SAT Exam

For every high school student, who wants to study in the USA, the SAT exam is the first step towards fulfilling their dreams! Scholastic Assessment Test or SAT, which is conducted by the College Board, is one of the most popular exams to study abroad. It measures a student’s eagerness and academic inquisitiveness and helps colleges in comparing the applicants for a particular course. Along with the SAT scores, your high school GPA, subjects, extra-curricular activities, personal essays, and letters of recommendation [LOR] are also assessed. In this blog, we will explore why this exam is important, what subjects it consists of as well as major tips that can help you crack SAT with good scores. 

Digital SAT Brings Student-Friendly Changes to Test Experience

Due to Covid-19, many test centres are filing students with less than full capacity. Before you register for the SAT exam, make sure to check the availability of slots in the test centre. If there is no centre close to you, you can choose the option of ‘Let the College Board find a seat near me. Possibly, test centres can reduce or cancel the capacity of students in their location on short notice. In such a case, students will be informed of their email addresses that they must regularly check.

Exam Name	Scholastic Aptitude Test
SAT Exam Eligibility	No specific eligibility or age limits. One should
Conducting Body	College Board
Exam Mode	Offline
SAT Exam Registration	Online and Mail
SAT Exam Fee	$104 [INR 7,700] *includes the Regional Fee
Fee with Essay (Discontinued)	$117 [INR 8,680] *includes the Regional Fee
SAT Subject Test Fee	$26 [INR 1,930] Registration Charges + $22 (INR 1,633) For Every Subject + Regional Fee for India [$49]*
Score Scale	400-1600

Note: SAT College Board has recently discontinued the SAT Subject Test and SAT Essay.

Why take SAT Exam? 

While there are numerous exams to study abroad, the SAT is beneficial in many ways. Here we have listed the major reasons why you should appear for the SAT exam:

• Opens a gateway to pursue undergraduate programs in American and Candian Universities.
• You can apply for a scholarship through your SAT score. This helps you explore different options for paying your college tuition fee. 
• Furthermore, there are certain job opportunities that also take the SAT scores into consideration.

What is SAT Exam in India?

SAT exam or the Scholastic Assessment Test is an entrance exam. The examination is taken by undergraduate students wanting to take admission abroad. The SAT results are accepted in more than 4000 universities worldwide. It means Indian universities accept the SAT results too. Universities in India are a part of the  India Higher Education Global Alliance initiative of the college board. Therefore, these universities accept SAT exams for admissions as well. Hence, taking the examination can be useful.

Types of SAT Exams

SAT is conducted by College Board and there are two types of SAT exams. The first test is the general test that is developed to evaluate the written, verbal and mathematical skills of the candidates. The second test, SAT 2 is a subject test. It is used to demonstrate your knowledge of a particular subject. 

SAT vs ACT

Although both SAT and ACT are for those who want to pursue higher education in the USA, there are some features that are uncommon. Here are the major differences between SAT and ACT:

Details	SAT	ACT
Sections	Reading, Maths, Writing and Language Tests	Reading, Science, Maths, and English Test
Exam Duration	3 Hours	2 hours and 55 Minutes + 40 Minutes [Optional Essay]
Total Questions	154	215
Number of Score Reports	Unlimited	Only 20
Score Scale	400-1600	1-36
Registration Deadlines	4 weeks before the test	5 weeks before the test
Free Mock Tests	8 downloadable, with scoring	Only 1

SAT Exam in Detail

There were majorly two types of SAT exams, SAT General and SAT Subject Test. While the former examines a candidate’s Reading, Writing, and Mathematical skills, the latter assessed a candidate’s command over a particular subject. Recently, the official board of SAT (College Board) has decided to discontinue the SAT Subject Test. Below, we have discussed the SAT General Paper in detail, have a look:

Details	SAT General
Duration	3 Hours + 50 Minutes for Essay [Optional]
Questions	154
Language of Paper	English
Sections	Reading, Maths, and Writing
Frequency	5 times a year
Negative Marking	NA
Score Scale	400-1600

When to take SAT?

You can take an SAT exam after you have completed your class 12th. If you are applying for an undergraduate course at an abroad university, you must take an SAT exam. SAT is accepted in the US, Canada, the UK and Australia.

Duration

The SAT exam is a 3-hour long test excluding the duration of the essay. The essay exam takes an extra 50 minutes. 

