NO-STRESS

Guide to the SAT Subject Tests

 01

What Are SAT Subject Tests?

The SAT Subject Tests are 1-hour exams designed to measure specific
knowledge in particular academic areas like biology or world history.

Although the SAT may get most of the glory, at many schools the SAT
Subject Tests are just as important when it comes to college admissions.
This is particularly true at highly selective schools and programs,
including schools in the University of California system.*

With that said, the popularity of SAT Subject Tests

still pales in comparison to that of the SAT and
ACT. Only about 292,000 students who apply
to college take the SAT Subject Tests each year,
while over 1.5 million students take the SAT
and 1.4 million take the ACT. Some of the more
popular Subject Tests include Math Level 2, U.S.
History, Literature, and Math Level 1.

* Beginning with the freshman class entering in the fall of 2012, the UC schools will no longer require students to take SAT Subject Tests.
02
ABOUT...
How Do SAT Subject Tests
Differ from the SAT?
So, what really are the differences between the two tests?

The content of the tests is not the same.

There are 20 different Subject Tests from which you may choose. The key word
here is choose. So, if you have a particular strength in Latin, then this is the time
to shine. The SAT, on the other hand, gives you no such choice. The SAT is
comprised of Math, Critical Reading, and Writing—you’re stuck with all of them.

Test length: the SAT Subject Tests are much shorter!

The SAT is an exhausting 3 hours and 45 minutes long. Each Subject Test lasts only
1 hour, so it tends to be a bit more manageable. BUT, you can take up to three
different SAT Subject Tests at one time; so, if you decide to take three in one day,
well, then you’ll be there for 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 of a raw point, and unanswered questions don’t affect your score. This “raw”
score is then converted into a scaled score from 200–800, the same scale that is used
for the SAT sections. Average scores vary greatly by subject. The mean score on the
SAT is around 500, whereas the average scores on the SAT Subject Tests range from
about 580 (Literature) to about 763 (Chinese).

The most important difference?

The SAT or ACT is required by nearly every college while SAT Subject Tests are
not. In general, only highly selective colleges and universities require or recommend
that you take Subject Tests for admission.
 03

SAT Subject Tests and

College Admissions
Which schools require or recommend the SAT Subject Tests for admission?
Usually highly selective institutions such as the schools of the Ivy League, as well
as Duke, Amherst, MIT, and UC Berkeley*, among many others. Most ask that
you take anywhere from two to three Subject Tests.

Many other schools recommend that you take Subject Tests, but don’t make it
a requirement for admission. Translation: take some! If you’re going up against
applicants who have submitted Subject Test scores, your application will look
better if you have them.

In other cases, particular departments of colleges may require Subject Tests. For
example, it’s not uncommon for an engineering department to ask that you take a
Math Level Subject Test even if it’s not listed in the application requirements.

Since the tests are given in specific academic areas, some colleges use them to
decide whether an applicant can earn exemption from certain required courses.
For example, a great score may excuse you from a school’s foreign language
requirement (which can make for 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.
04

Which Subject Tests

Do Colleges Prefer?
Some colleges have specific requirements while others do not. Do a little
investigative work before you start taking tests. Once you find out what
the required tests are, if any, part of your decision making is done.

If you are planning to major in a scientific field

in college, then it may be a good idea to take
a science-related Subject Test to show your
expertise in that subject matter. On the other
hand, an engineering-focused school like
MIT will care most about how you do
on the Math Level 2 Subject Test.
THE TEST 05

Math Subject Tests

What Tests Are There? Notes
Math Level 1 • Sometimes when schools
Math Level 2 have particular Subject Test
Content Tested requirements, they ask you to take
Math Level 1 one of the Math tests.
Algebra • Both tests require you to have a
Simple Algebraic Functions scientific calculator.
Plane Geometry
Solid Geometry • While both Math tests are
Coordinate Geometry challenging, Level 2 is more
Basic Trigonometry difficult than is Level 1. Taking the
Elementary Statistics Math Level 2 test is appropriate
Miscellaneous Topics for those who have had a year of
trigonometry or precalculus and
Math Level 2 have done well in that class. It’s
Algebra worth noting that while Math
Algebraic Functions & Graphs Level 2 is more difficult, the
Solid Geometry test is scored on a comparatively
Coordinate Geometry generous curve.
Trigonometry
Statistics
Basic Number Theory
Miscellaneous Topics
06

