Initially, administered as the college admission test, the SAT was first introduced in 1926. The concept of the SAT test was fully inspired by the Army IQ test in the USA. However, it took almost 7 years for the SAT to gain the popularity among the students and colleges when the President of the Harvard University decided to use the SAT test for measuring students’ intellect and aptitude. Today, the SAT has become one of the important and popular exams among colleges and students. Owing to its increased popularity, the number of test takers are also increasing at a rapid pace. Hence, the competition among the students to secure a seat in good colleges is also getting stiffer.
To help the SAT aspirants, we have taken a survey of students who have already taken the SAT test and tried to find out what they think about the SAT test and its importance for not only the college admissions but also later in life. So, let’s take a look at the results of the SAT Survey here!
Almost 60% of students believed that the SAT test Math Section comprises of questions that are essentially beneficial for their career and college admissions. The SAT Math Section is not like any other exam where you just need to remember the formulas and solve the questions. These questions truly gauge students’ skills and intellectual potential. However, what bothers the SAT takers often is the speed. A lot many students found the Maths Section (no calculator) quite difficult to pace with. It is nearly impossible to finish the complete section, they believed.
Nearly 80% of the students who participated in our survey believed that the Reading Section in the SAT test is among the easiest section of all. Contrary to the Math Section, the Reading Section gives them much time to solve the complete test within the stipulated time. This is one section which helps you increase your overall SAT scores. However, you need to be focused and well prepared for the Reading Section. Besides, a large number of students believed that the Vocabulary in the SAT test is realistic and truly helpful even in the later stages of life.
The Essay section, being optional, doesn’t impact the SAT scores; however, many colleges prefer students with the SAT Essay scores for their applications. Hence, it is quite essential for students to take the SAT Test with Essay. A lot many students believed that taking the SAT Test with Essay will only make a positive impact on their college applications. So, the SAT aspirants shouldn’t make the mistake of leaving the Essay Section.
According to our SAT survey, nearly 70% students are in a favour of the SAT test pattern and acknowledged that the types of questions asked in the SAT exam are similar to what they have been learning in their high schools. They believed that the SAT test assesses their learnings and helped identify their strengths and weaknesses.
Here, we are sharing a couple of interesting inputs that students who took the SAT test shared with us!
“My SAT prep wasn’t the best, I must say. However, I did have some good teachers in junior and senior schools who helped us brush my skills and tried hard to make us prepare for the SAT test. I was a smart student and got good grades in high-school and I didn’t go for Saturday prep classes or after-school tutoring like many other students of my batch. I think I did well in my SATs but if you ask me to take the SAT again, I would surely take the Essay Section more seriously. After clearing the SAT, I went to Baruch College in New York City and studied Business and Finance. One important tip I would like to share with the SAT aspirants is to take the test seriously. If you are stuck somewhere while preparing for the SAT, don’t afraid to ask your teachers and batch mates, do your own research on the internet and prepare well for the exam.” Says Alex.
~ Alex works for the people (especially children) who have developmental disabilities such as Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome etc. in the US. He takes care of the day to day support of these people and finds his job truly amazing and satisfactory. “It gives me a sense of pleasure and satisfaction when they learn to accomplish the tasks they couldn’t before,” says Alex.
“Geez, I remember the Math Section was rather challenging than the others. I took the small prep course and followed the instructions from my teachers. If I get the chance to take the SAT again, I will definitely focus on Math more. I’d like to suggest the SAT aspirants take as many online practice tests as you can. There is a lot of content available online, which is completely free; make the most out of it”, says Venessa.
~ Vanessa wrote the SAT test to get a specific scholarship. She now works in the medical emergency services in Canada.
“I was quite satisfied with my SAT performance as I got the college I wanted for my higher studies. I used two best sellers at the time viz. The Official Study Guide and Barron’s SAT. I found these books to be great resources for SAT preparation. For students who are preparing for the SAT test, I would like to say that study hard, it always pays! Never take the SAT test for granted as it may change your life by allowing you to enter your choice of college.”, says Katie.
~ Katie is a full-time writer in one of the popular online magazines in the USA.
“Reviewing what I have learnt during my classes last year really helped me to a lot to ace the SAT test. I did also take the online practice tests for the SAT test and I think I did pretty well in my SATs. However, there’s one thing I’d do differently if, given the chance to take the SAT again, I’d study more, take online quizzes and spend more time taking the practice test.” Says Olympia.
~ Olympia completed her 10th-grade last year and preparing for her higher studies in the USA.