SAT Exam Dates 2023

The SAT exam dates for the year 2023 are- 

SAT Digital Test Dates 2023	Deadlines for SAT Registration, Changes, and Regular Cancellation
Mar 11, 2023 (Digital)	Feb 24, 2023
May 6, 2023 (Digital)	Apr 21, 2023
June 3, 2023 (Digital)	May 19, 2023

SAT Exam Eligibility

SAT Exam is for students who are planning to study abroad after the completion of Class 12. There is no specific eligibility for students taking the exam.

• There is no age limit to taking SAT exam
• Those who are applying for graduation in the USA, Canada, Australia, Singapore, New Zealand, Netherlands or the UK should take the test.
• Only those who are planning to take undergraduate courses should apply for the SAT exam.

Must Read: All About SAT Superscoring

SAT Registration

You can register for the SAT exam either online or by mail. For the online process, you have to make an account on the College Board website and fill in all the requisite personal and academic details. On the other hand, only those who fulfil the following criteria are can apply through mail:

• If you are selecting a Sunday exam date for the first time and will be making the payment through check/money order
• 16 years or below
• Facing issues in uploading photos through the online route
• Registering through a representative

Also Read: Sat Maths Subjects Test

Admission Ticket

Once you have successfully registered for the SAT exam, you must log in to your account on the official website. After that, you can download the SAT admission ticket. Once you have downloaded it, you must check your credentials on the admission ticket and get any mistakes rectified. 

SAT Exam Pattern

The duration of the paper is 3 hours and the exam tests your writing, mathematical, and reading abilities. Each section in the SAT has a score range of 200-800 points. The final score consists of scores from all sections that may vary from 400 to 1600. However, the writing section is marked on a range of 0-24 and may vary incrementally. Here is a table that outlines the necessary information about the different sections of the SAT exam:

Section	Duration	Questions
Reading	65 minutes	52
Writing	35 minutes	44
Maths	80 minutes	58

Also Read: Sat Exam India

SAT Slot Booking 

Since only a handful of seats are available at the SAT test centres in India, candidates are advised to book their slots timely and in advance to avoid any end-moment discrepancies. 

The SAT exam is held from October to January internationally mainly on Saturdays. It is highly recommended to secure your SAT exam dates early in order to avoid any hassles at the last minute.

SAT Exam Fee

Just like other competitive exams, the SAT Exam in India also holds a registration fee that is to be paid mandatorily. For all those who are looking forward to appearing for the test, let us understand the breakdown of the examination fee for this test- 

• The SAT exam fee is $55 [INR 4,081]. In addition to this, Indian candidates will have to pay a non-US regional fee of $49 [INR 3600], which means the total exam fee for Indian nationals is $104 [INR 7700]. 
• For the SAT subject test, candidates will have to pay an additional fee of $26 [INR 1,900] per subject

SAT Cancellation Fees

The cancellation fees for SAT exam are extremely problematic as you receive no refund five days before the exam and even if students do receive a refund, the amount is only $10. So, we advise you to instead go for a date change instead of cancelling your exam.

SAT Rescheduling Fees

If you wish to reschedule your exam, you need to pay an extra $30 to avail of the service. Students also need to pay $30 if they wish to change their SAT exam to SAT Subject Test. Here are the rescheduling fees you should know:

Change Test Centre	$30
Late Registration Fees	$30
Registering by Phone	$15
Waitlist Fees	$53

SAT Subject Fees

The subject fees for all the exams are as follows:

Registration fees	$26
Each SAT Subject Test	$22 per test
Language Test with Listening	$26 per test

Note: SAT College Board has recently discontinued the SAT Subject Test and SAT Essay; this section is just for the information

How to get a fee waiver on SAT?

You can an SAT fee waiver if you are a US citizen belonging to Class 11th or Class 12th. This is applicable to US citizens who are residing in US territories or outside it as well. SAT subject test waiver is available for students from classes 9th to 12th. 

SAT Scores 

The SAT exam is bifurcated into two sections Reading & Writing and Mathematics when it comes to examining the answers. On a scale of 200-800, both sections are analysed and together they add up to a total of 1600. The SAT subject test scores are also measured on the same scale of 200-800. Along with this, there is an additional subscore report card of 20-80.

How to Check the SAT Results and Score? 

As the SAT results are scores are announced within three weeks from the exam date, candidates can check their results on the official website of the College Board. Here is a step-by-step guide to getting your SAT results and score online: 

• Visit the official website of the College and sign in with your user ID and password. 
• Go to the ‘My Organizer’ section
• Click on ‘SAT scores’
• You will be redirected to another page where you need to click on ‘Assess my scores’
• The candidate needs to enter their user credentials again and then visit the ‘my test scores’ section
• The SAT scorecard will appear on the screen. This scorecard will show your overall score, sectional score, subscore, essay score as well as a percentile score. 

