A Complete List of SAT Subject Tests

Why is the SAT Test necessary?  

The SAT exam’s objectives are to measure a high school student’s preparation for college and to give universities a single metric through which to evaluate all of the applicants. Most American colleges use the exam, a standardized examination, to decide which students should be admitted to the school. This is the exam you must take if you intend to study in the United States or Canada. 

The SAT Subject tests are conducted to test the ability of the student in a particular subject and how well they know the same. These tests are multiple-choice and are conducted by College Board. As part of the admission process, the students take the subject tests based on their aptitude and individual preferences. Depending on the school, colleges may use the test scores for admission or placement purposes. 

The College Board offers twenty different Subject Tests in five subject areas-mathematics, science, English, history, and foreign languages. 

When can the student take the SAT Subject Test? 

It is wise to take SAT Subject Tests at the end of sophomore year 

For several reasons, it may benefit your child to take one or more SAT Subject Tests at the end of sophomore year. However, two aspects should be considered in this regard. If the student is taking an SAT course that already has SAT subject material, it is advisable to gain expertise in subject topics as well. 

The child’s performance also matters a lot when it comes to take SAT subject tests. Understand your child’s attitude towards a subject and encourage the student to take those SAT subject tests. Evaluate the student’s performance and depending on the career prospects as well, take a well-informed decision. 

Here is a comprehensive list of the SAT Subject Tests where the students can choose from: 

SAT Biology E/M 

The Biology Subject Test assesses your understanding of general biology at the college preparatory level, your recall and comprehension of the major concepts of biology, and your ability to apply the principles learned to solve specific problems in biology. Both Biology Ecological and Biology Molecular are offered. It is indeed a good opportunity for students who aspire to become doctors as a profession. 

• Biology E concentrated on biological populations. There were more discussions about energy flow and nutrient cycles than other subjects.  
• Biology-M concentrated more on biological chemistry, including photosynthesis and cell respiration. Neither test was demonstrably more challenging. 

SAT Chemistry 

The Chemistry Subject Test measures your ability to organize and interpret results obtained by observation and experimentation. It covered atomic structure, molecular structure, and your capacity for understanding the results of laboratory tests. The test needed some algebraic knowledge and graph interpretation abilities.

The test also assesses your aptitude for drawing conclusions and/or making inferences using experimental data, including data presented in graphic and/or tabular form. Chemistry can be a tough nut to crack because of its complex formulae, and equations- which the student needs to work on. Before taking the Chemistry SAT Subject Test, students should have completed one year of introductory chemistry, including lab experience. 

SAT Physics 

The Physics Subject Test measures your ability to solve specific problems with the application of physical principles. The test also assesses your understanding of simple algebraic, trigonometric, and graphical relationships, the concepts of ratio and proportion, and how to apply these concepts to physics problems. Conceptual knowledge is quite important when it comes to Physics which can help the students score better. 

There were 75 multiple-choice questions on the Physics Subject Test covering important physics ideas like thermodynamics, electricity and magnetism, kinematics, and gravity. Before taking the Physics SAT Subject Test, it is advised that you take a one-year college-prep-level physics course as well as courses in trigonometry and algebra. 

SAT U.S. History 

The United States History Subject Test assesses your familiarity with historical concepts, cause-and-effect relationships, geography, and other data necessary for interpreting and understanding major historical developments in U.S. History. History in general is a vast subject, the students find it overwhelming to remember the dates and important timelines that happened.

It placed a strong emphasis on both critical thinking and the political and social history of these periods. Students should concentrate on studying the information from college-level history courses to get ready. With proper guidance and help, the students can excel with flying colors in US History subjects. Extracurricular reading about significant dates in American history strengthens any deficits.

SAT World History 

The World History Subject Test assesses your understanding of key developments in global history, your use of basic historical techniques and terminology, and your aptitude for the critical analysis and interpretation of documented events. 

 A quarter of the information was divided among each era. You were required to analyze original sources, such an old text, for a handful of the test questions. Around 7 of the 95 test questions were typically comprised of these interpretation questions. 

SAT Literature 

The Literature Subject Test Tests aim to see how well you can read and interpret literature. Questions focus on issues of theme, argument, tone, etc. This demands the student to have strong knowledge of the Literary authors and read of great works of legendary English writers.

A total of 60 multiple-choice questions, which might be divided into six to eight passage sections, made up the exam. Questions about the excerpt’s grammar, historical significance, or meaning were the emphasis of each part.   

SAT Math Level 1 

Tests: Algebra, geometry, basic trigonometry, Algebraic functions, elementary statistics, logic, elementary number theory, and arithmetic and geometric sequences. Mathematics demands the student to be quite strong in fundamentals and get into advanced concepts.  

SAT Math Level 2 

Tests: Algebra, three-dimensional and coordinate geometry, Trigonometry, Functions, probability, permutations, combinations, logic, proofs, elementary number theory, sequences, and limits. 

It was simple to decide between these tests. You were qualified for Math Level 2 if you have taken precalculus, trigonometry, or both with a grade of B or above. It was recommended that you enroll in Math Level 1 if you were uncomfortable with precalculus or trigonometry. 

Foreign Languages 

Tests a student’s reading ability in a specific language. Languages available for testing include SAT French, German, Spanish, Hebrew, Italian, Latin, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. The students need to focus on learning the foreign language with passion and interest to get the right marks on SATsubject tests. 

 The assessments were set up similarly, with questions covering vocabulary, grammar, and reading comprehension accounting for about a third of the 60 total questions. 

Foreign Languages with Listening 

There are two ways to take some tests in the foreign languages department: listening and without listening. “Language with Listening” tests examine reading and listening skills. Languages available for testing include SAT French, German, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean with listening.

The decision to take the listening or non-listening variant was up to the student. Italian, Latin, and Modern Hebrew didn’t include any listening at all, but the Chinese, Japanese, and Korean Subject Tests all required it. Depending on your education, you would select a language. 

Which SAT Subject Tests Should You Take? 

To pick which Subject Examinations to take, consider several criteria, including what types of tests universities prefer and which disciplines you excel at. There are two things to consider: 

1. Which subjects do you know the most about? 

SAT Subject Tests assess your knowledge of a subject rather than your reasoning abilities. As a result, they are closely related to your high school classes and the finals or AP examinations you take to demonstrate your material and abstract skills. 

 Because people frequently devote more time to learning about items that pique their interest, the SAT Subject Tests essentially tell a story about you—what you’re interested in and have spent time learning about. 

2. What do the colleges to which you’re applying want? 

You must understand the testing requirements of the colleges to which you are applying. How many Subject Tests do your schools expect you to take? Is there a technology school that will scrutinize your math and science knowledge? Is it a liberal arts college that wants you to demonstrate a range of abilities by taking literature and math tests? 

Find more about the college you want to apply to. 

The Final Word: 

There are a lot of attractive options to choose SAT subjects varying from sciences to arts. The student needs to decide based on self-interest, and career prospects, and aim at the top colleges that offer the best education in these domains. Seeking good teacher experts who have good experience in the field can be greatly helpful. It is always better to enroll in a subject-based online course to get a better idea about the curriculum, coursework, the topics covered, and also free access to test papers and practice papers for better efficiency.