SAT II Subject Tests : Show off Your Strengths to College

SAT exam helps colleges to assess your logical and reasoning skills while SAT II Subject Tests help colleges to evaluate your knowledge in specific subject areas. There are few colleges that recommend SAT Subject tests especially if you’re applying to take specific courses or programs. The colleges that don’t require Subject Tests may also use them to evaluate you on your qualities like determination and dedication. Basically, you can showcase your strengths by sending these scores. In case you’re an  International applicant, you can use these tests to demonstrate your readiness and academic strength in math, science, or any other languages.

Many colleges may allow course credit for outstanding scores on the SAT Subject Tests. Along with AP scores, SAT Subject Tests could help you earn college credit while saving on college tuition. There are 20 SAT Subject Tests in 5 general subject areas:

1. Math level 1
2. Math level 2
3. Biology E/M
4. Chemistry
5. Physics
6. US History
7. World History
8. Literature
9. Foreign Languages : French, German, Spanish, Hebrew, Italian, Latin, Chinese, Japanese, Korean.

Each Subject Test is an hour long. They are all multiple-choice and scored on a 200–800 scale. These test you on your knowledge of subjects on a high school level.

Firstly, understand your college requirements, check out the website of specific colleges where you are applying and be sure whether college requires one, two or three subject tests or none. Secondly, if you are applying for engineering programs or to any technology schools you may go for Maths/Physics/ Chemistry subject tests. If you are applying for humanities or any liberal arts program you may showcase your achievements in literature, history. In case you are considering a specific career path, say if you are declaring pre-medical as your major, then taking Biology Subject test increases your chances of admission.  Thirdly, the best time to take a subject test is often the last year of school i.e. class 12^th, by then you will have taken several classes for the particular subjects under the board curriculum that you would cover various topics for the subject tests.

In the nutshell, consider the following questions before you decide about what subject tests suit your profile the best:

• What are the requirements of my college application ?
• What are my language abilities ?
• What academic interests and strengths do I want to showcase to the university ?
• Which subject test would help me achieve my future goals ?

Chinu Vasudeva

Head,  Academics

[email protected]