Are there different SAT Exams available for students to take?

College Board, the provider of the SAT, offers different types of SATs for students based on their requirements and college’s entry requirements. Students who wish to take the SAT must differentiate between the two categories of the exam, which are as follows:

The General SAT: The General Scholastic Assessment Test is an exam offered by the College Board that tests the general competencies of a student and awards scores based on the performance in the different sections of the exam. The General SAT examines students on their numeracy and literacy skills, and the ability to assess information in a problem solving and critical manner. The General SAT has two distinct sections - Verbal and Quantitative, which then have different sub-sections.

The Subject-specific SAT: The Subject-specific SAT, as the name suggests, is a subject-specific college admissions exam. These tests are distinct from the General SATs in the sense that the subject-specific tests examine students on their strengths and interests. This test is taken by students to improve their credentials for admission to specific courses at a college or a university in the US or Canada. Every year, 20 SAT Subject Tests are conducted by the College Board in five subject areas. These subject areas are:

• English
• History
• Languages
• Mathematics
• Science

Each Subject-specific SAT is an hour-long examination. Similar to General SATs, there are multiple-choice questions in this exam as well, which are scored on a scale of 200–800. SAT Subject Tests examine students on their knowledge of certain subjects at a high school level (Class XI and XII). Therefore, students taking the SATs must keep in mind about this distinction between the different types of SATs before registering for the exam.