What are the SAT Subject Tests (formerly SAT II) and how should SAT Subject Test scores be understood?
The SAT Subject Tests (formerly College Board Achievement Tests and SAT II) are one hour tests in a variety of disciplines. As many as three Subject Tests may be taken on a given SAT date. It is not possible to take the SAT Reasoning Test and SAT Subject Tests on the same date. SAT Subject Tests are often required by colleges and are used in their admission process. They are also used for course placement and credit. The scores are reported on the same 200-800 scale as the SAT Reasoning Test. Since the pool of test-takers for the SAT Subject Tests is smaller than that for the SAT Reasoning Test, the percentile results may look surprisingly low in many cases. It is important for student and parent to regard the scaled (200-800) score as the significant number and not the percentile.
