SAT: The Inside Look

The Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), or Scholastic Assessment Test, is one of the more frightening aspects of the college admission process. Some students spend their entire junior and senior years of high school preparing and psyching themselves up for this doozy of an aptitude test. Though this behavior can become a bit ridiculous, there is something to be said for the advantages of students taking SAT practice tests, enrolling in SAT prep courses, or finding other ways to improve their SAT scores. The idea is to plan ahead for the SAT.

The SAT is considered an aptitude test, or an intelligence test, which measures the likelihood of a particular student being able to perform well in a college-level curriculum. The SAT assesses your intelligence level by measuring your critical thinking skills and your ability to analyze and solve problems in math, reading, and writing. Though it is certainly debatable as to the SAT's accuracy and true validity, it gives college-admission committees a standard they can use to compare and select students from thousands of applicants. For this reason - even though your GPA and application essays are very important - the SAT has become the holy grail of sorts for gaining admission to a top college.

There are generally four separate testing dates, in January, March, May, and June. This allows students to work within their personal schedules, and re-take this important college prep test in case they're not satisfied with their first score. It's very important to pre-register for the SAT, that way you're guaranteed a seat. You can pick up an SAT Bulletin from your guidance counselor or by registering online at www.collegeboard.com. Don't wait. Do it now, so you're ready.

So, what's on the test? Well, each of the four sections is designed to measure a completely different level of intelligence. Reading, writing, and math skills are tested in the "Reasoning" section. You're given 25 minutes to answer these multiple-choice questions. The "Writing" section requires you to answer 40 grammar questions and 1 essay in 60 minutes. In a 70-minute timeframe, you'll be asked to complete 44 multiple-choice questions and 10 grid solutions for the "Math" section. The "Reading" section is the longest portion, where you'll be given 19 sentence completion questions and 48 reading comprehension questions, to be completed within the 70 minutes of allotted time. Easy, huh?

The key is to pace yourself and prepare for the SAT as best you can. This is why there are real advantages for students taking SAT practice tests, enrolling in SAT prep courses, or finding other ways to improve their SAT exam scores, like rating their SAT RDI, or Relationship Development Intervention.

It's important as anything to get a good night sleep, and SAT practice test taking will lower your anxiety considerably, which can help your SAT scores improve dramatically. Register early, practice, and show up ready to test!