Click on a question below:
1. What is the SAT? aa
The SAT Reasoning Test (formerly the Scholastic Aptitude Test and Scholastic Assessment Test) is a standardized test typically taken by U.S. high school juniors and seniors. American Universities require that both their domestic and international applicants take the SAT.
The SAT Reasoning Test is run by the College Board of America. The SAT measures literacy, numeracy, and writing skills that are needed for academic success in college. You can find out more about the SAT at the College Board's website: http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/sat/about/sat/FAQ.html#quest14
The current SAT Reasoning Test takes three hours and forty-five minutes and costs $71 to take from outside of the U.S.A..
2. What type of questions are on the SAT Exam? bb
The following is a breakdown of the current SAT Reasoning exam:
Overview (Combined Score: 600-2400)
10 sections, 3 hours 45 minutes;
Critical Reading (200-800 score)
3 sections, 70 minutes
19 Sentence Completions
48 Reading Comprehension
Math (200-800 score)
3 sections, 70 minutes
10 Grid-Ins
44 Multiple Choice
Writing (200-800 score)
3 sections, 60 minutes
1 Essay
3. I've been educated in the English schooling system, why do I need to take the SAT? cc
If you would like to apply to an American University, you will need to take the SAT. Almost all American Universities have the same standardized test requirements for their international applicants as for their domestic applicants. We usually recommend that you take the SAT alongside your AS levels.
5. Where can I take the SAT in England? ee
When you register to take the SAT through the College Board, they will make you aware of the available dates and locations. You will need to book through the College Board, not the testing venue.
There are several testing locations around England, but not evey testing site will offer the SAT on any given testing date. The earlier you register, the more chance you have of getting your first choice testing site.
Below is the list of testing sites currently available:
Marymount International School, London, Surrey, England
Southbank International School, England
Tasis, Thorpe, Surrey, England
The American School in London, London, England
U.S. International University, N. W. London, England
In and Around London
ACS Cobham International School, Cobham, Surrey, England
ACS Engham International School, Engham, Surrey, England
King's College School, Wimbledon, England
London Central American High School High Wycomb, Bucks
Outside London
ACS Hillingdon International School, Middlesex, England
American High School, High Wycomb, Bucks, England
Canford School, Wimborne, England
East Durham College, Durham, England
University of Manchester, Manchester, England
English Venture School, Scarborough, England
Gresham's School, Holt, Norfork, England
King William's College, Castletown, England
Millfield School, Millfield, England
Radley College, Oxon, England
St. Clare's Oxford, England
University of Leeds, Leeds, Yorkshire, England
University of Manchester, Manchester, England
University of Warwick, Coventry, England
Victoria College, Channel Islands, England
6. When should I take the SAT? ff
Plan ahead. Most Universities ask that you submit your SAT Reasoning and SAT Subject Test scores by December of the year in which you apply. Some Universities set an earlier deadline for international students; those Universities usually require that you submit your scores by November of the year in which you apply.
A lot of students take the SAT two or three times in order to ensure that their scores represent the best that they can do. So we would normally recommend taking the SAT for the first time in December or January of your Lower Sixth Year; giving you ample time to retake in the spring or summer of your Lower Sixth Year or even in the early Autumn of your Upper Sixth Year.
Register early. There are several testing dates available throughout the year and you can register for any test date online at the College Board's website. Each test date has a registration deadline associated with it; and test takers living outside of the United States are not permitted to register after these deadlines. Availability at the different test sites frequently fills up long before these registration deadlines, so we strongly recommend that you register to take your SAT as soon as you have decided on an appropriate preparation schedule.
Here is a list of the SAT test dates this year:
October 10, 2009 (Register by September 9) Full
November 7, 2009 (Register by October 1)
December 5, 2009 (Register by October 30)
January 23, 2010 (Register by December 15)
May 1, 2010 (Register by March 25)
June 5, 2010 (Register by April 29)
Don't rush to take the SAT. There's no need. While you may be ready to take the SAT at the end of Year 11, your reasoning skills, your problem solving skills, your vocabulary and your numeracy will only improve with time and practice. Except in very special circumstances, we recommend that students do not take the SAT until their Lower-Sixth Year. This leaves you with longer to develop and means that you are likely to be taking less main-curriculum exams than during your GCSE's.
Pick a date that suits you. There is no such thing as an "easier" or "harder" SAT date. All of the exams are equated so that, for example, a Math score of 600 in March is equivalent to a 600 in May or October. The important thing is to work with your parents, teachers and Ivy Exam Prep tutors to pick a testing date that fits in with your other commitments. For example, you may want to take your SAT in the Fall to avoid adding stress to a busy summer exam-load; or perhaps you'd like to wait until you're in the exam-taking mode.
