High school is tough as it is, but what comes next is even more challenging. College is what determines your future. It opens your mind to new approaches to learning and offers you more career options. But what comes before College is SATs. SAT stands for Scholastic Aptitude Test, and this is your gateway to college.
When you see high school seniors, you will see how pressured most of them feel. SAT is their chance to make things better, to transform their life. And it is not easy at all. Most kids look forward to their senior year. Creative pranks and interactive parties fill up most of the year, but it is incomplete without SATs.
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Table of Contents
What is the SAT?
SAT or Scholastic Aptitude Test is an entrance test which allows you to join any college of your choice. It is a standard entrance test for colleges in the USA and Canada. Students from all around the world appear for SATs every year to try their luck.
SAT is a well-structured test that aims to analyze your overall mental build. It has three sections- Math, Evidence-based reading and writing, and Essay. An essay is optional, and if you choose to answer the Essay section as well, you will have an additional 50 minutes.
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During SAT, you have 3 hours to answer all questions and 50 additional minutes for the essay section. All questions asked in the SAT are multiple-choice type. SAT entrance fee is usually $40, but if you opt for the Essay question, you will have to pay $20 extra.
The purpose of the SAT is to determine if you are ready for college or not. And it also allows colleges to select students via a single entrance exam. It is not only convenient but also economical. At the time of admissions, colleges have unrestricted access to your SAT scores.
Besides your high school GPA, classes, extracurricular activities, letter of recommendation, and interviews, determines if you are eligible to study in a particular college or not.
Read More: How to Write the SAT Essay?
SAT exams take place during August, October, November, December, March, May and June.
SAT Scores
The total score for an SAT exam is 1600 distributed among the different sections of the exam. Math and Evidence-based Reading and writing are essential parts, whereas an essay is optional. But none the less there are colleges which require you to attempt the essay section. Without the essay section, you are not eligible.
1600 seems a little steep, but some students have achieved this score. But if you carefully observe, you will realize that most students score around 1060 in their exams.
Know that each section of the exam gets scored separated. You can score anywhere from 200 to 800 on individual parts. Your combined score is what determines how ready you are for college.
Read More: When Do SAT Scores Come Out?
What is the Perfect SAT Score?
Most people say that the perfect SAT score is 1600. But that is not within reach of many students. Not everyone is bright, but that does not mean that you are not entitled to an excellent course in a decent college.
Studies have revealed that if you score upwards if 1250, you can get into a lovely college without much hassle. There are many colleges which have strict rules when it comes to SAT score. So whichever colleges you want to get into making sure that you understand their SAT requirements.

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Even if you score somewhere around 1100 to 1250, you can get into a decent college, if not an elite one. So, it is safe to assume that you will have a brighter tomorrow with a score of 1100 or above.
How to Gain a perfect SAT Score?
It is not easy to gain the ideal SAT score. For some people, it just comes to them, but others have to work hard. Here are some tips which will bring you a little closer to your goal:
- Study the pattern– The first step to cracking any test to know what kinds of questions to expect. It would help if you studied the SAT pattern, question distribution, and scoring models. This will help you come up with a custom approach and score better.
- Dissect each section– When you start preparing for your SATs; make sure that you focus on the subsections. You should know what chapters are most likely to be covered. It gives you more in-depth insight and helps you prepare better for exams.
- Practice test– What most seniors do is taking practice tests. Most of these tests are available online. In addition to this, many schools hold practice tests to give kids a feel of the real world. If you want to perform well in the real SATs, make sure you attend the mock ones as well.
- Study groups– You cannot prepare for SATs without study groups. However, most study groups have jealous and academically charged students who might be a little reserved about their knowledge and approach towards SAT. But at the same time, few SAT study groups are dedicated to building morale and helping others. It is advisable if you join a positive SAT study group, which will help you score better.
Here are some tips which are sure to help you out. There are many more things that you can do, make sure that you know what you are doing.
Read More: Ten Ways to Better Improve Your SAT/ACT Score
Importance of SAT Score
Keep in mind that the SAT is just a way to get to college. SAT does not secure your admission. Most colleges appreciate good SAT score, but in addition to that, there are many aspects which need to be analyzed.
Most colleges want to know the real you before they give you and admission. They desire to understand why they wish to join their college and what they can do to improve their college.
Most colleges will emphasize your high school performance, the courses you took in high school, and the extracurricular activities you participated in and instead of just focusing on your SAT scores, try building a strong personality, and exploring your inner self.
Read More: How to Prepare for the SAT Test?
Also, keep in mind that you can reappear for SATs, but keep that window open.