Subject Test FAQ
(Click here to download the full .pdf version of this FAQ.)
What
are the SAT Subject Tests?
How are
the Subject Tests different from the SAT?
What is
the format of the Subject
Tests?
How are
the Subject Tests scored?
What
schools require SAT Subject Tests? How many?
When
should Subject Tests be taken?
How
much time should be spent in
preparation?
What
else should I know about the individual Subject
Tests?
Literature
U.S.
History
World
History
Mathematics Level 1 and Level
2
Languages
Biology
E/M
Chemistry
Physics
What are the SAT Subject Tests?
The SAT
Subject Tests are supplementary college
admissions tests administered by the College
Board. They are designed to measure a student’s
readiness to complete college level work in
particular academic subjects. The following
subject tests are offered: Literature, U.S.
History, World History, Mathematics Level 1 and
Level 2, Languages, Biology E/M, Chemistry and
Physics. How are the
Subject Tests different from the SAT?
The SAT
Reasoning Test is just that – a test that aims
to measure both mathematical and verbal
reasoning ability. The Subject Tests, however,
are more academic in nature and allow students
to demonstrate mastery of content in those
subject areas in which they excel. While the
questions on the Subject Tests tend to be less
“tricky” than those on the Reasoning Test and
more like questions students have answered on
tests in school, it’s important to remember
that these are still the SATs. Previous SAT
test prep gives students the tools they need to
effectively negotiate the multiple-choice test
format, whether they are splitting the semantic
hairs of similar answer choices or deciding to
substitute or backsolve a math
problem. What is the
format of the Subject Tests? All Subject
Tests are one hour multiple-choice exams. There
are no essay or short answer questions. The
Language with Listening tests, however, do
feature both reading and listening sections,
and students need to bring a compact disc
player and headphones with them to the test
center. How are the
Subject Tests scored? Subject Tests
are scored on the familiar 200-800 SAT scale.
It is worth noting that national average scores
on the Subject Tests are generally higher than
those of the SAT sections since students take
only those tests for which they feel the most
prepared. Your score report will contain
information about these percentiles, but
college care far more about the 200 to 800
number. No matter what the test, 600s are good
and 700s are fantastic. What
schools require SAT Subject Tests? How
many? Colleges’
Subject Test policies vary widely: some require
one or two different Subject Tests, while
others “recommend” them and still others do not
require any. Students and parents are advised
to check with the colleges to which they’re
applying to find particular requirements. For
your convenience, PrepMatters has compiled a
list of the testing requirements of over 160
schools that can be found here.
When should
Subject Tests be taken? Subject Tests
are administered on the same dates as the SAT
Reasoning Test, with the exception of the March
test date, and students may take up to three
tests on a single day. Some tests, such as the
Latin or Language Tests with Listening, are
only available in November or June; be sure to
check the schedule at http://www.collegeboard.com/
for the latest information. How much
time should be spent in
preparation? In general, we
recommend four to six weeks of preparation for
a Subject Test. A tutor can help a student more
quickly acclimatize himself with the format of
the test, highlight the SAT test taking methods
that most directly apply to that test, and
provide content review for those topics with
which a particular student may struggle. Weekly
practice tests – either as homework or in a
timed and proctored environment – serve to both
chart progress and pinpoint subject areas for
focused review. What else
should I know about the individual Subject
Tests? Literature
The Literature
Subject Test is not tied to any particular
class in school and thus is often taken by
those students who need to satisfy application
requirements but haven’t recently completed the
right history or science course – whether
they’re qualified for the test or not. It
resembles the SAT Critical Reading section in
that it is composed of a sequence of short
reading passages followed by multiple-choice
questions; therefore, students with strong
Critical Reading scores often do well. The
Literature test differs from the SAT in that
the passages themselves are drawn from American
and British literature from the 17th century
onward, heavily feature poetry, and are thus
more difficult to understand. While stopping
short of asking students to identify rhyme
scheme or metonymy, the test does tax students’
abilities to both understand tone, metaphor and
imagery, and deal with more complex diction and
syntax. Well prepared students will be
conversant with the standard tools and
vocabulary of literary criticism as taught in
school. U.S.
History The 90
question US History Subject Test covers history
from colonization to the present-day and
contains questions on political, social,
economic trends - but NOT on military events.
Students should focus on knowing the most
important trends in US history and on
understanding the narrative: reasons for
colonization, causes of the Revolution, what
issues the framers debated when considering the
Constitution, the struggle over what to do with
slavery, etc. Although most courses will cover
these areas well, students are commonly rusty
on the earlier material. It is important that
review of older information begins relatively
early in the spring to reduce the likelihood of
a rushed and frantic bout of memorization.
Since the test covers a wide swath of time,
students may see questions that initially
appear confusing or difficult. Using process of
elimination with poise and confidence is the
key to answering these questions correctly.
