What is the SAT exam? SAT score information, SAT certificate 2025

SAT is one of the standardized tests for admission to some universities in the United States. So exam What is SAT?What does the SAT test include? What is the SAT certificate and maximum SAT score? What is the purpose of studying for the SAT? All will be Mr. Lo Nhat Truong in ETEST English for Study Abroad Specific answers in the article below.

Type	SAT – Paper-Based Standardized Test of Aptitude
Developer / Manager	Organization College Board, Educational Testing Service.
Knowledge / skills test	Writing, reading, math
Purpose	Admission to college and university programs
Year started	1926
Duration	3-4 hours
Scoring scale	200–800 (in 10-point increments) in 2 sections (total 400–1600). The essay section is scored on a scale of 0–24, in increments of 1 point.
Organization	7 times/year
Country / Region	Global
Language	English
Number of annual attendees	More than 1.69 million high school students graduated in the class of 2015.
Conditions / criteria	No formal prerequisites. Intended for high school students. Proficiency in English assumed.
Entry fee	US$52.50 to US$101.50, depending on the country.
Points used by	Most colleges and universities offer degree programs in the United States.
Website	sat.collegeboard.org

What is SAT certificate?

SAT is an abbreviation of the word Scholastic Assessment Test or Scholastic Aptitude Test (bài kiểm tra năng lực học tập). SAT là bài thi kiểm tra đánh giá năng lực chuẩn hóa được sử dụng rộng rãi cho xét tuyển đại học trong hệ thống giáo dục Mỹ.

SAT Certificate (SAT Diploma) owned, developed and published by College Board College Board – This is the organization responsible for developing, organizing and scoring the SAT test. College Board is a non-profit organization headquartered in New York, USA, operating in the field of education and supporting students in the learning process and career orientation.

What is the SAT score?

SAT score is the score given on the SAT, a standardized test widely used for college admissions in the United States and several other countries.

What is the maximum SAT score?

SAT scores are scored on a scale of 200 to 800 for each of the Reading, Writing, and Math sections. The total score can range from 600 to 1600.

SAT scores are used by colleges to assess students' thinking skills and predict their likelihood of success in college. However, SAT scores are only one factor in the college admissions process, and colleges also consider other factors such as GPA, essays, extracurricular activities, and letters of recommendation.

Students can take the SAT multiple times to improve their score. SAT scores are valid for five years.

College Board President David Coleman said he wanted to write the test to more closely reflect what high school students are learning compared to the Common Core standards.

Why study for the SAT?

Studying for the SAT is mainly for the purpose of studying abroad in the United States.

The SAT is widely used as an important factor in the admissions process of colleges and universities in the United States. The College Board asserts that the SAT is also a tool to assess analytical and problem-solving skills, which are necessary skills for higher education in high school students.

Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, many universities have dropped the SAT/ACT requirement or switched to a test-optional admissions policy. However, in recent years, prestigious universities such as Harvard, MIT, Brown, Yale, Dartmouth, CalTech, Georgetown, Purdue, and the University of Texas at Austin have returned to the SAT/ACT mandatory admissions policy to accurately assess student abilities.

A high SAT score can give you many benefits, such as:

Eligibility for admission

Many colleges and universities consider SAT scores for admission in addition to other requirements.

For example: The California Institute of Technology, with an acceptance rate of 7%, requires an SAT score of 1530 to 1580. Similarly, Harvard University requires students to submit an SAT score of 1400 to 1600 for a better chance of admission at a 5 % acceptance rate. However, there is a better chance of being accepted at such prestigious universities by submitting an SAT score.

Some Australian universities may require SAT scores from students graduating from international high schools following the US curriculum, especially those with a different educational background than Australia or whose curriculum is not widely recognised. Therefore, you should carefully check the admission requirements of each school you are interested in to know exactly whether or not you need to take the SAT.

Here are some Australian universities that may require SAT scores:

• University of Melbourne: The minimum SAT score requirement is 1200.
• University of Sydney: The minimum SAT score requirement is 1300.
• Australian National University: The minimum SAT score requirement is 1250.

