FAQs

SAT & TOEFL

As Singaporean universities will no longer require the SAT, you may direct your FAQs on this web page or approach any of the US college counselors instead. Also try the College Board’s SAT FAQ and Centre for Testing and Assessment

• How do I register and report my SAT scores to colleges?
• When should I take the SAT I or SAT II?
• What is a good SAT I score?
• Should I retake?
• What if I retake it and do worse?
• Can I hide any of my scores?
• Should I take the SAT II?
• Which SAT II subject tests should I take?
• How many SAT II subject tests should I take?
• What’s the format of the new SAT I?
• What new scores are being reported to the universities?
• Should I take the TOEFL?

For registration information, see this website (http://www.relceb.org/newweb/sat/SatTest.htm) If your parents don't mind transmitting credit card details on the net, the easiest way is probably to register online direct through the College Board. (http://www.collegeboard.com/)

When you sign up for the SAT in the first place you will be given the option of reporting your scores to some colleges. If you want to send your scores to more colleges after you get your results, you go through the College Board (http://www.collegeboard.com/) again.

There are sittings in January, May, June, October, November and December, (see http://www.relceb.org/newweb/sat/SatTest.htm). December is the latest sitting that's in time for admissions decisions, but take it earlier if you wish to include the scores with your applications.

If you scored above 700 on each, think about spending the time on your 'A' levels instead. The rest of your application carries much more weight than just the SAT I. 650 upwards is a good score. If you wish to apply for Harvard or Yale, 700 upwards is safer.

The norm in America is to take the SAT I two or three times, and the SAT II subject tests once or twice. Remember that the single most important part of your application is still your examination results.

For official purposes, American colleges only record your best score.

Once you have seen them, no. You can only cancel an SAT sitting immediately after you have sat for it, before you receive the score. Once you send your SAT scores to a college, they will see all the scores you have ever received.

Probably. Many schools require it, so it will be difficult to find six that don't. Check each prospectus carefully.

Note that some schools unofficially waive it, as the 'A' levels cover similar ground.

You should look into taking:

1. Math IIC, because a Math subject test is required by many schools. Math IIC is the hardest level of Math in the SAT II, but it is still easier than A-level Maths.
2. Any other subject(s) that you have studied at 'A' level, e.g. Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Literature, or World History (this last will require extra studying).

While most universities now require 2 SAT II subject tests, since the Writing SAT II has now been submerged into the SAT I. However, some universities still require 3 SAT IIs. Science students applying to such universities are therefore advised to take 3 SAT IIs. To find out which universities are affected, check each admissions website.

Arts students applying to the universites in question are also advised to try to find a 3rd SAT II test to take after Literature and Maths IIC. You may brush up on an 'O' level subject: universities have indicated that they will keep your lack of preparation in mind when looking at your third score. As a last resort you might take Maths IC.

Math: (70min = 25min + 25min + 20min): the College Board is eliminating quantitative comparisons (is A bigger or smaller or equal to B?), and adding more advanced topics. It looks like A-level Mathematics and will be a greater asset than it has been in the past, when O-level Mathematics and A-level probability and statistics were enough to guarantee a pretty good score. It will probably put RI (JC) students at an advantage relative to American students.

Writing: (60min = 35min MCQ + 25min essay): this is a completely new section of the SAT I, but you should be able to prepare very well beforehand using books about the old SAT II Writing test. The questions look extremely similar. Note that the favored essay style is more hard-hitting and literary/historical than the considered, current affairs tone of the Singaporean General Paper essay.

Critical Reading : (70min = 25min + 20min + 20min): this is a slightly mutated version of the old SAT I Verbal section. They are eliminating analogies, which are questions on vocabulary rather than writing skills. They are keeping the sentence-completion questions, which test your ability to read for nuance and logic. They are also keeping their multiple-choice comprehension questions on medium-length passages (500-800 words), and introducing more such comprehension questions on short passages (about 100 words).

The new SAT I will officially report three 200-800 scores: math, critical reading, and writing. Within the writing section, two subscores are also reported: multiple-choice (20-80) and the essay (2-12). Universities also have the option of downloading the essay that you wrote during the SAT, and many of them have indicated that they will indeed be using this as an additional sample of your writing ability.

Officially, yes. Unofficially, many will excuse you, and you are in a better position if you scored above 600 for the SAT I Verbal. Negotiate this directly with the colleges of your choice. Use the explanatory note found in FORMS (hyperlink to “forms”) as a starting point for your explanation.

Canadian universities will automatically waive it if (1) you're Singaporean and (2) you've been in English-medium schools for 12 years.

Remember that the TOEFL won't hurt, and some schools (e.g. Williams) prefer to have it even for high SAT verbal scorers.