SAT - Scholastic Assessment Test was earlier know as Scholastic Aptitude Test. This test is conducted to analyse to evaluate the skills of the candidates planning for studying abroad. The candidates who wish to pursue their higher studies in foreign university/college has to take the SAT exam. SAT exam is one of the recognised entrance tests for enrolling in the undergraduate courses in a foreign country.
SAT exam is administered by the College Board. It is the official SAT exam conducting body that has laid down any eligibility criteria for the students who wish to take the SAT exam. According to the College Board, there is no maximum or minimum age limit for the candidates who wish to register for the SAT exam. However, the candidates must have passed their high school successfully, if they want to take admission in an undergraduate course.
The results of the general studies have specified that the candidates of the 17-19 years are the ones who appears in the SAT exam. The United States of America, Singapore, Canada, Australia, The United Kingdom, etc. are the countries that accept the SAT score. Here are some key aspects of the SAT eligibility.
Age Limit for Appearing in SAT Exam
No maximum or minimum age criteria is fixed for the candidates who wish to take the SAT exam. According to the general studies, it is observed that the students appearing for the SAT exam belong to the age group of around 17 to 19 years.
Attempt Limit for the SAT Exam
The College Board has not set any limit on the attempts of the SAT Exam. Therefore, the students can appear in the SAT Exam as many times as they wish.
Educational Qualification Criteria for Taking the SAT Exam
No educational eligibility criteria are specified by The College Board for taking the SAT exam. However, only high school can take the SAT exam. The students who wish to pursue the undergraduate course from abroad have to complete their high education successfully.
Eligibility Criteria for SAT Exam for Candidates with Disabilities
There are some candidates who have a disability. It is advisable for those candidates to intimate the College Board about their condition beforehand. Informing the conducting body of the SAT about their disability can help the candidate in getting added facilities. The SSD (Services for Student with Disabilities) unit of the College Board provides the approval for the added facilities.
Once the candidate gets the approval for the added facilities from the College Board’s SSD unit, the candidate can use those facilities for SAT as well as SAT Subject Test. The student need not make a separate request for each exam.
Added Facilities Offered to the Disabled Candidates for SAT Exam
- For visually impaired students, they use large print and Braille exams
- For completing the SAT exam, the disabled candidates are provided extra time.
- For essays, there is a provision of the use of a computer
- There is a provision of extra breaks during the SAT exam
Types of SAT-there are two categories of SAT exam i.e. SAT and SAT Subject Test.
SAT
The general SAT exam assesses the mathematical, writing as well as reading abilities of the candidate. The duration of this exam is 3 hrs and 50 minutes. There are no specific qualification criteria for appearing in the SAT exam. Most of the candidates start preparing the SAT exam while pursuing their studies in Class 11. They take the SAT exam when they are in Class 12.
The main purpose of taking the SAT exam is to evaluate the skills and knowledge of the students that they gained in the school. The skills that the SAT exam evaluates includes reading skills, writing skills and quantitative aptitude skills.
SAT Subject Test
SAT subject test is a subject-focused exam. This test evaluates the knowledge of the candidate in specific subjects. It is a content-based exam that allows candidates to showcase their knowledge in specific subjects. The candidates can take the SAT Subject Test in different subjects such as History, Mathematics, English, Foreign Languages, and Science. It is important to note that not all foreign universities/colleges require the score of SAT exam for admission in undergraduate courses. Therefore, it is advisable to check eligibility before appearing in the SAT exam.
Aspirants who wish to pursue their undergraduate studies in foreign universities can take the SAT or SAT Subject Test. These tests held multiple times and there are no specific eligibility criteria. Therefore, the candidates can register on the official website for the SAT exam. They can check the list of the test centres and select the date and convenient test centre for the exam.
