SAT
Objective assessments of college readiness
The SAT Program offers two reliable, objective standardized tests to assist students, their families, and educators in assessing students' ability to succeed in college-level studies.
- The SAT is the most widely used and rigorously researched college admissions test in history. Administered seven times a year and taken by more than two million students each year, the SAT is used by virtually every college in the United States to measure the critical thinking skills students need for academic success in college.
- SAT Subject Tests™ provide a reliable, objective assessment of students' readiness for college-level work. Each year, nearly 500,000 students take SAT Subject Tests to demonstrate their mastery of particular subject areas. Colleges across the country use the tests as a common and objective scale for evaluating a student's learning. The Subject Tests are offered six times a year.
What the tests measure
The SAT measures critical reading, mathematical reasoning, and writing skills that students have developed over time, both in and out of school, and that they need to be successful in college. SAT scores are intended to supplement your students' secondary school record and help them demonstrate their college readiness.
The SAT Subject Tests measure students' knowledge and skills in five major subject areas, and their ability to apply that knowledge independent of any particular textbook or method of instruction. The content of each test is not based on any one approach or curriculum, but rather evolves to reflect current trends in high school course work. The SAT Program offers 20 Subject Tests covering English, history, mathematics, science, and foreign languages.
SAT resources
- Click here for research about the SAT's validity and reliability.
- Click here for research about SAT Subject Tests.
- Visit SAT scores and reporting to learn more about how you can use score reports to guide students as they make decisions throughout the college admissions process.