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SAT Test FAQ

Q: Who conducts the SAT?
The College Board, a non-profit organization founded in the year 1900, conducts the SAT Reasoning Test. The SAT test is developed, published, and scored by the Educational Testing Service (ETS).

Q: Why did the SAT Reasoning Test change?
The College Board changed the SAT to analyze what children learn in high school. The Board felt that writing is an important skill for success in college and beyond. Hence, to include the Writing section, the SAT had to be changed.

Q: Is the New SAT still a reasoning test?
Definitely Yes. The new SAT measures the student’s reasoning skills required for admission in a good college.

Q: Score Scores Comparison: Old SAT vs. New SAT?
One can compare the test scores of Math and Critical Reading to the previous math and verbal scores respectively. The SAT writing section, however, is the latest addition to the SAT.

Q: Is the New SAT with writing section being used as tool for admission by colleges and universities?
Yes. Many public and private colleges now ask for applicants to show the New SAT scores. Over 400 institutions require Writing for admissions.

Q: Is this the first time the test has changed?
No. The Sat has undergone many changes since its introduction in the year 1926. For example, in the year 1994, the SAT declared removal of antonym questions, and addition of longer reading passages. Calculators soon were allowed in the test.

Q: Is the Writing Section compulsory or optional?
The College Board, through research and surveys concluded that writing skills are essential for success in college and beyond. Hence, it made the Writing Section compulsory and not optional.

Q: How to prepare for the new SAT?
There are two phases of preparation. One, getting a feel of the SAT by taking full length practice tests. Believe it or not, some students find it difficult to sit for more than an hour while writing a test. Phase two would consist of exhaustive, yet smart, SAT coaching.

Q: Does expensive coaching for the SAT help gain a significant advantage?
There is no substitute for diligence and hard work. A particular institute cannot be better than another only because it’s more expensive. Coached students, according to surveys, get better scores than pupils who do not undertake caching. A good coaching should focus on all three sections with emphasis on smart ways to tackle problems.

Q. Does the new SAT require more coaching than the previous SAT?
Yes and No. The new SAT consists of the Writing section. This asks for good writing skills that should be developed through right guidance and sincere efforts.

Q: Do SAT Scores really matter for college admissions?
SAT scores do matter. But they are not the only criterion for college admissions. High school grades are equally important.

Q: Is the New SAT also meant for those who took it in 2006?
The students of the Class of 2006 may take the SAT. While many colleges accept the SAT 2006 scores, some others do not.

Q: Difficulty Level: SAT vs. New SAT?
The New SAT is a little different, not difficult in comparison to its older brother. Problem solving skills and Reasoning Ability are the two things that the new SAT measures. The Writing Sections allows students to demonstrate their ability to express their thoughts through words.

Q: Have the SAT Subject Tests™ changed too?
The new Sat Subject test has eliminated Writing. Rest is still the same.

Q: Can SAT be called a fair exam?
The SAT is one of the most researched assessment tests in the world. Years of research and hard work goes into developing a SAT test. Every SAT question is reviewed more than thrice. The idea is to make the SAT an ideal test for all.

Q: Essay Preparation: Delivering an essay in 25 minutes?
The College Board understands that an essay delivered in 25 minutes cannot be polished. Hence, the scoring mechanism for such questions is prepared accordingly.

Q: What is the essay scoring system?
A holistic approach is taken for essay scoring. This means that the whole work gains more importance than the importance of its parts taken together. Qualified teachers score the essay on the basis of thought complexity, language and flow.

Q: What constitutes a good essay?
Through a short essay, the SAT challenges the critical thinking skills and the ability to develop ideas in a thoughtful, persuasive and orderly manner. Hence, a good essay is the one that shows understanding of the subject, logical flow and command over language.

Q: Are spelling, grammar, and handwriting important?
In general, spelling errors do not affect the score. However, if they make it difficult for the reader to understand the essay, the scores might be affected. Similarly, handwriting need not be excellent, but readable.

Q: Why were analogies dropped?
The current high school curriculum does not lay emphasis on analogies. Moreover, analogy questions would often encourage sheer memorization of vocabulary words.

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