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The Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) is a three-hour achievement/aptitude administered on the morning of each test date.  Scores on the two main sections (verbal and mathematics) are reported on a scale of 200-800.  Many colleges require that candidates for admissions take this test.  These test scores give college admissions officers and scholarship sponsors one indication of a student’s ability to do college work.

What You Should Know About the SAT

What is the SAT?

The Scholastic Assessment Test, or SAT, is a three hour standardized test designed to measure your abilities in verbal and numerical reasoning.

The test questions are 50 percent verbal and 50 percent math. The two sections of the test are each scored on a scale 200 to 800, for a combined composite score of 400 to 1600.

Despite its intended purpose, the SAT does not necessarily reflect an accurate assessment of your academic abilities. More to the point, the SAT measures your ability to take a standardized test. If you can outsmart the test, you stand to improve your score greatly.

In this article you will learn:

• Five simple rules to follow when taking the SAT
• Resources for improving your score
• When you should take the SAT
• What recentered SATs mean for you
• Alternatives to the SAT

Here are five simple rules to follow when taking the SAT

Eliminate wrong answers
Eliminate answers you know are wrong. For instance, say a question has five answers to choose from and you are unsure of the correct answer. However, you know for certain that three of the answers are incorrect. You now have two answers to choose from and a 50 percent chance of getting the question right.

Tackle the easiest problems first
Tackle the easier problems first. The more difficult the question the more risk there is of choosing the wrong answer. Therefore, you increase your chances of a better test score by answering easy question first.

Limit your time on each question
Don't spend too much time on one question. Because the problems on the SAT are all worth the same amount of points, it doesn't make sense to spend too much time on one difficult question.

Stay cool
Stay cool, calm and collected. Don't let the test stress you out. If you are having an especially difficult time taking the test, pause for a moment and then resume.

Watch the clock
Be conscious of time. In the world of standardized tests, time is your enemy. So pace yourself during the test.

Resources for improving your score

Like most standardized tests, the SAT can be conquered given some study. Companies that specialize in test preparation know this about the SAT, and have consequently flooded the market with test-prep books and courses.

Princeton Review and Kaplan are among the most popular test-coaching companies, and have been known to raise student scores on the SAT. Watch your wallet, though. Test-coaching courses can go as high as $700.

The frugal approach is simply to take a do-it-yourself course and study from a book. Both Princeton Review and Kaplan sell test-prep books based on their course for under $20. Companies such as Arco, Barron's and Englewood-Cliffs also sell test prep books.

But one of the best ways to study for the SAT is to take actual tests. The books sold by test-prep companies, although helpful in developing test-taking strategies, use sample tests instead of actual tests.

Only the Educational Testing Service(ETS), the company that makes the SAT, sells a book of actual tests. A book of eight previously circulated tests costs $16.95, and can be ordered directly from ETS by calling (609)406-5050.

When should you take the SAT?

Practice makes perfect, so it's to your advantage to take many sample tests well in advance of the day you take the actual test. And speaking of the day you'll take the SAT, familiarize yourself with test dates and registration deadlines. A free booklet published by ETS on the SAT, available at your high school, will provide you with all the necessary information.

Most students take the SAT during their junior year. This ensures that you have test scores when you are ready to apply to college as a senior. It may also help you decide to take an additional class as a senior. But most importantly, taking the SAT as a junior gives you time to re-test as late as your senior year.

You can take the SAT as many times as you want. If you did poorly the first time around, you'll probably want to take it again.

However, if you take the SAT more than once be aware of how your prospective schools view your test scores. Some colleges take only a student's highest test score into consideration while others average multiple test scores.

If a school you are applying to averages test scores, then doing worse on a subsequent test will lower your score. Of course, you always have the option of canceling a test if you feel you've done poorly. This must be done by contacting ETS in writing within three business days of taking the test. Call ETS at (609)921-9000 for more information.

What do Recentered SATs Mean For You?

Lately, there has been a buzz in the academic community regarding the so-called "recentering" of the SAT. What does this mean for you? Not a lot.

Basically, there has a been a change in scoring the SAT which has resulted in higher test scores prior to recentering. The higher test scores are a result of the new scoring, not the student's performance. Hence, recentering will not affect a student's chances for admission any differently than before recentering.

Alternatives to the SAT

Is there an alternative to the SAT? Yes. Most schools will accept the American College Test, or ACT, in place of the SAT.

The ACT is a standardized test which breaks down into four parts: English, math, reading, and science reasoning. The four parts are scored on a scale of one through 36. The composite score is an average of the four parts.

Unlike the SAT, which is administered seven times a year, the ACT is only offered five times a year. At $17 the ACT is slightly cheaper than the SAT which costs $21. More information about the ACT can be obtained from your high school, or call (319)337-1000.

There's just no real way of getting around taking the standardized test. Two thousand of the nearly 3,000 colleges and universities across the country require applicants to take either the SAT or ACT. So resign yourself to this immutable fact of life and study hard.