(LifeWire) - SAT College Admissions Exam Overview:
The cause of a collective sweat among college-bound teens seven Saturdays a year, the SAT remains the most popular standardized admissions exam. Now called the SAT Reasoning Test, it is broken down into three 800-point sections -- math, critical reading and writing -- but the relatively new writing section has yet to be universally accepted. More than 2 million college hopefuls, including distance learners, take the mostly multiple-choice test every year. The SAT also offers subject tests, which can be used to round out a college's evaluation of an applicant, or for the applicant to receive advanced placement in various disciplines. SAT officials say that retaking the test improves the combined score by an average of 40 points.
When to Take the SAT College Admissions Exam:
Many typically sit for the SAT in March of their junior year in high school to erase distractions and have time for a possible do-over. If considering a college deadline, students should take the test six weeks before the application deadline. Six weeks is a typical time frame for the College Board to send out the SAT results. The SAT convenes in October, November, December, January, March, May and June.
Registering for the SAT College Admissions Exam:
The preferred method is through the College Board's website, at www.collegeboard.com. Just click on the prompts to register, secure your test center assignment, print an admission ticket, and indicate four colleges where the official test results should be sent. Students can choose more colleges at a later time for an additional fee. The cost is $45 for the SAT Reasoning Test. The base rate for the SAT subject tests is $20.
Preparing for the SAT College Admissions Exam:
The College Board's SAT Preparation Center offers free and for-purchase guides and sample tests, plus an SAT question of the day. There are also in-class and online preparation courses provided by other companies. Taking the PSAT (Pre-SAT) is also recommended.
Using Your SAT College Admissions Exam Test Scores:
Want to know where you stand? The averages for 2008 college-aspiring high school seniors were 502 for critical reading, 515 for mathematics and 494 for writing. The average combined critical reading and math score for Harvard entrants was 1,494.