If you registered for the SAT by mail, then you will receive your SAT results and scorecard through the same. You can also get your SAT scores by phone on the day when the results and scores are released but you will be required to submit an extra fee.

Score Range of SAT

SAT Score Range is between 400-1600 while the section-wise range is 200-800. After checking your scores on the College Board, you can send your SAT results and score to your chosen colleges and universities. If you are not satisfied with the SAT results and score, then you can simply opt for “score verification” or you can cancel the scores by clicking on “score cancellation” and your results will not be sent to the respective universities.

SAT Cut Off

There is no specific cut-off for SAT provided by College Board. However, colleges and universities require the score to fall within a certain range to be eligible to apply. However, if you have a stellar profile, an low SAT score can be accepted. 

Also Read: SAT Study Material

SAT Superscoring

It is a well-known fact that you can take the SAT test as many times as you want. Normally, everyone would think that you can submit scores from the exam you score best in. But the SAT super scoring method takes that stress off the students by making them convenient in score submission. SAT super score is the sum of your highest scores in each test section. Basically, it means that if you take two tests, then you can take the highest scores from the respective sessions which makes your composite score.

For instance, your SAT scores from the previous two attempts are as follows:

1. English: 30, Reading: 29, Math: 31, Writing: 9
2. English: 33, Reading: 27, Math: 30, Writing: 10

SAT Syllabus

The SAT syllabus assesses a candidate’s ability on various fronts. It primarily focuses on knowledge or skills which you have garnered at the school level.

Sections	Syllabus
Reading	1. Classic or Contemporary work [US/World Literature] 2. Passage on Social Science/Economics/Psychology/Sociology 3. Passages Based on BiPC Subjects[Biology, Physics, Chemistry] or Earth Science 4. Global Conversations/US Founding Documents-based passages
Maths	Algebra, Data Analysis and Problem Solving, Advanced Maths [Quadratic Equations, Rational Exponents and Radicals, etc.], and Other Topics.
Writing and Language	The candidates have to read and edit the passages which are generally Humanities, Social Science, Commerce, and Science-based.
SAT Essay (Discontinued)	In this, candidates will have to read a passage, examine how the author builds an argument, and write an essay on the same.

Universities Accepting SAT Score in India

Here is a list of universities that accept SAT scores in India. We have also added the universities accepting SAT Scholarship.

University	SAT for Admission (for Foreign Nationals & NRI)	SAT for Admission (for Indian Residents)	SAT Scholarship Program
Ashoka University	Yes	Yes	Yes
Ahmedabad University	Yes	Yes	Yes
Bennett University	Yes	Yes	No
FLAME University	Yes	Yes	Yes
Indian Institute of Management Ranchi	Yes	Yes	No
Manav Rachna International Institute of Research and Studies	Yes	Yes	Yes
Manipal University, Jaipur	Yes	Yes	No
MIT World Peace University	Yes	Yes	No
OP Jindal Global University	Yes	Yes	Yes
Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences	Yes	Yes	Yes
SP Jain School of Global Management	Yes	Yes	No
Srishti School of Art Design and Technology	Yes	Yes	No
World University of Design	Yes	Yes	Yes

How to Prepare for the SAT?

For attaining good scores in the SAT exam, you should prepare in advance by keeping the following tips in mind: 

• Begin by answering the questions you know. Attempting to answer questions that you are not familiar with may result in a loss of time.
• Read the section-wise directions thoroughly before attempting a specific section. 
• Since there is no negative marking in the SAT exam, try not to leave out questions and answer even the difficult ones with the best possible guess.
• Read each and every part question carefully. Being confident is good but being overconfident may result in silly mistakes that can easily be avoided. 

