Top benefits of taking up SAT exams

For Indian students preparing to study abroad, getting a higher SAT score is highly important. A good score on the SAT is necessary to get admission to colleges across the United States of America and many other countries. The standardized test assesses candidates' ability for academic success and tests them in science, social studies, and math.

Consider the following top benefits of taking the SAT exam as an Indian student who wishes to study abroad.

1. Showcases Admission Eligibility to a Foreign University

The test helps foreign universities judge whether a candidate is eligible. Take Harvard University as an example. It has an acceptance rate of 5%, meaning only 5% of students who apply to study at the college get accepted. That is why it demands high SAT scores between 1400 and 1600 from candidates so they have a better chance of getting accepted.

• The California University of Technology wants candidates to have a higher SAT score between 1530 and 1580.
• A high SAT score will increase the chances of being accepted by one of the top universities abroad.

2. Preferred Choice of Subject

There are different sections in a typical SAT for math, critical thinking, and writing. The test can be attempted to reflect what subject the candidate wants to pursue. Ultimately, it can allow them to be accepted to study their preferred subject in their preferred college.

3. A Low GPA Candidate

When one applies to foreign universities, GPA scores are considered. The student may be rejected as a policy if it is too low. But some universities will consider higher SAT scores even when a candidate's GPA scores are not that high.

4. Get the Scholarship Advantage

Getting higher education aboard can be financially a very expensive proposition. The higher living costs and the Visa costs, airfare, and accommodation costs can easily run up to lakhs of rupees every month. Some financial aid in the form of scholarships can help.  Many scholarship programs consider SAT scores when deciding which candidates should get them. Having SAT scores above 1100 will help a candidate target many scholarships to waive some of the costs of studying abroad.

The importance of taking the SAT test for an Indian student with dreams of studying abroad cannot be denied.

Easy Steps to Calculate The SAT Exam Scores

If a candidate has plans to take the SAT, understanding how its scoring system works is a good starting point. The lowest score on SAT is 400, and the highest is 1600. The College Board looks at raw scores from each test section, which is how many answers a student answered correctly in each section. It is 1 point for every correct answer, with nothing deducted for unanswered or wrong answers.

 The College Board then uses a special equating process to convert the raw scores into test scores. Here are

Four Steps to Calculate The SAT Exam Scores

• Find the raw Writing, Reading, and Math scores. This number is the number of questions the student answers correctly in each section. Calculate 1 point for every correct answer.
• Next, determine the Math section score. This can be done by using the conversion table with the practice test. This will be something between 200 and 800.
• Next, find out the Reading and Writing Scores. The idea is to combine the EBRW reading and Writing scores with come conversion table can calculate the Reading and Writing section scores from the raw scores. Now both scores must be added together to get a number between 20 and 80. Lastly, this number will be multiplied by 10 for the EBRW score.
• Finally, to calculate the total SAT score out of 1600, the final section scores have to be added together, which are the Math and EBRW scores. 

How to Analyze SAT Validity and Score Verifications?

Two services are available for candidates to verify their SAT scores: the QAS or the Question-And-Answer Service and the SAS or the Student Answer Service. If any of these services are ordered, the information about it will be available online along with the candidate's SAT score report.

• Question-And-Answer Service: Get a copy of the SAT questions, and a report of the answers may not be in the same order as when the test was given. The candidate will also get to see what the correct answers are. Some information about the difficulty level of the questions will also be provided.

• Student Answer Service: Get a report of how the candidate answered the questions from each section. Information about the difficulty and type of the questions will also be provided. But no access to the actual questions and answers will be given.

Colorado Christian University Honors Scholarship

Colorado Christian University offers multiple scholarships, including this one for international students. A minimum of 1410 in the SAT is needed to qualify.

CGCS Bernard Harris Scholarship Program

Formulated by NASA scientist Bernard Harris, this scholarship program aims to bring more minorities into the college education realm. To qualify, one needs to pursue a career in STEM cells and have got accepted for a full-time degree at a college or university.

Texas A&M University Scholarship

This scholarship program gives students $1000 for the first year of studying abroad. Students need a score of 1360 on their SAT and must maintain a 3.5 GPR.

The Jackie Robinson Foundation

This is a great scholarship program for high school students with the potential to get 30,000 over 4 years of a college education.

Strategies to Consider While Preparing for SAT Exams

Studying for SAT can be a massive undertaking; hence, a candidate needs strategies to ensure they ace it. For an Indian student who wishes to pursue higher education abroad, the following are some strategies for a high SAT score.

SAT Math

Expect to be asked real-world practical math problems. It is mainly to test problem-solving skills. There will be two sub-sections:

• That requires the candidate to not use a calculator
• That the candidate may or may not use a calculator

The Math section will assess candidates on algebra, data analysis and problem-solving, and advanced math topics.

SAT Writing and Language

Expect to be given passages on various topics, including Humanities, Social Sciences, careers, and more. The questions are formulated to assess the candidate's grammatical strengths and stylistic weaknesses. The candidate will also be expected to use their language and wording skills in this part of the test.

SAT Reading

This part will focus on the candidate's reading comprehension, and after reading the passages, they will be asked to answer certain questions. The passages can be anything from world literature, history, and science.

Tips for Overall Preparation for SAT

Use the Process of Elimination

Most students who do well in their SATs use the process of elimination. Most questions are multiple-choice, so when a candidate is confused about the answer to a question, elimination is a clever hack. Trying to think about why the other answers are incorrect could fetch a quick correct answer. Being picky when eliminating thoughts, especially in the Writing and Language sections, is a good idea. The answers given are meant to be confusing, and it is the candidate's job to find the correct answer.

Context and Connotation

The Reading section can be a tough one to handle for some Indian students. For this, look for context and connotation in not just the part of the passage referred to in the question but also the sentences around it.

Read Passage Instructions

Many students miss out on reading the blurbs at the beginning of passages. This can be a mistake because one can guess a few answers correctly from these blurbs.Also, these passage instructions give a candidate a lot of information they may find helpful when they try to answer the question. These give an idea about what they are going to read in the passage and make them ready.

Fill Knowledge Gaps with Math

Prepping for SAT means it's time to fix those knowledge gaps one may have been carrying for years. It is crucial to work on the weaknesses to score high.

Re-Solve Questions

It is okay to make mistakes when prepping for SAT. But it is a great idea to solve the same questions again so that one gets them right. This will ensure that a student truly understands why those mistakes were made in the first place.With the above tips, SAT scores can be improved significantly.