The SAT is a standardized test used for college admissions in the United States and other countries. It was originally called the Scholastic Aptitude Test but has undergone several name changes. The SAT consists of four sections testing reading, writing and language, math without a calculator, and math with a calculator. Scores are reported on a scale of 200 to 800 for two sections, with the total score ranging from 400 to 1600. The SAT is administered multiple times per year globally to help students demonstrate their knowledge and skills to colleges.

1. By Global Opportunities
SAT is the standardized test required for
admission into UG courses in the US and other
countries. Introduced in 1926, its scoring and
name have undergone several changes;
originally it was known as the Scholastic
Aptitude Test, it was later named the Scholastic
Assessment Test, later as the SAT I: Reasoning
Test, followed by the SAT Reasoning Test, and
currently just as the SAT.

2.  The SAT is a college entrance examination that schools use
to evaluate student applications.
 The SAT is a globally recognized college admission test,
administered by the College Board, that lets high school
students show colleges what they know and how well they
can apply that knowledge. Most students take the SAT in
11th or 12th Grade, some even earlier, in 10th Grade. Most
of the colleges and universities worldwide and in the
United States use the SAT scores to make admission
decisions.

3.  The SAT has four sections:
 Reading,
 Writing and Language,
 Math (no calculator) and
 Math (calculator allowed)
 In the fifth test section, the student might write an essay.
In terms of timing, the total time allotted for the SAT
exam is 3 hours (if the optional essay section is there, the
total duration becomes 3 hours and 50 minutes). While the
test takers who are not writing the essay might also have a
fifth section used for the pretesting of the questions that
might appear in future administrations of the SAT.
(However, these questions are not scored in the
computation of the SAT score.)

4.  The two sections score result from taking the test:
 Evidence-Based Reading and Writing, and
 Math
 The scores are marked on a scale of 200 to 800 and then
each section score is expressed as a multiple of ten. The
total SAT score is obtained by adding these two section
scores, thereby resulting in the total scores ranging from
400 to 1600. There is no penalty for guessing as scores are
based on the number of questions correctly answered.
Additionally, to the two section scores, the three "test"
scores on a scale of 10 - 40 are reported, each for Reading,
Writing and Language, and Math. The essay portion is
evaluated separately from the two section scores.

5.  Most of the questions in the test, except for the grid-in
math responses and the optional essay, are multiple
choice. In the math portion, thirteen questions (about 22%
of all the math questions) are not multiple choice. The
student has to bubble a number in the four-column grid.
 All the questions have equal weightage. Each correct
answer will get one point and there is no negative
marking. The final score of the SAT is calculated from the
raw score and the precise conversion chart.

6.  The United States, conducts SAT seven times a year: in the
months of August, October, November, December, March,
May, and June. As per the survey, in the year 2017 about
17, 15,481 high school graduates appeared for the test. In
India, the test is held 6 times a year, in the months of
January, May, June, October, November, and December.
The test dates are released well in advance by the College
Board, they can be seen on the website:
http://sat.collegeboard.org. The students have to register
online on the College Board's website, at least three weeks
prior the test date to ensure securing a seat at the test
centre of their choice.

7.  The test cost for Indian students without the optional
Essay is $92 and $103.50 with the Essay – both include the
International Fee of $49. In case the student changes SAT
date or Centre, an additional fee of $28 is charged.

8.  Indian students are not permitted to take the SAT without
a valid passport. Before registering, the student must have
a valid passport. Letters from the Passport Office stating
the Passport is in process of being issued or expired
passports are not acceptable. Only the student carrying a
valid passport can take the test.

9.  Currently, there are over 40 centres spread across 20+
cities across the country. The student receives the
complete list of SAT centres while registering online.

10.  The SAT results are normally announced online within 4-5
weeks of the test administration. The student can also
cancel the test score, or withhold them from being sent to
certain colleges.

11.  The College Board offer several high-quality resources to
prepare for the test, most of which are absolutely free,
such as ‘Free Practice Test’ and ‘Question of the Day’.
Students can also purchase ‘The Official SAT Guide’ or the
‘Official SAT Online Course’ on the College Board website.

12. By Global Opportunities