UPDATE: As of June 2021, the SAT Subject Tests are no longer administered. For more on the cancellation of all Subject Tests, see our post here.
While most students have heard a lot about the SAT and the ACT (probably since the day you set foot in high school), many students aren’t aware of Subject Tests. Unlike the SAT, the SAT Subject Tests are not changing. That means studying and preparation remain just as effective and predictable—in short, great news for students!
Let’s start with the basics.
What are the Subject Tests?
Subject Tests (officially called SAT Subject Tests but sometimes called SAT II’s by adults) are a set of standardized tests you can take for college admissions. They test material from a specific course in high school.
Below is a list of the available Subject Tests:
- Literature
- U.S. History
- World History
- Math 1
- Math 2
- Biology E/M
- Chemistry
- Physics
- French
- French with Listening
- Spanish
- Spanish with Listening
- Modern Hebrew
- Italian
- Latin
- German with Listening
- Chinese with Listening
- Japanese with Listening
- Korean with Listening
What's on the Subject Tests?
Every Subject Test is different because they are geared towards the specific content of a given subject area. So the Biology Subject Test contains questions about mitosis and photosynthesis, but the Literature Subject Test asks you to read and analyze poetry or plays. Over the next few weeks we will post a series of articles on each exam’s content and format.
But all Subject Tests have a few things in common:
- They are all multiple-choice exams.
- They are all an hour long.
- They all include a guessing penalty that deducts .25 points for every question you answer incorrectly.
- They are all heavily based on content rather than test strategy. Unlike the SAT and ACT exams, which in part test critical thinking skills and your ability to use tricks on the test, the Subject Tests are almost entirely about how much you know in the subject area. You will need to learn a few test tricks, like how to avoid the guessing penalty and pacing yourself for the hour, but most of your prep should focus on learning or reviewing the content.
Which Subject Tests should I take?
Deciding which Subject Test you take is up to you. For more information on which students might benefit from a Subject Test, see our previous post.
If you’ve definitely decided to take Subject Tests there are a few things to keep in mind to choose the right ones:
- Choose the Subject Test that corresponds to a course you did well in. You’ll have the best shot at getting a good score if you are confident and know the material.
- Choose the Subject Test your teacher recommends. Always ask your teacher at school if the content you cover in class will get you ready for the Subject Test. Every school and every teacher is different; some do a better job than others in getting students ready for the Subject Test. Your teacher will know best if you are ready.
- Choose the Subject Test that corresponds to an AP or IB course you took. In many cases there is a lot of overlap between the AP and the Subject Tests (they are written by the same company!). Often that means taking the AP preps you for the Subject Test. The same is true for a few of the IB courses. Though IB students will face more content and strategy gaps, in some cases an IB course can be a great start to the Subject Test.
- Choose the Subject Test(s) required by your college. Some colleges and majors require scores from specific Subject Tests. Be sure to check the admissions requirements at the colleges you plan to apply to.
When should I take the Subject Tests?
Because the Subject Tests are written and managed by the College Board, the company that handles the SAT, the Subject Tests are given at the same time as the SAT: a Saturday morning in October, November, December, January, May, and June. You get to pick which month works best for you.
Be careful! Some of the less popular Subject Tests aren’t given every month. For example, the foreign language Subject Tests with Listening are only given in November, and the World History Subject Test only happens in December and June. Check out the College Board’s site here for a complete and up-to-date list.
For most students the optimal time to take a Subject Test is at the end of the year you take the corresponding course. For example, if you took world history as a sophomore, it’s a good idea to take the World History Subject Test in June of sophomore year. You are already studying for your finals, so the material will be fresh.
This advice does mean that you might actually take a Subject Test earlier in high school than you take your SATs or ACTs. That’s ok! There’s no rule about who can take the exam when, and you can take it as many times as you want. So if that sophomore student ends up later taking AP World History as a junior and wants to try the test again after the AP course, she can go for it a second time!
How do I register for the Subject Tests?
Register for the Subject Tests the same place you register for the SAT. Go to www.collegeboard.org, log into your SAT account, and get started! You can register for up to three Subject Tests in any month.