Helpfully, certain areas and figures are
predictably important, for example Andrew
Jackson and the National Bank. Practice tests
and strategic review can be of great benefit
for this test. World
History The 95
question World History Subject Test is
essentially an hour-long trivia quiz. It
reaches back in time to the Paleolithic and
comes up to the present day (Gilgamesh to the
Iraq War); it covers countries around the globe
from Chile eastward to China. However, a
substantial portion of the test is on European
history, not only the interactions (political,
economic, philosophical and religious) on the
continent but also how European countries
impacted the rest of the globe politically and
economically (exploration and colonization).
Questions also appear regularly on China and
India. Because of the massive scope of the
test, it is important that students have a good
understanding of the major trends shaping world
history, focusing not only on details but also
asking themselves what those details mean and
why they are significant. Types of questions
range from strictly informational, to
identifying the origins of a text, to
recognizing what period and country a piece of
art came from. Success in this test depends not
only on knowing certain information, but also
on the ability to use what one knows to
eliminate false answers. Mathematics
Level 1 and Level 2 Each test
comprises 50 multiple-choice questions drawn
from subject material ranging from introductory
algebra and geometry to more advanced
mathematics covered in most junior year
pre-calculus courses. The Mathematics Level 2
test is significantly more difficult than the
Level 1 test, and many students struggle to
complete it in one hour. Students who are
applying to engineering schools or as
mathematics or physics majors are advised to
take the Level 2 test, as are exceptional
students applying to the most competitive
schools for which any slight "edge" can help.
All other students should take the test on
which they can earn the higher score,
regardless of their perception of which test
"looks better" to colleges. Higher scores look
better to colleges. Languages The harsh
reality of the language tests is that SAT
scores are inherently curved. The preponderance
of native language speakers who take these
tests skews the distribution of the scores and
makes it difficult for even good students to do
well here. As an extreme example, consider the
Chinese with Listening Subject Test, which
boasted an average score of 758 last year! Who
takes that test? People who speak
Chinese. Biology
E/M There are
actually two Biology Subject Tests: Biology E
and Biology M. For each of the E and M tests,
students first answer 60 general
multiple-choice questions followed by 20
questions that respectively target
environmental science or molecular biology.
Most area schools focus more heavily on the
latter rather than the former, so students are
typically more qualified for the M test. (This
is especially true of students who have
completed AP level work.) Chemistry
The Chemistry
Subject Test is generally regarded as the most
difficult of the science Subject Tests and
should only be taken by those students who have
completed an AP level class. It is an 85
question test that, in addition to the standard
multiple-choice questions, features complicated
true/false and identifications for which
students should practice and with which
students need to feel comfortable. In addition
to covering a range of topics not seen in
introductory courses, this test does require
some straightforward computation, and students
are not permitted to use a
calculator. Physics
While not
allowing students calculators, the 75 question
Physics Subject Test manages to be all about
students’ knowledge of and ability to solve
physics equations. Recent completion of a
physics class is essential to success and
students who have taken classes that have
required them to memorize the equations
throughout the course of the year will do well.
Those whose classes allowed them to use “cheat
sheets” on tests will need to do some
memorization, as the Subject Test does not
provide the equations they’ll need. Actual
mathematics on the test is limited, but
students need to be comfortable with algebraic
manipulations of the equations for almost all
questions. AP Physics students should note that
the Physics B curriculum is a solid overview of
all of the material on this test. Physics C
students, however, will need to review the many
topics not covered in their course, such as
optics, waves and atomic
physics.
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In general,
the best time for a student to take a Subject
Test is immediately after he’s completed
coursework in that subject. Occasionally, this
means a strong student can take a Subject Test
at the end of sophomore year to “get ahead” of
the testing schedule. Usually, Subject Tests
are best taken in May or June of junior year.
Sometimes the testing schedule requires a
student to put off taking these tests until the
fall of senior year. If this is the case, be
very careful about delaying the history or
science tests. These tests are especially “fact
dependent” and can require significant review
on the part of the student who’s spent the
entire summer forgetting about the Whiskey
Rebellion and molecular orbital theory. Such a
student is better off taking these tests at the
end of junior year and putting off the Math or
Literature tests until the fall.
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A student who is forced,
whether by the testing calendar or college
admissions requirements, to take a test for
which he is not well prepared may require more
time and focused study. (See the guidelines
below for more test-specific information.)
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Students who have completed AP
level coursework may wish to see if their
skills are up to the challenge. Those who have
recently spent a semester abroad may also find
that they can do well on the test, but all
students are encouraged to take practice tests
ahead of time to see where they stand.
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Students who
have only completed an introductory (non AP)
biology class can do well on this test, but
will likely require review or instruction in
some of the more advanced material.
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