Cost and Coverage of the SAT

The cost for the SAT is $52 everywhere in the US. However, there is an additional regional cost ranging from $43 to $53 for all the test takers from outside the US and a separate $16 for the SAT with an essay. That is to say, in South and Central Asia (SAARC countries +) it is $ 52+$49=$101 and if you take the SAT essay it is $101+ $16=$117 in total. Please also note that some test centers may ask for an additional $24 as a test center fee depending upon their facilities.

There is also a fee waiver for US nationals studying in Grades 9-12 given they qualify as per the rules.

There is a policy of refund as well. One can get a refund only if you withdraw your SAT enrolment/registration 5 or more days prior to the test date. The refund will however be processed only after 6 weeks of the test date.

The Payment can be made through your cards like visa, master, American Express, Paypal, or bank draft.  Checks and money orders can be accepted only if you do them through US-based banks.

As per 2020-21 data, published by the college board, the United States alone covers the largest number of SAT test centers. To name a few, the largest test center holders are Florida -268 centers, Texas-260 centers, and New York- 193 centers whereas the states of Dakotas have only 2 centers each. India has 48 test centers while Pakistan has 12 test centers. Nepal has 2 SAT test centers located only in Kathmandu (Trinity International College, Dillibazar with the center code #74619, and Kathmandu International Study Center with the code #74618 on the campus of Somang Academy) while Bhutan has only 1 test center located at Royal Civil Service Commission, HRD Division RCSC, Thimpu with the center code #64290. The Maldives has no test centers while Sri Lanka has 3, Bangladesh 5, Singapore has 9 with 3 SAT test centers for Palestinian territory.

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Nature of the Reading Text in the SAT

The nature and purpose of an SAT reading text are basically to tell a story, make an argument and explain or describe a scientific process on the course of research, discovery, and invention. The test takers therefore must be well informed about what the test is trying to do and what they have to do. Test takers must never answer or get prompted to answer any of the questions based on their priori -the previous knowledge (knowledge devoid of evidence) the test takers have obtained on a certain subject or areas of studies.

1.     Tell a story

2.     Make an argument

3.     Explain a study or experiment/research process

Level of Difficulty

The reading texts meet the difficulty level of 9th graders to the first year of college or post-secondary school training.

 Question Category

The SAT questions in the verbal section fall under three main categories, viz.

Information and Ideas: these are questions that focus on what the passage says directly or indirectly.

Rhetoric: These are questions that ask you to think about how the author conveys his/her messages and ideas.

Synthesis: These questions require you to make or draw conclusions and make connections between passages/texts or between texts and infographics.

The basic strategy to handle questions is to read between the lines and understand the implication of the expressions partially or fully as a complete text. You need to carefully locate the piece of information the questions demand.

The SAT in an Eggshell

Of several internationally accepted standard aptitude and assessment tests as a prerequisite to college admission, the SAT occupies nearly two-thirds of the sphere in the United States and eighty-four other countries including Canada, Japan, India, the United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, Austria, and Singapore. 

The SAT stands for Scholastic ((Aptitude): previously, i.e., before 2016) Assessment Test. In an eggshell, we may understand this test as an entrance examination administered by the College board, an independent and not-for-profit organization established to design and administer the entrance test as per the requirements of the programs in colleges for undergrad programs. Each year, it connects millions of school graduates, to over 6000 colleges across the world.

Unlike ACT, the SAT is basically a paper-based objective test aimed at measuring high school students' proficiency to enter an undergrad program. Those students who were good at school in their Maths and English easily do well in the SAT, In other words, it tests your skill and the knowledge that you gained at Secondary/High school and what is required to succeed in college.

The SAT scores alone are not the absolute measuring parameters for college admission, the C/GPA in the school transcripts, recommendation letters from teachers, mentors, the ECA credentials, and the final interview with the college admission officers collectively decide whether or not a student should be admitted. So, students must have a good track record in their Secondary and High schools.

There are no hard and fast rules with regard to the minimum requirement of the SAT scores. They vary from one college to another, depending upon the courses and programs of the colleges. However, the higher the scores out of 1600, the better opportunities there are for admission to the desired college.

Unlike IELTS, The SAT tests are offered in March, May, June, August, October, November, and December, thereby making it quite convenient for students to choose a day in any one of these seven months. Test takers are allowed to have a preparation duration of 5 weeks after the test registration date. Let's look at the following tables to faster get the clues about the SAT contents, cost, and format.

 

SN	Subject	Tasks/ Items	Time(minutes)
1	Evidence-based reading	52	65
	Evidence-based writing	44	35
2	Maths with calculator	38 ( 8 Grid-in)	55
	Maths without  calculator	20 (5 Grid-in)	25
3	SAT Essay (Optional)	1 task	50
Total Note: Essay scores are released after 10 days of the major results.		154  MCQ items + 1 Essay (optional)	180+50 = 230 minutes

Vocabulary Practice for SAT Students

 Vocabulary Practice for SAT Students

Can you find the…..?

1.     One who feeds on fruits only - F

2.     One who feeds on human flesh - C

3.     One who journeys from place to place -  I

4.     One whose reasoning is clever yet false - S

5.     One who makes a display of his learning - P

6.     One devoted to the pleasure of eating and drinking - E

7.     One who can use both the hands - A

8.     One who pretends to be what he is not – H/I

9.     One who foretells future - P

10.  One who entertains others - H

11.  One who steers a boat - C

12.  One who kills political figures - A

13.  One sent out on a mission - E

14.  An unthankful person - I

15.  One who abstains from alcoholic drinks - T

16.  A hater of marriage - M

17.  A hater of women - M

18.  One living at the same time as other - C

19.  One who collects coins - N

20.  One who eats all kinds of foods – O/P

21.  One who governs a kingdom during infancy - R

22.  One who sings in the choir - C

23.  One who listens to the conversations of others -

24.  One who has special skill in judging art, music, etc - W

25.  A partner in crime - A

26.  An expert in story telling - R

27.  One who is new to everything - N

28.  One who runs away from justice or law - F

29.  One who retires from society to live alone - R

30.  One who writes shorthand - S

31.  One who talks in his sleep - S

32.  One who walks in his sleep - S

33.  One who lends money by keeping some security - P

34.  One who feels himself as better than others - E

35.  A hater of mankind - M

36.  One who dies for his country- M

37.  One who breaks images or church ornaments - I

38.  One who studies about mankind - A

39.  One who devotes himself for humanity - P

40.  One who lends money at an exorbitant rate - U

41.  One who looks after horses at an inn – O/H

42.  A person in charge of a museum - C

43.  One who works only for money - M

44.  One who doesn’t believe in god - A

45.  One who makes a lot of noise - C

46.  One who doesn’t have his parents - O

47.  One who is next to a bishop - C

48.  One who assists at services by lighting candles - A

49.  One vowed to an only single life - C

50.  One who believes in a single God - M

51.  One who watches over students taking examination - I

52.  One who specializes in the evolution of mankind - A

53.  A tradesman who arranges funerals -

54.  A messenger sent in a great hurry - C

55.  A partner in crime -  C

56.  One who can use both the hands equally - A

57.  One who has a charge of a church building – S

©Jaya Narayan Bhusal ELT Materials for SAT/GRE/GMAT Test preparation Tuesday, July 22, 2008