Preparation Tips

The SAT exam comprises 3 main sections Reading, Mathematics, and Writing as well as an optional section of the essay. To obtain a higher score, it is important to target each section individually. Here are some Preparation Tips for SAT Exam:

• Make a plan for each SAT section
• Approach easier questions first
• Take as many SAT practice tests as possible before the exam
• Know your mistakes and weaknesses and work on them
• Eliminate wrong answers first
• Read passages in SAT reading with interest and then answer
• Highlight the important parts of the question before answering
• Use the assessment and analysis in SAT writing
• Do the difficult questions later
• Fill the bubbles in the sheet after completing the section and mark the answers booklet first.
• Memorize useful facts for SAT section
• Try finding your own answers for SAT Reading and then cross-check.
• Master your grammar basics
• Skip questions if they are taking too much time
• Most importantly, stay calm throughout and answer questions by double-checking

SAT Test Centers

There are around 50 SAT test facilities in India, distributed over 30 cities. Certain exam centres have closed as a result of COVID-19. For the August 28th SAT exam, the following SAT test centres will be closed:

Ahmedabad

• Ahmedabad International School, Judges Bungalow Road, Opposite Rajpath Row Houses, Bodakdev, Ahmedabad – 380 054
• Delhi Public School Bopal, Bopal Square, Near Bopal Railway Crossing, Ahmedabad – 380 058

Amritsar

• Spring Dale Senior School, Fatehgarh Churian Road, Amritsar – 143 001

Bangalore

• Bangalore International School, Gedalahalli, Hennur Bagalur Road, Kothanur Post, Bangalore – 560 077
• Bishop Cotton Boys’ School, 15 Residency Road, Bangalore – 560 025
• Canadian International School, 4 & 20 Manchenahalli, Yelahanka, Bangalore – 560 064
• Ebenezer International School Bangalore, Singena Agrahara Road, Via Husker Road / A.P.M.C. Yard, Huskur P.O, Electronic City, Bangalore – 560 099
• The International School Bangalore, NAFL Valley, Whitefield – Sarjapur Road, Near Dommasandra Circle, Bangalore – 562 125

Bhopal

•  Billabong High International School & Kangaroo Kids, Beyond Bhadbhada, Neelbad, Bhopal – 462 044

Bhubaneswar

• Mother’s Public School, Unit 1, Bapuji Nagar, Bhubaneshwar – 751 009
• SAI International School, Plot-5A, Chandrasekharpur, Infocity Road, Bhubaneswar – 751 024

Chandigarh

• Strawberry Fields High School, Sector 26, Chandigarh – 160 019

Chennai

• Asan Memorial Senior Secondary School, 1, Anderson Road, Cochin House, Chennai – 600 006
• CPS Global School
  • Anna Nagar Campus: A-80, IIIrd Avenue, Anna Nagar Roundtana, Anna Nagar East, Chennai – 600 102
  • Thirumazhisai Campus: Thiruvallur High Road, SH 50, Off Ponamallee Motel Highway, Thirumazhisai, Chennai – 600 124

Cochin

• Sacred Heart College, Thevara, Pandit Karuppan Rd, Thevara, Ernakulam, Kerala – 682 013

Delhi NCR

• Pathways School Noida, Sector 100 Noida – 201 301

Gujarat

• Navrachana International School, Vadodara, Vasna-Bhayali Road, Vadodara – 391 410

Gurgaon

• Pathways School Gurgaon, Off Gurugram Faridabad Road, Gurugram – 122 003
• Pathways World School Aravali, Off Gurugram Sohna Road, Gurugram – 122 102
• St. Michael’s Senior Secondary School, Shivpuri, Sector 7, Gurugram – 122 001
• Heritage Experiential Learning School, Sector 62, Gurgaon – 122 011

Guwahati

• Sanskriti – The Gurukul, Village Gugh, Ahomgaon, P.O. Garchuk, NH – 37, Opp ISBT, Guwahati – 781 035

Hyderabad

• Chirec Public School
  • Kondapur Campus: 1-55/12, CHIREC Avenue, Kondapur, Kothaguda (PO), Hyderabad – 500 084
  • Gachibowli Campus: Plot Nos. 277 to 282, Telecom Officers Colony, Bhaghyalakshmi Nagar, Phase – II, Serilingampally. Hyderabad – 500 018
  • Jubilee Hills Campus: Plot No. 962, Road No.48, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad – 500 033

Hyderabad, Telangana

• Uniti Foundation, Paigah Plaza, 702, Palace Colony Rd, Basheer Bagh, Hyderabad, Telangana – 500 029
• Sreenidhi International School, Near AP Police Academy, Near Appa Junction, Aziznagar, Moinabad, Hyderabad, Telangana – 500 075
• Oakridge International School, Nanakramguda Road, Cyberabad, Khajaguda, Manikonda, Hyderabad, Telangana – 500 008
• Delhi Public School Hyderabad, Survey No 74, Khajaguda Village, Golkonda Post, Hyderabad – 500 008

Jaipur

• Jayshree Periwal International School, Mahapura Rd, Narayan-Y-Block, Mahapura, Rajasthan – 302 026