7. Do I really need tutoring to take the SAT? gg
The score obtained in the American college admission SAT exam is a vital part of your university application. You would never want to take your A Level Exams without any tuition; but the SAT exam is just as important and just as demanding as its British rivals.
The SAT consists of ten separate papers taken over a three hour period; there are no comparable exams in the British system. There is often very little help available in British schools for UK students who are applying to study in America. Ivy Exam Prep's specialized private tuition will truly give you the best chance of scoring well in the SAT exam.
According to research done by Adam Caller, an expert in International tuition, a UK student with decent GCSE and A-level results, who sits the exam without any tuition, would be lucky to get a score between 1450-1550. Ivy Exam Prep tuition can convert that to 2000 or higher, and for nearly all US universities except the absolute top 'ivy league' institutions that's enough to get in.
Research has revealed that on average, SAT tuition produces an increase of 30 points. Ivy Exam Prep's dedicated curriculum and specialized tutors perform well above this average. Now, while increasing a score from 1410 to 1440 might not make any real difference, at the upper end of the scale an increase as small as 30 points can be an absolutely critical. It can be the difference between acceptance or rejection from one of the top universities.
At Ivy Exam Prep we know that it can be difficult for British students to fit in their SAT preparation alongside their extra curriculars and academic load. That's why we offer a diverse range of tuition methods: you can study with a tutor in your home, take real-time classes online through Skype, download our interactive video-lessons to study at your convenience or use group tuition. We will grade your excercises for each one of these study-options. While we recommend a Semester that is evenly spaced into twelve weeks, we also cater to our clients' scheduling needs and - as long as you book well in advance - we can teach you twice, three times or even seven times a week in the lead up to a testing-date.
There are a lot of independent study aids available for the SAT, some good, some not so good. If you would still like to prepare for the SAT on your own, you can email us at ivyexamprepuk@gmail.com and ask for a list of recommended study-aids available to purchase through Amazon.
8. Is Vocabulary still important on the SAT? hh
Analogies have disappeared, which certainly means that vocabulary is less important than it once was on the SAT; nonetheless a wide-ranging vocabulary is still vital to succeed on the Verbal SAT. Sentence Completions and vocabulary-in-context questions still require a wide knowledge of classic "SAT words." At Ivy-Exam Prep, we stress language-acquisition and test-taking strategies over rote memorization of vocabulary.
9. How many times should I take the SAT? ii
Most students take the SAT two or three times in order to ensure that their scores represent the best that they can do. The College Board provides Admissions Offices with all of your SAT scores so universities will see your full range of scores. However, practically all colleges have a policy of using your highest range of scores. Unless you have already done extremely well (trying to go from a 780 to an 800 is not recommended), repeat testing will rarely impact your application negatively.
Schools do use multiple scores in different ways. For example, the University of California system will take your best overall score from a single test-date. Other colleges will mix and match your best scores from different categories (M, CR, and W) across different test dates. In both systems, repeat testing usually has a positive effect on your application. Please make sure to use some common sense, however. Not only is taking the SAT 5 or 6 times a waste of time, money and Saturday mornings; it may also send an unwelcome message to an admissions officer about your priorities.
10. Is guessing a good idea on the SAT? When? jj
This is a complicated question to answer. In your GCSE's, AS and A Levels it is almost always a good idea to make an "educated guess," but the SAT is different. The SAT deducts 1/4 point for wrong answers on multiple choice problems. This is not meant to punish you for guessing but to make sure that students who guess randomly are at no advantage over students who leave difficult questions blank. In your Ivy Exam Prep classes, we'll spend concentrated time on what you can do when you don't know the answer to a question in front of you. Process of elimination, for example, can be a powerful tool, one that we will expand on and encourage you to use. If you can eliminate even one answer as definitively wrong, then you've shifted the odds in your favour if you do make that "educated guess." However, the SAT knows a good deal about tricking students into thinking that an answer is right when it is wrong and wrong when it is right. For this reason, the best guessing strategy will vary from subject to subject and from student to student. During your Ivy Exam Prep tutoring sessions, we will discuss individualized recommendations with you.
11. I've taken the SAT Reasoning Test, GCSE's and A Levels, do I need to take the SAT subject tests? kk
Yes. Those universities that include SAT subject tests as part of their admissions requirements demand them from their international applicants as well as from their Amercian applicants. Luckily, not all American Universities include SAT Subject tests as part of their admissions requirements. At most, universities require two or three SAT subject tests.
Here is a full list of American Universities that require, recommend or accept SAT subject tests.
