SAT Key Facts / Manhattan Review

The SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test) is one of the two standardized tests (along with the ACT) for college admissions in the United States. It measures students’ preparedness for colleges and universities by testing the critical thinking skills that are essential for success after high school. The test is owned, developed and published by the College Board. It is administered and scored by Educational Training Systems. A testing session lasts approximately 4 hours and costs $45 ($71 when taken abroad).

The role an applicant’s SAT score plays in his or her candidacy to a college or university varies between institutions. While it is the preferred standardized test of most colleges on the East and West coasts, the ACT is more widely accepted in the Midwest and South. Some colleges require neither, opting to evaluate candidacy solely on the basis of high school coursework, GPA, extracurricular experiences, writing samples and recommendations. Because of variance across high schools resulting from differences in curriculum, grading and rigor, standardized tests like the SAT and ACT provide admissions boards with a comparable element for the applicant pool.

• The SAT is a 3 hour and 45 minute test and can ben taken at any one of many test centers in the United States and around the world 6 or 7 times a year.
• The SAT can be taken as many times as a student wishes to take it.
• If you have taken the SAT multiple times, then up to six of your previous scores on the SAT and up to six of your previous scores on the SAT Subject Tests will appear on the report.
• The national average of ACT scores is about 21 (composite) and 7.7 (writing).

Score Distribution