The SAT, originally known as the Scholastic Aptitude Test and later as the Scholastic Assessment Test, is a standardized test adopted by the United States for admissions to universities and colleges such as Hofstra University; Carnegie Mellon University, USA; Columbia University, and more. The developer or administrator of the admission test is College Board and is administered on behalf of the Educational Testing Service (ETS). 

The test was introduced in the US to assess the readiness of students for college. Founded in the year 1926, the exam has been renamed a number of times since then. As of today, the Scholastic Aptitude Test has been renamed to SAT Reasoning Test and the letters SAT no longer stand for anything.

Apart from the United States, candidates can also apply for admissions in abroad universities in countries like Canada, UK, Australia and Singapore. Candidates can take admission in the bachelor’s courses with a valid SAT scorecard. The SAT is offered internationally in October, December, March, and May.

Latest Update (as of January 19, 2021): The SAT subject tests have been scrapped along with the optional essay

COVID 19 Alert

The SAT is being conducted at designated centres and everyone needs to follow strict guidelines as defined by the test authorities at the test centres. As the SAT test will be conducted at various centres, the priority of the College Board would be to ensure the health and safety of the student. The testing capacity is limited in some areas to maintain health restrictions. 

Any changes related to the SAT test like test date, yet timing or test centres will be informed to candidates prior to the test by the College Board to avoid confusion and stress.  

All the official SAT exam centres in India along with their addresses and centres have been mentioned in the table below: 

SAT is administered by the College Board, a not-for-profit organisation headquartered in New York. Founded in 1900, the Board was set up to expand access to higher education and help more than seven million students every year to prepare for a successful transition to college through programs and services in college readiness and college success. 

Amongst the many benefits of appearing for the SAT, some of them have been listed below:

• The College Board takes into consideration the variability in class selection, grading and curricula in different high schools across the world and hence evaluates candidates on an even playing field.

• Standardized tests like the SAT help candidates learn how to score high with dedicated test prep and improve one’s chances of getting admission to competitive schools.

• Taking the SAT helps students comprehend questions and be familiar with what is going on in classrooms across the globe.

• The exam also expands access to scholarship money from a lot of top colleges. 

• The SAT exam is lighter on Math. It focuses more on algebra, geometry and trigonometry.

There are two types of SAT- the SAT and SAT Subject Tests. The same have been explained in detail below:

• SAT- The SAT is designed to test the thinking skills of the candidate that are required to succeed in his/her college and career.

• SAT Subject Tests- SAT Subject Tests are college admission tests on specific subjects where you choose the tests that best showcase your strengths and interests. There are a total of 20 SAT Subject Tests in five general areas- English, History, Languages, Mathematics and Science. Each subject test will be an hour long, scored on a 200-800 scale.