How Do the SAT Subject Tests Differ from the SAT?

The SAT is largely a test of verbal and math skills. True, you need to know some vocabulary and some formulas for the SAT; but it's designed to measure how well you read and think rather than how much you remember. The SAT Subject Tests are very different. They're designed to measure specific knowledge in particular academic areas like Physics or World History. Sure, critical reading and thinking skills play part on these tests, but their main purpose is to determine exactly what you know about, math, history, physics, and so on.

How important are the SAT Subject Tests?

Typically, the schools that require the SAT Subject Tests put a good deal of emphasis on them. The most competitive schools receive a large number of applications from students with extremely high SAT Reasoning Test scores and GPA's, so they find that the Subject Tests are good ways of comparing the achievement levels of different students.

What Are the SAT Subject Tests?

The SAT Subject Tests consist of more than 20 different Subject Tests. These tests are designed to measure what you have learned in such subjects as Literature, American History and Social Studies, Biology, and Spanish. Each test lasts one hour and consists entirely of multiple­ choice questions. On anyone test date, you can take up to three Subject Tests.

SAT Physics

SAT Physics