Science Subject Tests

What Tests Are There? Content Tested
Biology E/M Biology E/M
Chemistry Molecular Biology
Physics Evolution and Diversity
Notes Organismal Biology
• Everyone who takes the Biology E/M Ecology
Subject Test must choose between Chemistry
two specialties, Ecology or Molecular Cellular and Basic Chemistry
Biology. Of the 100 questions (Mass, Volume, Density, etc.)
presented on the Biology test, you Classical Genetics
answer 60 core questions common to Elements, Atoms, and Ions
both versions and 20 questions from Chemical Reactions and Stoichiometry
your chosen specialty group. Electron Configurations and Radioactivity
• The Chemistry Subject Test is divided The Periodic Table and Bonding
into three sections, each of which Solids, Liquids, and Gases
contains different question types. Solutions
Kinetics and Equilibrium
Acids and Bases
Redox and Electrochemistry
Organic Chemistry
Laboratory
Physics
Mechanics
Thermal Physics
Electricity and Magnetism
Waves
Modern Physics
THE TEST 07

History Subject Tests

What Tests Are There?
U.S. History
World History
Content Tested
U.S. History
American Colonization and earlier
American Revolution to the Civil War
Post-Civil War (1865–present)
Modern (1750–present)
World History
Ancient Civilization
Middle Ages (750–1450)
Enlightenment/Renaissance (1450–1750)
Cross-chronological
Notes
• While many of the other Subject Tests arrange their questions in order of
difficulty, the U.S. History Subject Test does not. Instead, questions on this test
are arranged in sets according to a particular time period. Within each set of
questions, which vary in number, there is a rough order of difficulty, 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.
08

Language Subject Tests

What Tests Are There? Content Tested
Chinese with Listening Non-Listening Language
French Subject Tests
French with Listening Vocabulary and Structure
German Paragraph Completion
German with Listening Reading Comprehension
Modern Hebrew Listening Language
Italian Subject Tests
Japanese with Listening Listening Section
Korean with Listening Reading Section
Latin • Pictures
Spanish • Vocabulary and Structure
Spanish with Listening • Rejoinders
• Paragraph Completion
• Selections
• Reading Comprehension

Notes
• The 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.
 09

English Subject Test

What Test Is There?
Literature
Content Tested
Meaning, including Theme, Argument, and specific Connotations of Words
Form, including Genre, Structure, and Organization
Tone, including Diction, Syntax, and Emphasis
Figurative Language, including Imagery
Narrative Voice
Characterization
Notes
• The Literature test is made up of six to eight passages, most of which are
from either English or American works.
• Each passage will be followed by 5 to 10 questions.
10
ADVICE
When Should You Take
Your SAT Subject Tests?
It’s best to take Subject Tests as close as possible to the corresponding
course work you may be doing. For example, if you plan to take the
Chemistry Subject Test and you are currently taking chemistry in high
school, then don’t postpone the test until next year, because you may
forget much of what you have learned.

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

then you’ve covered the great majority of the material tested on the
Subject Test. So, if you take an AP Exam in May, then you may want
to take the corresponding Subject Test in June.

One other thing worth mentioning is that sometimes students

think they need to wait until their junior year to take
Subject Tests. Well, that’s definitely not the case.
If you’re taking a biology course in the ninth
grade, or world history in the tenth grade,
then take the Subject Test at the end of that
year. (Of course, if you’re planning to take
AP Biology, then you may want to wait.)
For other subjects that you’ll be taking,
such as math and foreign languages, you
should probably wait until you’ve had
about three years of the subject.
 11

How You Can Prepare

Competition for admission to top colleges is tougher than ever, so how you prepare can
make a big difference to your chances of being accepted. The Princeton Review spends
literally millions of 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.

The Princeton Review offers multiple options to prepare for the SAT Subject Tests.

Classroom Courses
All of our Subject Test 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-specific manual
• 2 full-length, subject-specific practice tests
• Excellent teachers who are experts in the subject they teach

We offer classroom courses for the following SAT Subject Tests:*

• Math Level 1
• Math Level 2
• Biology (E/M)
• Physics
• Chemistry
• U.S. History

Tutoring Programs
Our Private Tutoring and Small Group Tutoring programs offer a distinctive,
tailored approach to preparing for any of the SAT Subject Tests.

Not just anyone can be a Princeton Review tutor. We handpick our tutors from our
most gifted classroom teachers. Sure, our tutors all have high test scores and have
mastered the material, but, just as importantly, they’ve all demonstrated the highest
level of teaching skills and have received superb evaluations before being promoted
to the tutoring division. We guarantee you’ll 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 of our preparation.

*Available in select locations

NOTES
NOTES
Books
The 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

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

09JUNHS07