Frequently Asked Questions
Trying to decide which test is right for you? Click here: ACT vs SAT FAQ.
For more general questions about the content and administration of all standardized tests, please click here.
The SAT is a three hour and 45-minute test comprised of ten sections:
- One 25-minute essay,
- Two 25-minute critical reading sections,
- One 20-minute critical reading section,
- Two 25-minute math sections,
- One 20-minute math section,
- One 25-minute writing section,
- One 10-minute writing section,
- One 25-minute experimental section (which may be math, critical reading, or writing).
Scores --one
for each section -- are calculated on a 200-800
scale for a total score of 600-2400.
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The SAT is
offered seven times a year in October, November,
December, January, March (or April), May, and
June.
Registration deadlines are approximately five
weeks prior to the test date. Late registration
deadlines are approximately 2-3 weeks prior to
the test date and require a late fee. Standby
registration is offered the day of the test for
a fee but space is not guaranteed. back
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When should students start preparing
for the SATs? Ideally, we like to work with students
for AT LEAST 12-15 weeks before the test
date. However, depending on a student's
aptitude, the amount of time he/she is willing
to spend on homework, and how many points
he/she would like to gain, more or less time
may be appropriate. We have some students begin
tutoring as early as the summer before the
junior year for the PSAT and the SAT. In
general, there is no reason for a student to
prepare for the PSAT unless he/she is likely to
be a National Merit Semi-Finalist, but there is
no harm with early preparation since the
preparation is the same as that for the SAT.
Furthermore, very busy students might find it
easier to fit tutoring sessions into their
summer schedules. back
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Can students really prepare for the
SAT? Obviously, we believe they can. Our
teaching strategy involves showing students all
the different types of questions that are on
the SAT and the best strategy to answer each
one. We emphasize the fact that the ETS is very
unoriginal: throughout the years they
recycle the same type of questions over and
over. Once students realize that although
questions might have different specifics, the
underlying structure is the same, they can
increase their scores
dramatically. Why is vocabulary study so
important? It is imperative that a student study
vocabulary in order to increase his/her verbal
score. We can teach the students techniques
that allow them to understand the verbal
section, but if they don't know the words, the
techniques will only take them so far. Luckily,
as in all else, the SAT is very repetitive.
Since many of the same words appear on the SAT
over and over again, we have made a list of the
most common words to allow students to study
effectively for the exam. What does the SAT really test?
The SAT used to stand for "Scholastic
Aptitude Test." The acronym is used today
without any meaning behind it. It seems that
even ETS has stopped pretending that there is
any correlation between students' performances
on the SAT and their success in the first year
of college. The only thing the SAT accurately
measures is a student's ability to take a
standardized, multiple- choice exam.
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Which exam should a student
take? Contrary to popular myth,
no particular SAT is easier than any
other. Furthermore, because there are so many
students taking the exam around the country on
each test date, the percentile scores are very
stable. In general, we recommend that students
keep in mind their schedules when planning to
take the test. Obvious concerns include school
exams, sports, musicals, etc., all of which can
compete with the time needed to adequately
prepare. We recommend that all juniors take the
SAT I at least once and take 3 SAT Subject
Tests by the end of the academic year.
Students can retake these tests during their
senior year. back
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How does one register for the
SAT? The college counseling office at your
student's school should have copies of
registration material. We also have some at the
office. However, the easiest way to register is
through the Internet. The College Board web
page is www.collegeboard.org. Once a student has
signed up via internet or via e-mail, he or she
may register via phone for subsequent
tests When signing up for the test,
PrepMatters strongly encourages all students to
sign up for either the Question & Answer
Service or the Student Answer Service.
These services provide additional information
about the student's performance which is
crucial for fully understanding the test
results. back
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When do students receive their
scores? Students should expect to receive
their scores in the mail approximately one
month after they take the exam. If they're
anxious to know before then, they can phone ETS
the 2nd Friday after the test and receive their
scores for a fee. Scores are also
reported on the website (http://www.collegeboard.com/)
approximately two and a half weeks after the
exam date (registration
required.) back
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What are the Question-and- Answer
Service and Student Answer
Service? For the October, January, and May exam
dates, ETS offers something called the
question-and-answer service (QAS). For these
exams, students can pay an extra fee to receive
a copy of the test booklet as well as a
printout of how they answered each
question. For the other exams, students
can pay for the Student Answer Service to
receive a copy of the printout only.
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What is a good score on the SAT?
How well a student needs to do
on the SAT, as well as the importance of the
SAT, depends entirely on the schools to which
he/she is applying. For more information on a
particular school, students should consult a
college counselor or reference
books. The ACT is a standardized test
used by the admissions offices at colleges
across the country. Developed by American
College Testing, it is accepted by every major
U.S. college and can be submitted in lieu of
the SAT or, in some cases, the SAT Subject
Tests. The ACT is administered six times per
year from September through June. back to
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Students should keep in mind that
their weighted GPAs are the single most
important factor for college admissions, and
should be guided by their grades to determine
which schools are within their reach. Once
they've chosen their schools, we can help them
get a score that falls within the commensurate
range. Remember, an SAT score alone will not
get anyone into a school; however, it shouldn't
be the reason that he/she is kept out. back to
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The ACT is a two hour and 55- minute test comprised of the following four sections:
There is also an optional 30-minute essay that is given at the end of the regular testing period. back to top
A student may achieve a score of 1-36 on each of the four sections. These subscores are then averaged to find the composite score. A perfect composite score of 36 equates to 2400 on the SAT. Similarly and ACT score of 26 equates to a 1770 and a 21 equates to a 1485. Like the SAT essay, the ACT essay is given a score from two to twelve; unlike the SAT essay, it is not factored into the scoring of the other sections. back to top
In what ways does the ACT differ from the SAT?
One important difference between the exams is the lack of a penalty for incorrectly answering questions on the ACT. There is no "guessing penalty" or need to worry about skipping questions. A second difference is score choice. Score choice allows one to take the ACT multiple times and choose which composite score(s) to report. When reporting SAT scores, all scores are sent to colleges, regardless of you preference. Because of these two factors, PrepMatters encourages all juniors to take a timed diagnostic ACT to determine if it might be worth pursuing in addition to, or instead of the SAT. back to top