8/7/2019 4ae5c07be030d

1/16

N

O-

STRES

S

G

uidetoth

eSATSub

jectTests

8/7/2019 4ae5c07be030d

2/16

Te SA Subject ests are 1-hour exams designed to measure specic

knowledge in particular academic areas like biology or world history.

Although the SA may get most o the glory, at many schools the SA

Subject ests are just as important when it comes to college admissions.

Tis is particularly true at highly selective schools and programs,

including schools in the University o Caliornia system.*

With that said, the popularity o SA Subject ests

still pales in comparison to that o the SA and

AC. Only about 292,000 students who apply

to college take the SA Subject ests each year,

while over 1.5 million students take the SA

and 1.4 million take the AC. Some o the more

popular Subject ests include Math Level 2, U.S.

History, Literature, and Math Level 1.

What Are SAT Subject Tests?

* Beginning with the freshman class entering in the fall of 2012, the UC schools will no longer require students to take SAT Subject Tests.

01

8/7/2019 4ae5c07be030d

3/16

How Do SAT Subject TestsDiffer from the SAT?

ABOUT...

So, what really are the diferences between the two tests?

The content of the tests is not the same.

Tere are 20 dierent Subject ests rom which you may choose. Te key word

here is choose. So, i you have a particular strength in Latin, then this is the time

to shine. Te SA, on the other hand, gives you no such choice. Te SA is

comprised o Math, Critical Reading, and Writingyoure stuck with all o them.

Test length: the SAT Subject Tests are much shorter!

Te SA is an exhausting 3 hours and 45 minutes long. Each Subject estlasts only

1 hour, so it tends to be a bit more manageable. BU, you can take up to three

diferent SA Subject ests at one time; so, i you decide to take three in one day,

well, then youll be there or a lot longer than an hour.

Scoring on both tests is pretty much the same. Each correct answer earns you one raw point, each incorrect answer costs you one-

quarter o a raw point, and unanswered questions dont afect your score. Tis raw

score is then converted into a scaled score rom 200800, the same scalethat is used

or the SA sections. Average scores vary greatly by subject. he mean score on the

SA is around 500, whereas the average scores on the SA Subject ests range rom

about 580 (Literature) to about 763 (Chinese).

The most important difference?Te SA or AC is required by nearly every college while SA Subject ests are

not. In general, only highly selective colleges and universities require or recommend

that you take Subject ests or admission.

02

8/7/2019 4ae5c07be030d

4/16

SAT Subject Tests andCollege Admissions

Which schools require or recommend the SA Subject ests or admission?

Usually highly selective institutions such as the schools o the Ivy League, as well

as Duke, Amherst, MI, and UC Berkeley*, among many others. Most ask that

you take anywhere rom two to three Subject ests.

Many other schools recommend that you take Subject ests, but dont make it

a requirement or admission. ranslation: take some! I youre going up against

applicants who have submitted Subject est scores, your application will lookbetter i you have them.

In other cases, particular departments o colleges may require Subject ests. For

example, its not uncommon or an engineering department to ask that you take a

Math Level Subject est even i its not listed in the application requirements.

Since the tests are given in specic academic areas, some colleges use them to

decide whether an applicant can earn exemption rom certain required courses.For example, a great score may excuse you rom a schools oreign language

requirement (which can make or a nice start to your college career).

* Beginning with the freshman class entering in the fall of 2012, the UC schools will no longer require students to take SAT Subject Tests.

03

8/7/2019 4ae5c07be030d

5/16

Some colleges have specic requirements while others donot. Do a little

investigative work beore you start taking tests. Once you nd out what

the required tests are, i any, part o your decision making is done.

I you are planning to major in a scientic eld

in college, then it may be a good idea to take

a science-related Subject est to show your

expertise in that subject matter. On the otherhand, an engineering-ocused school like

MI will care most about how you do

on the Math Level 2 Subject est.

Which Subject TestsDo Colleges Prefer?

04

8/7/2019 4ae5c07be030d

6/16

What Tests Are There?

Math Level 1Math Level 2

Content Tested

Math Level 1

Algebra

Simple Algebraic Functions

Plane Geometry

Solid GeometryCoordinate Geometry

Basic rigonometry

Elementary Statistics

Miscellaneous opics

Math Level 2

Algebra

Algebraic Functions & GraphsSolid Geometry

Coordinate Geometry

rigonometry

Statistics

Basic Number Teory

Miscellaneous opics

Notes

Sometimes when schoolshave particular Subject est

requirements, they ask you to take

one o the Math tests.

Both tests require you to have a

scientic calculator.

While both Math tests are

challenging, Level 2 is more

difcult than is Level 1. aking the

Math Level 2 test is appropriate

or those who have had a year o

trigonometry or precalculus and

have done well in that class. Its

worth noting that while Math

Level 2 is more difcult, thetest is scored on a comparatively

generous curve.

Math Subject TestsTHE TEST 05

8/7/2019 4ae5c07be030d

7/16

What Tests Are There?

Biology E/MChemistry

Physics

Notes

Everyone who takes the Biology E/M

Subject est must choose between

two specialties, Ecology or Molecular

Biology. O the 100 questionspresented on the Biology test, you

answer 60 core questions common to

both versions and 20 questions rom

your chosen specialty group.

Te Chemistry Subject est is divided

into three sections, each o which

contains dierent question types.