Subject selection

There is a reason why the SAT has different sections for: Reading, Math and Writing. Because, it allows universities to understand the student's ability in each subject. In addition to these questions, there are questions on social studies and science that help them assess the candidate's aptitude in a particular field or subject.

So, one of the main benefits of SAT exam is subject selection. Students can design their SAT preparation so that their scores reflect their abilities in the subject they are studying. This will improve your chances of being accepted into a particular subject at your desired college.

Advantages of receiving scholarships

Studying abroad can be expensive as there are several costs involved. Right from visa fees to airfare, tuition fees and accommodation costs, there are a few of them. Financial aid becomes the essence of studying abroad. This is where you will experience the real importance of the SAT exam.

According to a survey, 10% students who take standardized tests receive $20,000 per year. So there is no denying that taking the SAT can help students win scholarships to study abroad.

Below are some scholarships that consider SAT scores for financial aid,

• Pacific Electric and Gas Company ERG Asia Scholarship (SAT Score 1500, Scholarship Amount $2,000)
• Jackie Robinson Foundation Scholarship (SAT Score 1000, Scholarship Amount $30,000)
• Deana's Wish Memorial Scholarship (SAT 1100, Scholarship Amount $2,000)
• Lloyd M. Fujie Scholarship for Accounting Majors (SAT Score 1500, Scholarship Amount $2,500)
• Matt Logies Memorial Scholarship(SAT 1500, Scholarship Amount $5,000)
• 70% Scholarship to University of South Florida (SAT score 1300 or higher.

Not only the US, currently countries that are tending to use the SAT exam to consider scholarships are Australia, Europe such as Germany, Finland...

How many types of SAT tests are there?

There are two main types of SAT tests: SAT I (SAT Reasoning) and SAT II (SAT subject test).

SAT I Reasoning

• Includes 3 main exam parts: Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW), Math, and the optional essay section are used to assess the candidate's ability to think and reason in language and mathematics. As of January 2021, the College Board has eliminated the essay section for the SAT I.
• Time to take the test: 180 minutes.
• Scoring: 200-800 for each section and the total score is 400 – 1600.

SAT II Subject Tests

• This is a separate test for each subject: Math, Biology, Chemistry,… depending on the major and school you are required to take.
• Scoring: Maximum for each subject is 800 points.
• Time: 60 minutes for each subject.

However, from 2021, the College Board has officially canceled the exam. SAT II, candidates can choose to take the exam instead AP certificate replace.

SAT test structure updated in 2024

Starting in March 2024, the College Board will transition from the traditional paper-based SAT to Digital SAT worldwide. The test structure has also changed significantly. Let's review the updates on English for Study Abroad ETEST SAT test structure.

• The SAT test includes: Reading & Writing and Math 
• Reading and Grammar sections take 64 minutes for the Reading test with 54 questions, 35 minutes for the Writing test with 44 questions; Math consists of 44 questions in 70 minutes.

In each section of the Digital SAT, module 1 will include a series of questions ranging in difficulty from easy, medium to difficult. Based on your performance on the first section, module 2 will include questions of higher or lower difficulty.

Taking a deeper look at the SAT, researchers found that the SAT focuses on testing students on their knowledge in various areas of life. The vocabulary field on the SAT is very broad, including areas from mathematics, natural sciences, social sciences, politics, science, astronomy, geography, history, medicine, and biology.

Many of the knowledge and questions in the SAT exams are only encountered once in a student's life, which makes it difficult for many students to take the exam and does not have many applications in life.

On the other hand, this makes students studying for the SAT have to read and memorize a lot to be able to answer difficult questions. But the truth is that the nature of American education is free and encourages creativity and reasoning of students rather than forcing students to memorize knowledge from books.

Therefore, the SAT test, without changes, will not meet this important criterion. Recently, the SAT has made some changes, in which they increased questions related to society and history as well as American culture.

Even American students themselves are not too fond of this because it is a broad category and requires students to read and access a lot of information. For foreign students, the language difference and foreign language barrier make this difficulty even more difficult.

College Board's Latest SAT Score Calculation

Total Score

• Total SAT scores range from 400 to 1600.
• The total score of the two sections: Reading & Writing and Math, each section has a score from 200 to 800.
• Points are awarded only for correct answers. As no points are deducted for incorrect answers, candidates are encouraged to guess and answer all questions.

