Resource Manual SAT Subject Tests SAT Subject Tests
How long are they? Each subject test is 60 minutes. For students with approved testing accommodations, 1.5x extended time provides students with 90 minutes for each test.
How many can you take in one sitting? You can take up to three subject tests on one testing day, and you can change your mind about which you want to take right up until the morning you arrive at the testing site. If you’re registered for Literature and Spanish, you can show up the morning of and switch to Math Level 2 and Biology – as long as you paid for two, you can take two. The only exception to this rule is with the Language with Listening tests, because they require additional equipment during the testing and are only offered in November.
Should you guess? The SAT Subject Tests take away ¼ point for each error, so you should not guess randomly, but instead only guess if you can use informed decisions to eliminate answer choices before guessing.
Are there specific tests to take depending on a declared major? In general, it’s recommended to take SAT Subject Tests in the areas that match your stated academic interests and declared major in your application. • Students applying to engineering programs frequently report Math Level 2 and a science (usually Physics or Chemistry). • Students applying to business programs frequently report Math Level 2 and another test. • Students applying to pre-med programs typically report Math Level 2 and a science (Biology or Physics).
When should you take them? You can’t take SAT Subject Tests and the SAT on the same testing day, so plan ahead carefully for the May and June testing dates if you’re planning to take both the SAT and the SAT Subject Tests at that time. You can’t do them both on the same Satuday.
You will perform the best on subject tests if you take them right after finishing the class on that subject. For example, if you take AP World History your sophomore year, then it would make sense to take the World History subject test in June of your sophomore year, after you’ve studied for the AP exam in that subject.
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Subject tests are offered in October, November, December, May, June, and August. Note the March SAT testing date doesn’t offer subject tests, and not all Subject Tests are offered on every testing date (see detail below).
Subject Qs Content When
Math Level 1 50 • Algebra through basic trigonometry All 6 dates • Recommended for students taking Algebra II as juniors above
Math Level 2 50 • More advanced math exam with a stronger emphasis on trigonometry and All 6 dates pre-calculus above • Recommended for students after excelling in an advanced Pre-Calculus class
U.S. History 90 • Content predates Columbus, though the vast majority of questions come All 6 dates from 1790 to present above • Recommended for students after completion of Honors or AP U.S. History
World History 95 • Content reviews global history and world cultures December • Recommended for students after completion of AP World History and June only
Literature 60 • Tests reading comprehension abilities in works of prose and poetry All 6 dates • Students should know literary terminology like personification, alliteration, above etc. • Recommended for students who excel in AP or Honors English classes and who enjoy poetry, which can be a challenge for many students
Biology E/M 80 • The first 60 questions of this exam are shared, and the last 20 questions All 6 dates are either in the Ecology (E) section or Molecular Biology (M) section. above Students may choose which questions to answer for the last 20 but must all answer the first 60. • Recommended for students after completion and excellence in AP Biology
Chemistry 85 • Covers content including states of matter, reactions, stoichiometry, and All 6 dates thermodynamics above • Recommended for students after completion of Honors or AP Chemistry
Physics 75 • The largest component of the exam is mechanics. Other tested material All 6 dates includes electricity, magnetism, waves, thermodynamics, and modern above physics • Recommended for students after completion and excellence in AP Physics
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Language with Listening Tests
Subject Questions When 20 minutes of multiple choice from audio
Chinese with Listening 70-75 November only 40 minutes of written multiple choice
French with Listening 85 November only Native speakers frequently prefer the listening tests German with Listening 85 November only
Japanese with Listening 80 November only Only offered in November
Korean with Listening 80 November only
Spanish with Listening 85 November only
Language Tests (without Listening)
Subject Questions When Content is typically vocabulary, reading comprehension, usage, and structure French 85 All 6 dates except November Students typically feel comfortable German 85 June only taking these language exams after 3-4 years of focused language study Modern Hebrew 85 June only
Italian 80-85 June only
Latin 70-75 December and June only
Spanish 85 All 6 dates except November
How are subject tests different from AP tests? SAT Subject Tests are shorter than APs and are only multiple choice, whereas the AP tests also contain a free- response section.
