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All About SAT Subject Tests

SAT Subject Tests: What are they?

You might be wondering, I’m taking the SATs and I’ve heard of the SAT II but I have no idea what that is or what that means. No worries. In this lesson, we’ll give you a step by step guide on what they are, whether you need them and what they cover.


What are the SAT Subject Tests?

Also known as the SAT IIs, SAT Subject tests are multiple choice standardized tests given on 20 different subjects. They are additional tests that can be done on top of the regular SAT as required by the specific schools you’re applying to. Here’s a list of the different tests offered according to the Wikipedia site…

Test Subject Notes
SAT Subject Test in Literature Literature
SAT Subject Test in United States History U.S. History
SAT Subject Test in World History World History
SAT Subject Test in Mathematics Level 1 Mathematics Consists of algebra, geometry, basic trigonometry, algebraic functions, elementary statistics and a few miscellaneous topics.
SAT Subject Test in Mathematics Level 2 Mathematics Formerly Math II or IIC. Consists of algebra, geometry, trigonometry, functions, statistics and a few miscellaneous topics.
SAT Subject Test in Biology E/M Biology Students have a choice of taking either an ecology or molecular biology oriented test
SAT Subject Test in Chemistry Chemistry
SAT Subject Test in Physics Physics
SAT Subject Test in Chinese with Listening Chinese
SAT Subject Test in French French
SAT Subject Test in French with Listening French
SAT Subject Test in German German
SAT Subject Test in German with Listening German
SAT Subject Test in Modern Hebrew Modern Hebrew
SAT Subject Test in Italian Italian
SAT Subject Test in Japanese with Listening Japanese
SAT Subject Test in Korean with Listening Korean
SAT Subject Test in Latin Latin
SAT Subject Test in Spanish Spanish
SAT Subject Test in Spanish with Listening Spanish

Do I need to take the SAT Subject Test?

That all depends on where you’re applying and whether your school requires that you complete a subject test on top of the standard SAT examination. Visit Compass Admission Requirements for an up-to-date listing of the major colleges and universities within the United States that require you to take these.


When should I take these Subject Tests then?

Usually, these tests can be given to you on the same day as your regular SAT examination and you are able to write up to 3 different SAT Subject Tests a day. Each test takes an hour to complete and each test has different requirements.

For example, if I were in anticipation of attending a school later on for medicine, my school of choice could require of me to do an SAT Subject Test on Biology.

Using Biology as an example, according to College Board who creates these tests, you can
  • Take Biology M if you feel more comfortable answering questions pertaining to biochemistry, cellular structure and processes, such as respiration and photosynthesis.
  • Take Biology E if you feel more comfortable answering questions pertaining to biological communities, populations, and energy flow.

Then when you get into your test, you just select which one you’d like to write. You cannot write these two tests on the same day, so pick the one you’d like to do and stick with that. Each test comes with its own preparations and things to know.

Using our biology example once more, there are a few things you’re to anticipate…

  • Ability to recall and understand the major concepts of biology and to apply the principles learned to solve specific problems in biology
  • Understanding of simple algebraic concepts, including ratios and direct and inverse proportions, and the ability to apply such concepts to solving word problems
  • Ability to organize and interpret results obtained by observation and experimentation and to draw conclusions or make inferences from experimental data, including data presented in graphic and/or tabular form
  • Familiarity with the metric system of units

What if I want more specifics on a certain SAT Subject Test?

Not a problem, post below, or start a discussion and we’ll help you find what you’re looking for!

rameses
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rameses said:

thanks for the info. however i have one doubt:what is the difference between math levels 1 and 2??do colleges give preference to any one in particular?

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  • Posted 5 months ago.
ernest104
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ernest104 said:

nice entry

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  • Posted 4 months ago.
oLahav
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oLahav said in response to:
rameses
rameses’ post:
Citation Body

thanks for the info. however i have one doubt:what is the difference between math levels 1 and 2??do colleges give preference to any one in particular?

The difference between math1 and 2 is the level of difficulty and types of questions. Colleges may require 1 or 2 depending on the type of program you’re going in- math heavy programs are more likely to require math2 but basic science programs may only require math1.

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  • Posted 4 months ago.
pranky109
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pranky109 said:

is it necessary to appear for SAT to appear for SATII,since i have not taken maths and am in doubt about this thing….plz help me.

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  • Posted about 1 month ago.
Sureshbala
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Sureshbala said:

Dear pranky109,

Generally most of the schools require SAT. But very few colleges, based upon your course of study and your academic background, require SAT II. So you should check this with the respective schools that you are planning to join. You can find this info in their websites.

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  • Posted 5 days ago.
oLahav
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oLahav said:

Also, SAT and SAT II are separate. You don’t need to pass the SAT first in order to take a topic SAT II, although most people do it in this order because the regular SAT is generally more important, so it’s better to get it out of the way first.

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  • Posted 5 days ago.
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