SAT Reasoning Test vs. SAT Subject Tests: Understanding the Differences
The SAT is a standardized test widely used for college admissions in the United States. Since its debut in 1926, its name and scoring have changed several times. The SAT is wholly owned, developed, and published by the College Board and is administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS). The test is intended to assess students' readiness for college. Historically, starting around 1937, the tests offered under the SAT banner also included optional subject-specific SAT Subject Tests, which were called SAT Achievement Tests until 1993 and then were called SAT II: Subject Tests until 2005; these were discontinued after June 2021.
For many students, the SAT test is the focus of an enormous amount of effort. There are prep classes, study books, online tutorials and much more to juggle. Some students, though, don’t realize that there is more than one type of SAT test. SAT Subject Tests (formerly known as SAT IIs) are also the subject of much effort and sometimes equally as much confusion. While both kinds of SAT are administered by the College Board, they each have a unique purpose and their format and content are significantly different. In this post, we will outline the primary differences between the SAT and SAT Subject Tests, along with how each is used by admissions committees and how students should plan for each. To learn more about SAT Subject Tests and how they stack up to the SAT, keep reading.
Purpose and Scope
Before we get into the nitty gritty details, let’s take a look at each test and what it aims to do. The SAT is a general assessment of your college readiness. It contains sections that test your skills in math, both with and without a calculator, along with reading, writing and language, and an optional essay section. The skills assessed by the SAT are broad ones-essentially, it intends to gauge your readiness for college level work by assessing your critical and analytical thinking skills and your ability to apply knowledge across multiple disciplines. The SAT does not assess specific content knowledge, but will sometimes ask you to apply your knowledge in new or different ways. SATs (along with the ACT) are one of the standardized tests accepted to meet standardized testing requirements at many colleges across the country. If you plan to attend a college with a standardized testing requirement, you’ll need to either submit an SAT or an ACT score. The aim of the general SAT test is to evaluate your reasoning skills and your readiness for college.
SAT Subject Tests fill in where the regular SAT does not. It, in essence, sheds light onto your specific content area knowledge and measures your achievement in a particular subject area. Unlike the SAT, each of the SAT Subject Tests assesses only your knowledge within that content area. SAT Subject Tests are not required by nearly as many schools and those that do require them often allow you to choose which you take. For example, some schools will request that you submit two SAT Subject Test scores of your own choosing. Others will request that you submit one SAT Subject Test score in a foreign language or other specific discipline. In these cases, you will have at least some leeway over which tests you choose to take. Still other colleges don’t require any SAT Subject Test scores to be submitted, but most will still review your scores should you choose to submit them anyway.
The College Board discontinued Subject Tests in 2021 to reduce demands on students. Students can still get and send Subject Test scores from previous administrations, just as they do for the SAT. Students who didn’t get a chance to take Subject Tests can stand out on college applications by taking the SAT.
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Key Differences Summarized
The SAT measures broad skills and general college readiness. It assesses your critical and analytical thinking skills along with your ability to apply what you know. SAT Subject Tests measure your skills and content specific knowledge within specific subject areas.
Test Duration
The SAT takes about half a day to complete. If you are taking the optional essay section, your testing time will be just under four hours. If you choose not to compete the essay, your testing time will be closer to three hours. SAT Subject Tests, in contrast, take much less time to complete. They generally last only a little more than an hour.
Test Dates and Availability
SAT Subject Tests are offered on the same days and at the same testing centers as the regular SAT, with a few exceptions. While the SAT is offered seven times per year, SAT Subject Tests are only available on six of those dates. In addition, it’s important to know that not all SAT Subject Tests are available on every date.
Scoring Systems
The SAT is scored on a scale from 400-1600 with a separate score given for the optional essay. It is not scored on a curve, and points are not deducted for wrong answers. Like the SAT, they are not scored on a curve, but unlike the SAT, a fraction of a point is deducted for each wrong answer on multiple choice questions.