Section Scores

• Each test section is scored from 200 to 800.
• Raw Score is calculated based on the number of correct answers in each section.
• The raw scores are then converted to a scale score ranging from 200 to 800.
• The conversion process from raw scores to scaled scores may vary slightly between exams due to differences in test difficulty.
• Section scores are added together to give a total SAT score.

Raw Score

• The score is calculated based on the total number of correct answers in the test sections.
• Each correct answer is worth 1 raw point.
• Raw scores provide a simple count of correct answers and are the initial scores before any transformation is performed.
• Raw scores are not reported directly to candidates or colleges.

Scale Score

• Based on the raw scores for each section, the raw scores are converted to a scale score ranging from 200 to 800 through a statistical process called the “equivalence equation.”
• Scaled scores help compare scores fairly across different SATs and ensure scores are meaningful regardless of test format.

Convert raw scores to scaled scores

• The College Board uses the “equivalence equation” method to convert raw scores to scaled scores.
• This equation compares the difficulty of different test formats to ensure equivalent scores between test formats.
• The College Board will publish an official score conversion table after each exam so that candidates can look up their scores according to their scale.

Digital SAT Score Range

• The Digital SAT uses the same scoring scale as the paper SAT, with scores ranging from 400 to 1600.
• The test scores range from 200 to 800.
• The total SAT score is the sum of the scores on the Reading & Writing and Math sections.

Subscores

• Each test section is divided into smaller sections called “sub-scores.”
• Subscores reflect a candidate's performance on specific question types.
• For example, the Reading & Grammar section has subscores for Information & Ideas, Techniques & Structures, Expressing Ideas, and Conventions of Standard English.
• Subscores are not currently counted toward your total SAT score on the 2024 Digital SAT.

How many SAT scores are required to study at top US schools?

SAT scores for admission to some schools in the US:

Answers to some frequently asked questions about the SAT exam

What does SAT preparation include?

SAT test preparation typically focuses on the main sections of the exam, including:

• Reading comprehension: In addition to understanding content, main ideas, and inferences, reading comprehension may also include questions about what the author is trying to convey, the impact of a particular word on the entire passage, etc.
• Writing and language: This section not only requires error correction, but may also require you to write a short paragraph based on a given topic, or compare and analyze two paragraphs.
• Mathematics: The math section is usually divided into two parts: Math without calculator and Math with calculator. The types of problems may include real-world problems, problems involving graphs, tables of data, etc.

Who should take the SAT?

• Students who want to apply to colleges or universities in the United States, especially top universities. SAT is a requirement for most schools.
• Students hoping to receive scholarships may benefit from taking the SAT.
• Even students who do not intend to attend college in the United States but want to assess their knowledge and skills can benefit from taking the SAT.

How long is the SAT certificate valid?

SAT certificates are valid for 5 years from the test date.

This means that your SAT scores will be considered valid for college admissions and scholarship purposes for up to five years after you take the test. However, some colleges may only accept SAT scores from within the most recent two or three years.

Does a high SAT score mean a scholarship to study abroad?

SAT scores are a mandatory test for top US schools and are also one of the requirements for you to successfully apply for a scholarship. However, applying for a scholarship depends on many factors such as GPA, extracurricular activities, scholarship essays, etc.

When should I start studying for the SAT?

To get acquainted and practice the methods and skills to take the SAT, you need from 6 to 12 months. If you need to take the SAT to study abroad, you need to start studying for the SAT, practicing from grade 10 or early grade 11 to take the SAT exams at the end of grade 11 or 12. You should start as soon as possible because you need time to prepare for the procedures, admission documents, visa application, scholarship application, ... before going to study abroad.

When should I register for the SAT?

For example, students wishing to participate SAT exam In March, students should register from January to mid-February. This will not only ensure a seat for the March exam, but also give students the opportunity to choose their preferred location. Therefore, students are encouraged to register 1.5 to 2 months before the exam month.

Hope the above information helps you grasp information about SAT exam include: SAT score, SAT certificate, SAT test and other necessary information about this exam.

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