52.5. An additional fee of $26 may be taken for the subject exams. It is conducted across 25,000 test centres and in over 192 countries.
Exam Name |
SAT |
Official Site |
http://sat.collegeboard.org/ |
Conducted by |
Educational Testing Service |
Fees |
USD 47.50 |
Score Range |
400-1600 |
Helpline |
Domestic:- 866-756-75346 International:- 212-713-7789 |
P.O. Box 7502
London, KY 40742-72502.
The SAT exam fee is around $52.5. An additional fee of $26 is taken for subject test. Extra fee is taken if the exam is taken outside the U.S. territory.
The SAT admission ticket has the following information
The reading test has questions based on paragraphs and graphics in the question paper. One of the paragraphs chosen has a part of the world literature, or a classic work of the U.S. The other passage is either the U.S founding document or may have a paragraph from the Great Global Conversation. The third paragraph is related to topics such as economics, sociology, and psychology. The last two paragraphs are science-based to test student’s fundamental and scientific concepts.
In the writing and language test, the paper has MCQs based on paragraphs. The content may have informational graphics, graphs, charts, etc. You will find questions based on sentence structure, usage, and punctuation. The students will have to change the sentences and keeping its meaning same to fix the sentences with some error. The topics are a verb, tense, subject-verb agreement, etc.
The maths section has two parts- a calculator and test-no-calculator. The grid-in questions should be filled in the space given. The topics covered are Algebra, polynomials, linear and exponential growth, geometry, trigonometry, statistics, and probability.
It can be tricky for some foreign students to understand SAT scoring. The score of the exam ranges between 400 and 1600. If a student gets a score of 1400 then he/she is given the percentile 95%. If a student scores 890 then he/she is given the percentile 21%. The raw score is converted to the range of 200 – 800 per section.
The candidates can apply for score verification if their expectations were different. You can send for verification till 5 months the result is out. The result gets automatically updated after the verification. The booklet of questions and answers are provided to the candidate. Students can request for the score verification online or offline (mail).
The multiple choice question paper takes 13 days to give its result after the test day. The results can be viewed online. The SAT essay scores are revealed after 5 days of the multiple-choice scores. The candidate can send their scores to their university after receiving the scores.
There are over 19 subjects included in the SAT subject list
1. How many times can I attempt the SAT exam in a year?
There is no limit for the number of attempts in SAT exam, though the exam is held only 5 times annually.
2. How many times SAT exam conducts in a year?
It is available 7 times annually in the U.S and 5 times a year in other countries.
3. How do I register for the SAT exam?
Register in the College Board website or offline through mail under Special cases to apply for SAT exam.
4. What are the eligibility criteria for the SATs?
There is no criterion for the SATs. You have to make sure you have a valid ID to present at the test center.
5. What to do if I lose my admission ticket?
You can take another print of your admission ticket from the College Board website.
6. What to do if I forget my admission ticket at the test center?
Students without an admission ticket are not allowed to enter the test center. So, make it a point to have the admission ticket with you on all test days.
7. Is it important to take the SAT Subject test?
Students can show their interest in the subject through this test and let the college of their choice know about it.
8. Is essay writing necessary in SAT?
It is optional in the paper though there are many colleges in the U.S who ask for an essay to get an insight of student thought the process.
9. What are the main subjects covered in the SAT exam?
The exam mainly tests the knowledge the students gained during their high school. The subjects are English, History, Mathematics, and other subjects.
10. Is the use of calculator permitted for the maths paper?
The use of calculators is permitted in one section of mathematics, but the other section of maths, it is prohibited.
11. How do I send my SAT scores to the colleges?
College Board provides the facility of Score choice through which one can send four scores for free, during registration.
12. Is there an option to cancel the SAT scores?
Yes, you can cancel the SAT scores if you feel you haven’t performed well in the exams.
13. How to cancel the SAT score?
An individual can ask for the score cancellation form at the center and submit it with the coordinator or he can download and fill the form and send it with a written request to the College Board.
14. Can I cancel my scheduled SAT?
You can cancel your scheduled SAT if you have a valid reason behind doing so.
15. How can I check the SAT result?
Login to your College Board profiles to check your SAT scores.