Content Tested

Biology E/MMolecular Biology

Evolution and Diversity

Organismal Biology

Ecology

Chemistry

Cellular and Basic Chemistry

(Mass, Volume, Density, etc.)Classical Genetics

Elements, Atoms, and Ions

Chemical Reactions and Stoichiometry

Electron Congurations and Radioactivity

Te Periodic able and Bonding

Solids, Liquids, and Gases

Solutions

Kinetics and EquilibriumAcids and Bases

Redox and Electrochemistry

Organic Chemistry

Laboratory

Physics

Mechanics

Termal PhysicsElectricity and Magnetism

Waves

Modern Physics

Science Subject Tests

06

8/7/2019 4ae5c07be030d

8/16

History Subject TestsTHE TEST

What Tests Are There?

U.S. HistoryWorld History

Content Tested

U.S. History

American Colonization and earlier

American Revolution to the Civil War

Post-Civil War (1865present)

Modern (1750present)World History

Ancient Civilization

Middle Ages (7501450)

Enlightenment/Renaissance (14501750)

Cross-chronological

Notes

While many of the other Subject Tests arrange their questions in order ofdifculty, the U.S. History Subject est does not. Instead, questions on this test

are arranged in sets according to a particular time period. Within each set o

questions, which vary in number, there is a rough order o difculty, with the

last question in a set being the hardest.

50%60% of the questions on the World History Subject Test concentrate on

Western Civilization.

07

8/7/2019 4ae5c07be030d

9/16

Language Subject Tests

What Tests Are There?

Chinese with ListeningFrench

French with Listening

German

German with Listening

Modern Hebrew

Italian

Japanese with Listening

Korean with Listening

Latin

Spanish

Spanish with Listening

Content Tested

Non-Listening LanguageSubject Tests

Vocabulary and Structure

Paragraph Completion

Reading Comprehension

Listening Language

Subject Tests

Listening SectionReading Section

Pictures

Vocabulary and Structure

Rejoinders

Paragraph Completion

Selections

Reading Comprehension

Notes

e Listening tests are given only once per year in November and at limited test

centers. You must bring your own CD player to the test location because one

will not be provided.

Many colleges use your scores from these Subject Tests to place you in the

appropriate-level language class.

08

8/7/2019 4ae5c07be030d

10/16

What Test Is There?

Literature

Content Tested

Meaning, including Teme, Argument, and specic Connotations o Words

Form, including Genre, Structure, and Organization

one, including Diction, Syntax, and Emphasis

Figurative Language, including Imagery

Narrative Voice

CharacterizationNotes

e Literature test is made up of six to eight passages, most of which are

rom either English or American works.

Each passage will be followed by 5 to 10 questions.

English Subject Test

09

8/7/2019 4ae5c07be030d

11/16

When Should You TakeYour SAT Subject Tests?

ADVICE

Its best to take Subject ests as close as possible to the corresponding

course work you may be doing. For example, i you plan to take the

Chemistry Subject est and you are currently taking chemistry in high

school, then dont postpone the test until next year, because you may

orget much o what you have learned.

Normally, i you have taken an AP course in a particular discipline,

then youve covered the great majority o the material tested on theSubject est. So, i you take an AP Exam in May, then you may want

to take the corresponding Subject est in June.

One other thing worth mentioning is that sometimes students

think they need to wait until their junior year to take

Subject ests. Well, thats denitely not the case.

I youre taking a biology course in the ninth

grade, or world history in the tenth grade,then take the Subject est at the end o that

year. (O course, i youre planning to take

AP Biology, then you may want to wait.)

For other subjects that youll be taking,

such as math and oreign languages, you

should probably wait until youve had

about three years o the subject.

10

8/7/2019 4ae5c07be030d

12/16

How You Can Prepare

11

Competition or admission to top colleges is tougher than ever, so how you prepare can

make a big dierence to your chances o being accepted. Te Princeton Review spends

literally millions o dollars every year studying the various standardized tests. Slight

adjustments and trends are rapidly incorporated into our methodology, giving our

students a unique advantage over those who prepare elsewhere.

Te Princeton Review oers multiple options to prepare or the SA Subject ests.

Classroom Courses

All o our Subject est courses have small class sizes in order to create an intimate

learning environment that is more conducive to mastering the material. Each class includes:

A subject-specic manual 2 full-length, subject-specic practice tests

Excellent teachers who are experts in the subject they teach

We oer classroom courses or the ollowing SA Subject ests:*

Math Level 1

Math Level 2

Biology (E/M)

Physics

Chemistry U.S. History

Tutoring Programs

Our Private utoring and Small Group utoring programs oer a distinctive,

tailored approach to preparing or any o the SA Subject ests.

Not just anyone can be a Princeton Review tutor. We handpick our tutors rom our

most gited classroom teachers. Sure, our tutors all have high test scores and have

mastered the material, but, just as importantly, theyve all demonstrated the highestlevel o teaching skills and have received superb evaluations beore being promoted

to the tutoring division. We guarantee youll be psyched about your tutor and

your score.

Call us at 800-2Review(800-273-8439) or visit PrincetonReview.com to

learn more about all o our preparation.

*Available in select locations

8/7/2019 4ae5c07be030d

13/16

NOTES

8/7/2019 4ae5c07be030d

14/16

NOTES

8/7/2019 4ae5c07be030d

15/16

8/7/2019 4ae5c07be030d

16/16

SAT Subject Tests are the registered trademarks o The College Board. The Princeton Review is not afliated with Princeton University.

09JUNHS07

BooksThe Princeton Review offers a wide array of test preparation

books for the SAT Subject Tests:

Cracking the SAT Math 1 & 2 Subject Tests

Cracking the SAT Biology E/M Subject Test

Cracking the SAT Chemistry Subject Test

Cracking the SAT Physics Subject Test

Cracking the SAT U.S. & World History Subject Tests

Cracking the SAT Spanish Subject Test

Cracking the SAT French Subject Test

Cracking the SAT Literature Subject Test