SAT Subject Tests (SAT II)

There is another aspect of the SATs that I have not talked about yet and that is the SAT Subject Tests (SAT II).

The subject tests are, as their name implies, a test of your aptitude in a specific area of study. The general areas are English (literature), History (U.S. and European), Mathematics (Level 1 and 2), Science (Biology, Chemistry, and Physics), and Languages (Chinese, French, German, Spanish, Modern Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, and Korean). For more description on each of these areas check here.

The format of the subject tests is a one hour multiple choice exam. Some of the tests have some other supplemental areas to them, such as listening sections for some of the language areas. You can sign up for a maximum 3 tests for one date, although if you can avoid it I would not suggest taking all three in one sitting.

Not all colleges require subject tests – in fact, many don’t. They are generally used as a supplement for the SAT so that colleges can get a better picture of all your abilities as a student. Some colleges will specify that you have to take specific subject tests while others will simply tell you to take at least one or two. You can also use them as a way to boost your academic credentials, especially if you did not do too well on one area of the SAT.

The tests that you decide to take should depend on two things: which ones your colleges require (if any) and which areas you feel you are most qualified in. For areas such as science or history the best time to take the subject tests is as soon after completing the course as possible. This is particularly true if you are taking an A.P. course in any of the aforementioned subject areas. Meaning, for example, if you are a junior who is taking A.P. U.S. history a good time to try and take the subject test on U.S. History would be sometime soon after taking your A.P. exam in May. I found that the SAT subject tests for the courses that I had completed as an A.P. student were much easier than the A.P. exam itself, so preparation for the A.P. exam is very good preparation for the SAT subject tests.

If you don’t have to take the subject tests, though, I would suggest against taking them unless you feel you can do particularly well in any of the subjects. If, for example, you are fluent in Chinese then by all means take the Chinese subject test because this will provide another dimension in your academic resume. However, if you are a 3^rd year Spanish student who is getting by so-so in Spanish and who is not applying to any colleges that require SAT subject tests, then why take the test?

In summary, the SAT Subject Tests (SAT II) are just another tool that colleges use to assess you as a student. They’re not nearly as painful as the SAT, but if you can avoid them I would suggest doing so.