The topic of the SAT has been on the down low this year. In fact, I didn’t know SAT testing was going to be held this year at all until my friend in AVID told me about it because they were required to sign up. Although some colleges won’t be requiring SAT scores for 2022 and the test is likely to fade out in the future, the SAT is a test you should still take at least once, and you never know—you could end up getting a high score and it could work in your favor when college admissions come around.
The registration process is simple. The College Board SAT website lists dates in March, May, and June that students can take the test. The multiple-choice test is $52, and the essay is an extra $16 if you choose to take it as well. I chose to take the SAT with the essay because it is essentially the same as an AP English Language rhetorical analysis essay. However, the essay portion will be discontinued after June so it’s not necessary to take it, but it wouldn’t hurt to if you think you can get a good score on it. I also paid an extra $12 to be able to see a score report which tells you the specific questions you got wrong. I think this should be automatically included, but it’s not, so I recommend paying a little extra for this option especially if you’re planning to take the SAT more than once.
I took the SAT on March 13 and I’m currently waiting for my scores which will be slightly delayed because I took the essay. Although every testing center is different, I thought I could share about my experience. Everyone had to wear masks and they assigned you to a classroom with about 15 kids, all spread out. They did not check our bags, but we had to turn in our phones in the beginning of the test. Make sure to bring many No. 2 pencils, and a good eraser. They advise you not to bring your phone, but most people brought it to call their parents afterwards, since we weren’t sure when the test would end.
The test itself is 3 hours, and the essay is another 50 minutes. However, I was there from 7:45 to about 2. The breaks and the time spent giving us instructions add up. But it’ll fly by when you’re taking the test, and I even ran out of time for the reading section. My parents also waited in the parking lot for two hours because we had no idea the process would take 6-7 hours.
My classroom was an icebox! Everyone was wearing hoodies and jackets, and still hunched over shivering. It was 60 degrees outside but felt warm when we went outside for our break. I swear I was numb after the test from how cold it was. Your classroom could end up being really warm, but I’d still wear many, many layers just in case of a cold classroom and you can always take some off if not.
My first SAT experience went really well, and as long as you study and prepare the items on the SAT checklist you should be prepared, too. You can get a good amount of studying in even with only a couple of weeks before the SAT. You just have to pace yourself so you don’t get worn out. If you take practice tests and don’t see improvement, don’t feel discouraged! I learned that the SAT is truly about how long you study for it because the problems aren’t necessarily hard with practice. Good luck, I hope this helped and encouraged you to look into the SAT if you’re a junior because it’s never too late!
Study Resources
| Resource | Description |
|---|---|
| College Panda | A really good review on every math concept in the SAT |
| Ludus on YouTube | Super helpful SAT review videos and he explains every problem very well |
| Khan Academy | Good practice problems, and daily SAT problems as well as full length SAT tests |
| 28 SAT Math Lessons | Does a great job at breaking down SAT Math and claims to improve your score one month |
| SAT Black Book | Excellent all-in-one book that analyses every type of question |
Mesa Journal 