Kodaikanal

• Kodaikanal International School,  Seven Roads Junction, Club Road, Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu – 624 101

Kolkata

• La Martiniere Calcutta for Boys, 11, Dr U. N. Brahmachari Street (Loudon Street), Elgin, Kolkata, West Bengal – 700 017
• South City International School, 375, Prince Anwar Shah Rd, South City Complex, Jadavpur, Kolkata, West Bengal – 700 068
• United States – India Educational Foundation, The American Center, 38A, Jawaharlal Nehru Road, Kolkata, West Bengal – 700 071
• Assembly of God Church School, 125, Park St, Mullick Bazar, Taltala, Kolkata, West Bengal – 700 017

Lucknow

• City Montessori School, 12, Station Road, Lucknow

Maharashtra, Pune

• Symbiosis International School, Gate No. 3, Symbiosis Viman Nagar Campus, Off., New Airport Road, Viman Nagar, Pune, Maharashtra – 411 014

Mohali

• Learning Paths School, Plot No 3, Sector 67, Behind Nipper, Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar, Punjab – 160 062

Mumbai

• Aditya Birla World Academy, Vastu Shilp Annexe, Gamadia colony, JD Road Tardeo, Mumbai, Maharashtra – 400 007
• Anjuman-I-Islam HS, D.N. Road, Opp. CST, Mumbai – 400 001
• Bombay Teachers’ Training College Colaba,  MB Marg, Apollo Bandar, Colaba, Mumbai, Maharashtra – 400 001
• Cathedral and John Connon School, 6, Purushottamdas Thakurdas Marg, Fort, Mumbai, Maharashtra – 400 001
• Jamnabai Narsee School, Narsee Monjee Bhavan, 7, North-South Road, JVPD Scheme, Hatkesh Society, Ashok Nagar, Vile Parle West, Mumbai, Maharashtra – 400 049
• Singapore International School, Mumbai,  On National Highway No. 8, Post Mira Road, Next To Thakur Mall, Dahisar East, Mumbai, Maharashtra – 401 104

Mussoorie

• Woodstock School, Tehri Road, Landour, Near Landour Community Hospital, Mussoorie, Uttarakhand – 248 179

New Delhi

• United States India Educational Foundation, 12, Hailey Rd, Hamdard Nagar, Vakil Lane, Connaught Place, New Delhi, Delhi – 110 001

Ootacamund

• Good Shepherd International School, Ooty, Good Shepherd Knowledge Village, M. Palada Post, Nilgiris, Ooty, Tamil Nadu – 643 004

Pune

• UWC Mahindra College, Village Khubavali, P.O. Paud, Taluka Mulshi, Pune, Maharashtra – 412 108
• Savitribai Phule Pune University, Ganeshkhind, Pune, Maharashtra – 411 007

Sohna, Haryana

• G. D. Goenka World School, G.D. Goenka Education City, Sohna-Gurgaon Road, Sohna – 122 103

Surat

• Fountainhead School, Opp. Ambetha Water Tank, Kunkni Gam, Rander-Dandi Road, Olpad, Surat, Gujarat – 395 005

Trivandrum

• Trivandrum International School, Edackode, P.O, Korani, Kerala – 695 104

Vijayawada

• Delhi Public School, NH 5, Nidamanuru, Opposite Best Price, Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh – 521 104

Visakhapatnam

• Oakridge International School, NH 5 Road, Behind HP Petrol bunk, Maharajpeta Junction, Tagarapuvalasa, Visakhapatnam – 531 162

SAT Sample Question Paper

Examining SAT previous year papers and completing several SAT practice exams are all part of the SAT preparation process. We’ve compiled a set of SAT practice papers for your review:

SAT Scholarships

The majority of the time students are different from opting to study abroad due to skyrocketing tuition fees of Institutions abroad. This when combined with the living expenses becomes difficult to manage. In such cases, instead of settling down for alternative options, one can fulfil their dream of studying abroad with the help of scholarships. There are a variety of SAT scholarships available across the globe. As per your SAT score, you can apply for scholarships and make your way through your dream university. 

FAQs

These tips will help you get a good score on the SAT exam thus helping your study abroad dream come true. If you are confused about how to tackle the exam, then don’t worry! Enrol in Leverage Edu‘s Online Classes where you’ll get to study from domain experts, practice innumerable mock tests, and get your doubts cleared through one-on-one sessions! Call us immediately at 1800 57 2000 for a free 30-minute counselling session.