How Much Does It Cost to Take the SAT?

Every high school student wishes to get into one of the most admired and prestigious colleges in the region. But it is only possible if you cover the milestone of the SAT. The SAT is a standardized testing service, started by the United States’ College Board.

Intending college students use it extensively to gain admission into any college of their choice. Every year, thousands of students spend both time and money while preparing for SAT. With a lot of enthusiasm and sharp-edged pencil, they make their way towards the test centres for the SAT exam.

If you wish to study in the United States, then you have to scale through the SAT.

Here are some pieces of information that you should know to get ready for the SAT. 

Read More: How Many Questions Are On The SAT?

SAT Fee and Duration:

This test mainly comes in two categories. One is the pure SAT with the two main sections of mathematics, evidence-based reading, and writing. The other is the SAT essay.

The pure SAT lasts for 3 hours, whereas the SAT essay test lasts for 3hours, 50 minutes. Your essay has to be entirely professional and should consist of complex sentences and co-ordinate sentences. You should write a grammatically correct essay if you want to have a good score in the essay part of your SATS exam. 

In SAT essay, you showcase your additional knowledge about reading and writing, which is entirely optional, but you are charged extra money for it. Along with that, they will give you an extra 50 minutes.

The actual cost of the SAT depends on the number of services and the kind of services you are availing. It also depends on the number of colleges you are applying to. 

Read More: How to Write the SAT Essay?

The number of sittings in the exam is another factor.

Now, let us explain the expenses SAT bits by bits.

• The cost of the pure SAT is $49.50, but in the case of SAT with essay, its price is $64.50.
• Intending SAT candidates will pay $26 for the SAT subject test registration and $22 for language tests with listening. 
• The cost of the late registration fee is $30. 
• Candidates who wish to change their exam from pure SAT to essay SAT are to pay $30. 
• The cost of registration by phone is $15, while $53 is the cost for a ‘waitlist fee.’ 
• After writing the test, candidates can get their results through the phone for $15, while the service fee for the answer is $18. 
• Also, $31 is the cost for retrieval of the old score. 

International Regional Fee:

If you live outside the United States and are to appear in the SAT exam, then you are supposed to pay regional fee alongside all the other services you are providing. Every region has its specified local price, which you must pay. Areas with their detailed cost are listed below:

1. Africa: The regional cost of Africa is $43. All the students who are planning to apply for the SAT from any African country must abide and pay $43.

2. East Asia / Pacific: All intending candidates who are resident in any part of East Asia are charged $53 for the SAT. 

3. South and Central Asia: Regional fee for south and Central Asia is $49. 

4. Europe and Eurasia: SAT in this region costs $47. Being a citizen of any country from this region, you ought to pay the required amount.

5. Middle East / North Africa: The SAT fee of this region is $47. Intending candidates who are indigenes of any country in the Middle East / North Africa pay the mentioned fee. 

6. Americas: America’s local price is $43. Candidates from this region pay $43 as a registration fee for the SAT exam.

Read More: When Do SAT Scores Come Out?

Additional Fee for Test Centres:

While appearing in the SAT exam, some test centres require an extra charge. It is very imperative for intending SAT candidates to know about the additional cost by each examination centre. They should search the SAT exam website for the list of those centres along with their designated cities and countries. 

Fee Waiver: 

The SAT is scheduled and planned by the College Board, a completely non- profit organization. In some cases, it provides a fee waiver to the students who can’t afford the expensive cost of the SAT exam. Every capable student has the right to get admission into a college, but some might not be able to do so because of their financial problems. 

Read More: How to Get SAT Scores?

Keeping this in view, the College Board introduced the SAT fee waiver for low-income students. The college boards design the SAT waiver to help them waive the fee for the SAT exam and some other extra services. Sometimes, it can cover up the college application cost. 

The SAT is a hurdle that all intending college students must overcome. If you are preparing for the SAT, then you must do the following tips: 

If you follow these tips, you can save money while getting prepared for the SAT exam.

1. Firstly, you should plan your budget ahead of time so that you don’t waste extra money on a hassle. Please make a list of everything and spend it according to it. 

2. Study Hard! Start your studies the moment you decide to take the SAT exam. This is very important as it will help you clear it within 2-3 trials. If you don’t work hard, you may end up having 4-7 tests, which will completely waste your money.

3. Apply for a fee waiver. Applying for a fee waiver can save your money, as the organization provides this service to students from low-income families.

4. Register early! It would help if you endeavoured to register yourself before the deadline. There are extra charges for late registration, and it could be very disheartening, especially if you are from a low home. 

Read More: Ten Ways to Better Improve Your SAT/ACT Score

On the whole, registering for the SAT is an excellent step in the right direction. Believe your instincts and listen to your gut. You are the only person who knows what’s better for you.