FAQ+from+College+Board

=**FAQ**=

Get answers to your questions about the SAT
[|What does the SAT test?] The SAT tests the skills you’re learning in school: reading, writing and math. Your strength in these subjects is important for success in college and throughout your life.
 * The **reading** section includes reading passages and sentence completions.
 * The **writing**section includes a short essay and multiple-choice questions on identifying errors and improving grammar and usage.
 * The **math** section includes questions on arithmetic operations, algebra, geometry, statistics and probability.

See a [|detailed breakdown of what’s on the test].

[|How can I do my best on the SAT?] The best way to get ready for the SAT is to take challenging courses, study hard, and read and write in and outside of the classroom. Cramming and short-term prep can’t substitute for hard work in school. The PSAT/NMSQT® is one of the best ways to begin preparing for the SAT, because it covers the same subjects under timed conditions. It does help to become familiar and comfortable with the test format and question types. You should take advantage of our [|free online practice tools], such as an online or printable practice test, sample questions, The Official SAT Question of the Day™ and more.

[|How important is the SAT in college admission?] The SAT is just one factor among many that colleges use to get to know you better. It’s part of a comprehensive admission process that also takes into account your high school academics, extracurricular activities, recommendations, personal essay and other factors. Every college and university uses a different combination of criteria for admission. Research the schools you’re interested in using [|College Search] to understand their unique admission policies.

[|How is the SAT related to the College Board?] The College Board is a not-for-profit education organization dedicated to helping students discover their path to higher education. Our programs strive to provide every student with an opportunity to go to college and the tools to succeed there. The SAT is one of the College Board’s best-known programs. In keeping with the College Board’s mission, the SAT provides an equal opportunity for all students to show what they’ve learned in school and how they apply that knowledge. This provides students an opportunity to demonstrate their problem solving and critical thinking skills necessary to succeed in college.

[|How is the SAT scored?] Each section of your SAT (critical reading, mathematics and writing) will be scored on a 200- to 800-point scale, for a possible total of 2400. You’ll also get two “subscores” on the writing section: a multiple-choice score from 20 to 80, and an essay score from 2 to 12. But how do you get these scores? Two steps happen before you see a final score. First, we figure out your **raw score** by: Remember: Questions that you skipped don’t count either for or against your score, and points aren’t taken away for wrong answers on the math questions where you needed to enter the answer into a grid. Then we take your raw score and turn it into a **scaled score**. This is where the score of 200–800 points comes from, and it is done through a statistical process called “equating.” This process makes it possible to compare your score with the scores of other students who took alternative versions of the test, and to your own scores on previous tests. Visit [|How the SAT Is Scored] to see exactly how your score gets calculated.
 * Adding points for correct answers.
 * Subtracting a fraction of a point for wrong answers.

[|How much time will I have to take the SAT?] The SAT is made up of 10 sections: Total test time: 3 hours and 45 minutes You’ll also get three short breaks during the testing, so don’t forget to bring a snack! Testing accommodations are available for students with a documented need. Learn more about [|accommodations], like extra time.
 * A 25-minute essay
 * Six 25-minute sections (mathematics, critical reading and writing)
 * Two 20-minute sections (mathematics, critical reading and writing)
 * A 10-minute multiple-choice writing section
 * [|See what test day is like]
 * [|What to bring on test day]

[|When should I take the SAT?] Most students take the SAT during the spring of their junior year of high school. Many students choose to take the SAT a second time in the fall of their senior year after becoming familiar with the test day experience.

[|How many times should I take the SAT?] Most students take the SAT once or twice. We don’t recommend taking it more than twice because there’s no evidence that taking the SAT multiple times significantly changes your score.

[|How are the exam questions created?] Every SAT question goes through a very careful review process before making it into your exam booklet. Each question that you see has been: Questions that don’t make it through these steps will never show up on an actual exam.
 * Reviewed by a team of experts, including math and English teachers, to make sure that it reflects what most college-bound students are learning in school.
 * Thoroughly tested to make sure that it is fair for students of all backgrounds and ethnicities.

[|What is the “unscored” section?] Each SAT exam includes an extra 25-minute critical reading, mathematics or writing multiple-choice section that doesn’t count toward your score. This section is where we try out new questions to make sure that future exams are fair for students from different backgrounds. It also helps us make sure that scores from students taking future exams can be compared to scores from students who took earlier versions of the test.

[|Does the College Board sell SAT test prep products over the telephone]