Weight in Admissions
Without a doubt, the SAT is more heavily weighted in admissions decisions than are SAT Subject Tests. SATs are accepted by every four-year college across the country and are in fact one of two tests required by many. They are often regarded as a major component of your application. In contrast, the weight given to SAT Subject Tests varies widely. Often, SAT Subject Test scores are weighted similarly to other application components like AP classes and scores, and honors level work. Sometimes, though, if you apply to a specific program or specialty, your SAT Subject Test might take on more weight. For example, if you are hoping to enter a BS/MD program, your Chemistry SAT Subject Test will be given more consideration. Further, your SAT Subject Test scores can sometimes be used to test out of certain introductory requirements or prerequisites at your college. For example, if you score well on the French SAT Subject Test, you might not be required to meet your school’s foreign language requirement.
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Preparation Strategies
Because the SAT is a very unique test that evaluates skills you may have never been tested in before, you need to prepare specifically for it. That often means joining SAT study groups, taking online tutorials, completing multiple practice tests, and sometimes even using an SAT tutor to help brush up on your strategy. SAT Subject Tests are still unique tests, so your preparations might be fairly similar to the SAT, but you will also need to brush up on your content level knowledge, too. Overall, while you’ll still take practice tests and work on test strategy, you’ll also need to spend a lot of time studying the subject-specific knowledge that you’re likely to find on the test. To learn more about studying for SAT Subject Tests, see 5 Strategies for Tackling SAT Subject Tests.
Planning and Timing
Think ahead about which SAT Subject Tests you want to take and know which dates they’re offered on. As you make your SAT calendar, consider these dates reserved for Subject Tests so that you don’t find yourself double-booked. Whenever possible, try to take the SAT Subject Test close to the time you’re completing the related high school class. For many students this means taking the Chemistry or Calculus SAT Subject Test during the spring of your junior year. For cumulative subjects like foreign languages, try to take them in the fall of your senior year when you’ll have the most instructional hours under your belt. Remember that different SAT Subject Tests have different formats and know what to expect going into each one. To learn more about the formats specific to each, check out the CollegeBoard’s Subject Areas overview.
Additional Considerations for SAT
The current digitally-administered SAT has two main sections: reading and writing, and math. Each of these sections is further broken down into two equal-length "modules". A score for each section is reported on a scale of 200 to 800, and each section score is a multiple of ten. A total score for the SAT is calculated by adding the two section scores, resulting in total scores that range from 400 to 1600. In addition to the two section scores, several subsection "performance" scores are also reported for each section.
The reading and writing section consists of two equal modules, each 32 minutes long with 27 questions. The modules consist of short reading passages or passage pairs, each of which is followed by a single multiple-choice question. The passages are 25 to 150 words in length. The mathematics portion of the SAT is divided into two modules, each 35 minutes long with 22 questions. The topics covered are algebra (13 to 15 questions), advanced high school math (13 to 15 questions), problem solving and data analysis (5 to 7 questions), and geometry and trigonometry (5 to 7 questions). Roughly 75% of the math questions are 4-option multiple-choice; the remaining 25% are student-produced response (SPR) questions and require the student to type in a numerical response. Calculators are permitted on all questions in the math portion of the SAT.
The new test is adaptive, with the second module being adaptive to the demonstrated level based on the results from the first module. Specifically, the difficulty of Module 2 in each section is determined by a student's performance in Module 1. Strong performance in the first module leads to placement in a more challenging Module 2, which contains the most difficult questions on the test. Weaker performance results in assignment to an easier Module 2.
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The Value of Taking SAT Subject Tests (Despite Discontinuation)
In some colleges, taking SAT subject tests is a prerequisite to applying to certain courses or programs. In other colleges, taking the test is strongly recommended but not mandatory - the final decision is left up to the applicants. When faced with such an option, most students will choose to take the test and so should you. If there is a major you are interested in that does not require you to take a subject test, taking it anyway demonstrates your interest in that field. It also helps with course placement by highlighting that you are qualified for the program and capable of handling the coursework. This will help your application stand out from the competition and boost your chances of getting admission into the college and course of your choice. Taking a SAT subject test in the languages you are fluent in is the best way to showcase your skills in multiple foreign languages.
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