Mastering the SAT 2

So you’ve studied hard for the SAT, taken the test, and received an awesome score that you’re happy with. Maybe you’ve taken a few AP tests to earn some early college credits. You’re done with the toil of standardized testing now, right?

Possibly not.

College Board, the institution that manages both the SAT and AP tests, also runs a third program called the SAT II, or SAT Subject Test. These tests are designed to demonstrate your unique abilities in a specific subject. You can take a test to show your skills in Spanish, for example, or in chemistry or world history.

There are numerous benefits to taking the SAT Subject Tests. The most obvious of these benefits is that your scores will greatly strengthen your college résumé, especially if you take a test in an area that you are planning to continue studying in college. These scores are also useful for other résumés and scholarship applications. The subject tests are simply a way to showcase your abilities in a nationally recognized and trusted format.

I took the SAT IIs in Spanish and Literature less than a week ago, and there are two aspects of them that I really like. The first is that these tests are only an hour long, so, after taking the nearly 4 hour SAT, the process was a breeze. The second thing that I like is that you can choose which tests you want to take in areas in which you’re skilled; no more struggling over questions in which you’re disinterested or not experienced.

I left the testing room feeling really satisfied with my performance and eager to hear about my test results. As a student aspiring to work with Spanish for the rest of my life, it will be really exciting to be able to see the progress I’ve made through three years of study.

If you’re planning on taking an SAT Subject Test, I would recommend speaking with a teacher at your school who specializes in the subject (or a similar subject) a few months prior to the test. Your teachers will most likely have resources available for you to prepare so that you can perform your best. And they’re going to be very happy that they have such a studious pupil interested in furthering their studies outside of the classroom!

So why take the SAT IIs? Aside from being able to gauge your own ability in a certain subject, you will also be able to demonstrate your abilities to the colleges to which you intend to apply. Not only will these tests help to strengthen your résumé, but they’ll also help you to determine how much progress you’ve made in a certain field of study and how much more time you’ll need to dedicate to that study in order to stay on the right path for college. Those are a lot of benefits for just an hour of testing.

(Different colleges and universities have different requirements regarding the SAT subject tests, so it’s best to look at your favorite schools’ websites in order to determine which tests you may need to take. Further information regarding the subject tests can be found on the College Board website at http://sat.collegeboard.org/about-tests/sat-subject-tests. Good luck!)

--Matt Schofield