Leduc - Cracking the SAT Physics Subject Test

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The SAT Subject Tests are a series of one-hour exams developed and administered by Educational Testing Service (ETS) and the College Board. Unlike the SAT, the SAT Subject Tests are designed to measure specific knowledge in specific areas. There are many different tests in many different subject areas, such as biology, history, French, and math. They are scored separately on a scale from 200 to 800.

Since the tests are given in specific areas, colleges use them as another piece of admissions information and, often, to decide whether an applicant can be exempted from college course requirements. For example, a certain score may excuse you from a basic science class or a foreign language requirement.

About one third of the colleges that require SAT scores also require that you take two or three SAT Subject Tests. Your first order of business is to start reading those college catalogs and websites. College guidebooks, admissions offices, and guidance counselors should have this information as well.

As to which tests you should take, the answer is simple. Take the SAT Subject Tests

• on which you will do well.
• that may be required by the colleges to which you are applying.

Some colleges have specific requirements, while others do not. Again, start asking questions before you start taking tests. Once you find out which tests, if any, are required, part of your decision making is done. The next step is to find out which of the tests will highlight your particular strengths. Colleges that require specific tests generally suggest that you take two subject tests from the following five groups: laboratory science, history, foreign language, math, and English literature.

As for timing, take the tests as close as possible to the corresponding coursework you may be doing. If you plan to take the SAT Physics Subject Test, for example, and you are currently taking physics in high school, dont postpone the test until next year.

In general, you can take from one to three Subject Tests per test date in October, November, December, January, May, and June at test sites across the country. Not all subjects are offered at each administration, so check the dates carefully.

To register by mail, pick up The Paper Registration Guide for the SAT and SAT Subject Tests at your guidance counselors office. You can also register at the College Board website, http://sat.collegeboard.org. This site also contains useful information, such as the test dates and fees. If you have questions, you can talk to a representative at the College Board by calling 1-866-756-7346 from within the United States or 212-713-7789 from outside the country.

You may have your scores sent to you, to your school, and to four colleges of your choice. Additional reports will be sent to additional colleges foryou guessed itadditional money. Scores are made available to students via the College Boards website. To find out about the timeline of when the scores are made available, visit http://sat.collegeboard.org.

Thats hard to say, exactly. A good score is one that fits in the range of scores that the college of your choice usually accepts. However, if your score falls below the normal score range for Podunk University, that doesnt mean you wont go to Podunk University. Schools are usually fairly flexible in what they are willing to look at as a good score for a particular student.

Along with your score, you will also receive a percentile rank. That number tells you how you fit in with the other test takers. In other words, a percentile rank of 60 means that 40 percent of the test takers scored above you and 60 percent scored below you.

As of February 2009, you can choose which SAT Subject Test scores you want colleges to see. This is great news! For one thing, if you take more than one SAT Subject Test on a given test date, youll be able to choose which tests from that date youd like to submit to colleges. So if, for example, you take the French test followed by the chemistry test, but you dont think the chemistry test went very well, you can simply opt out of having that chemistry score sent to your schools.