SAT Subject Tests assess knowledge following a year of a “high school” level class, whereas AP Tests assess knowledge following a year of “college” level class. As such, AP tests require more critical thinking and a deeper level of understanding about the subject.
SAT Subject Tests will cover a range of topics with less depth than the APs.
SAT Subject Tests are, for many students, easier than AP tests, but only when they’re taking subject tests at the same time – or as close as possible – as they’re taking their AP exams (May or June).
Many students struggle to remember content from their classes over the summer, so Fall exam times are not as popular for SAT Subject Tests as Spring exam times.
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SAT Subject Tests
Months Offered Subject tests are offered in October, November, December, May, June, and August. These are the same test dates that College Board offers the SAT, except for March. Also not all subjects are offered on all test dates
Copy of test available Service not offered
Fee for copy of test N/A
Fee to take test $26 fixed fee plus $26 per listening test and $21 per non-listening test
Late Registration Additional $29
Change test date or testing center Additional $29
Switching test type Additional $28 to switch to SAT for the same date
Standby or waitlist** SAT Waitlist is an additional $49
Scores released Within 3 weeks
Cost of additional score reports $12 each
Calculator Only allowed on Math Subject Tests
Score Verification Service $55 to have your multiple choice scored by hand
Cancellation deadline*** 11:59pm on the Thursday after the exam
**SAT Waitlists close five days before test day. Those on the SAT waiting list are not guaranteed a seat. They should arrive early the morning of the exam and be prepared to wait until all registered test-takers have been seated. Only then will waitlisted or standby students be allowed to test if sufficient materials and seats are available. ***Students with disabilities may have different cancellation deadlines
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Goal: To assess your knowledge in a specific subject area
Who requires them: They are typically required or recommended strongly by the most competitive colleges. Please see the abbreviated list below for a sense of Subject Test policies in effect for the college applications for the Class of 2018. Be sure to always check colleges’ websites for the most up-to-date policies.
College Policy SAT Subject Tests
Require 2 Subject Tests California Institute of Technology, Cornell University, Harvard University, Harvey (plus ACT or SAT) Mudd College, MIT, Webb Institute
Require SAT plus 2 Subject Tests McGill University, Tufts University or just the ACT
*yes, submitting an ACT score removes the requirement to submit Subject Tests but if you have subject test scores and did well, then it’s still advantageous to submit them
Highly Recommend 2 Subject Brown University, Carnegie Mellon University, Dartmouth College, Duke Tests University, Emory University, Georgetown University (prefers 3), Lafayette College, Northwestern University, Princeton University, Rice University, Stanford University *if you have scores and did well, then it’s (“welcomes” scores), University of Delaware, University of Georgia, University of absolutely in your benefit to submit them Pennsylvania, Yale University
Consider 2 Subject Tests Amherst College, Babson College, Barnard College, Bates College, Boston College, Boston University, Bowdoin College, Bucknell University, Case Western *if you have scores and did well, then it’s Reserve University, Claremont McKenna College, College of William & Mary, absolutely in your benefit to submit them Columbia University, Connecticut College, The Cooper Union, Davidson College, Franklin Olin College of Engineering, George Washington University, Ithaca College, Johns Hopkins University, Kenyon College, Macalester College, Oberlin College, Occidental College, Pomona College, Pratt Institute, Reed College, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Scripps College, Smith College, Stevens Institute of Technology, Swarthmore College, Union College, University of California: Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Merced, Riverside, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, University of Chicago, University of Miami, University of Michigan, UNC: Chapel Hill, University of Notre Dame, University of Southern California, University of Virginia, Vanderbilt University, Vassar College, Wake Forest University, Washington University in St. Louis, Wellesley College, Wesleyan University, Worcester Polytechnic Institute
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