All you need to know about sat part 1

All you need to know about SAT (Part 1)

We give you information on everything related to SAT.

By Rohit Gaikwad 26th May, 2016 | 06:46 pm

What is SAT?
SAT, a standardized test is important and widely used when applying to American and Canadian universities. These exams are structured in order to evaluate the verbal, written, mathematical knowledge of the candidates. These exams are monitored and administrated by College Board, which is a non profit organisation. Applicants of undergraduate courses are required to give SAT exams and these exams are monitored under a limited time period. If a candidate is looking for admission in a particular subject then he/she should take that particular subject test as it will provide an insight into the subject knowledge.

Fees
A candidate is required to pay $52.5 (approx.) along with $42 in addition for Non- U.S regional fee
For particular subject tests, an additional amount of $26 as basic subject test fee is required.
SAT subject tests might need some required additional fee.

The old SAT vs the new SAT
The College Board has given SAT a complete makeover in order to link the class work and tests more closely to each other.
Since March 2016, SAT exams are designed to focus more on few things that are crucial and important for college and future careers.
It can also be termed as instructional experience that helps students in their academic as well as professional lives.
The New SAT was introduced on March 5, 2016 in USA and in India on May 7, 2016.

	Old SAT	New SAT
Sections	3 sections Maths Critical Reading Writing	2 sections Maths Evidence-based Reading and Writing
Essay	Compulsory	Optional
Scoring	Section scores 200-800 Total score 2400 Essay score included in Writing score	Section scores 200-800 Total score 1600 Separate score for essay
Penalty and answer choices	− ¹/₄ point for each incorrect answer in multiple choice questions 5 answer choices per question	No penalty for incorrect answers 4 answer choices per question
Reading And Writing	Reading passages draw from social sciences, humanities, and literature Vocabulary tested via sentence completion questions	Reading passages will be from significant historical or scientific documents, and may include informational graphics Passages will include complex structure and vocabulary in context Passage based grammar including punctuation
Math	Arithmetic Algebra Geometry Calculator permitted in all Math sections	Arithmetic Algebra Geometry Trigonometry Some no-calculator sections

Total Testing Time(excluding breaks)	3 hours and 45 minutes excluding breaks	3 hours without Essay 3 hours and 50 minutes with Essay (optional) excluding breaks
Components	Critical Reading Writing Mathematics (Calculator allowed) Essay	Evidence-Based Reading and Writing It comprises of two tests: A reading test and a language test. Maths: One section with calculator allowed Another with no calculator. Essay: Optional
Vocabulary	Emphasis on vocabulary, often in limited contexts	Greater emphasis on the meaning of words in context
Math Content	No Trigonometry, no Complex Numbers	Will include advanced Maths involving Trigonometry and Complex Numbers
Use of Calculator	Calculator permitted in every math section	Calculator allowed only in the longer of the two Maths sections
No. of Answer choices per question	5 answer choices per question	4 answer choices per question
Scoring	Complex scoring (penalty for incorrect marking)	Right-only scoring (No penalty for incorrect marking)
Essay	Mandatory first section of the test (25 minutes, timed) Test takers required to respond to a short prompt by providing personal opinion with supporting examples/ reasons	Optional (50 minutes, timed). Test takers will be provided a source text (600–700 words) and asked to analyze how the author built the argument using persuasive techniques.

Score Reporting

No official composite score

Scale ranging from 200 to 800 for each subject

Essay score contributed to the Writing score

Composite Score ranging from 400 to 1600

Score ranging from 200 to 800 for Evidence-Based Reading and Writing
200 to 800 for Maths

2 to 8 for each of the three traits for Essay – Reading, Analysis, and Writing.
Essay scores reported separately.

Test Score
Cross Score
And Sub Score

None

3 test scores (10-40 each), 2 cross-test scores (10-40 each), and 7 sub-scores (1-15 each) - providing added insight.

As the entire SAT exam was revamped, a new list time structure and new number of questions have been introduced.

Old SAT

	Time Allotted	Number of Questions
Critical Reading	70	67
Writing	60	49
Mathematics	70	54
Experimental	25	Varied
Essay	25	1 task
Total	250	170 + Essay Task + Experimental questions