SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips

What's a good Subject Test score? This might sound like a straightforward question, but it's actually a little more complicated. What makes a good score varies by SAT Subject Test as the number of test takers differs from test to test. For instance, in 2017 more than 140,000 students took the Math Level II Test, more than 48,000 students took the Literature Test, and only 453 took the Modern Hebrew Test.

As you'll see below, most good scores for SAT Subject Tests are in the 700s, but there are other factors to consider as you set your target scores. Let's take a look at the average scores and percentiles so you can know what a good score is for each individual SAT Subject Test.

A 750 on an SAT Subject Test sounds like an amazing score, right? Not necessarily! Interpreting scores on the Subject Tests is more complex than it is on the general SAT. For example, an excellent score on the Literature Subject Test might look very different from an excellent score on the Korean with Listening Test.

Let's take a look at the average scores for each SAT Subject Test, and go over what they mean as you choose which tests to take.

Does applying to college make you feel like you're trying to walk through a door but don't yet have the keys? To gain access, first you need to understand exactly what the colleges you're interested in require. This can be tricky with the SAT Subject Tests, as different colleges have different policies.

We've compiled a comprehensive list of all the colleges that require SAT Subject Tests, along with others that recommend or consider them as part of your application. As policies are continually changing, always double-check with the school about their standardized testing requirements. Let us know in the comments if we need to make any updates!

The SAT Subject Test in Literature, formerly known as the SAT II Literature Exam, is one of the most popular Subject Tests. This might be because you don't necessarily need specialized knowledge, such as foreign language fluency, to do well on it. However, it also has a reputation for being a fairly difficult test.

Luckily, I—800-scoring sorceress of the SAT Literature Subject Test—am here to take you through all the particulars of the exam. We'll go through whether the exam is right for you, its format and content, its question styles, study hacks, practice resources, and test-day tips. Let's get the magic started!

Here is a quick guide for those who'd prefer to skip around:

Are your sights set on the Ivy League or other top universities? As you're well aware, these schools are the most selective in the country. Because of this, you want to carefully craft every aspect of your application so it's as strong as it can possibly be.

Let's look at one important part of your application: your SAT Subject Test scores. In this article, we'll go over the Subject Test requirements and expectations of top schools, and offer some advice on how to balance these tests with everything else you've got going on in your busy life.

Applying to highly selective schools often means submitting SAT Subject Test scores along with your regular SAT or ACT scores. Si español es pan comido para usted, then taking the SAT Spanish Subject Test is a great way to fulfill part of the subject test requirement.

Read this guide to learn more about what’s on the SAT Spanish Subject Test and whether or not you should take it. We’ll go over format, test content, where to find good practice material, and tips to help you when studying and taking the test.

Picture this: you sit down to take an SAT Subject Test. You answer somewhere from 50 to 95 questions in an hour. A few weeks later, you log on to your College Board account and see a score for your test on a scale of 200-800. Somehow, the results from your multiple-choice test got turned into this final scaled score. But how did this happen? How are SAT Subject Tests scored?

In this article, I’ll discuss how your raw score for the exam is calculated, how this is converted into your final score, and what SAT Subject Test scoring means for you in terms of setting—and meeting—a target score.

You might have heard of something called the SAT II (or SAT 2) and wondered what it could be. A secret, harder version of the SAT, perhaps? The reality is less dramatic: the SAT II is just an old name for the SAT Subject Tests.

This guide will explain the current form of the SAT II, outline the differences between the SAT 1 vs SAT 2, and help you determine which of the tests you should take.

The SAT Subject Tests are a chance for you to show where you have specialized knowledge. With these tests, you can indicate to colleges which subjects interest you and which you've taken the time to get to know well.

With that being said, how can you decide which SAT Subject Test to take? First, let's take a look at all the SAT Subject Tests from which you can choose.

If you're considering taking SAT Subject Tests and math is a strong subject for you, you’ll need to decide which SAT Subject Test in math to take. There are two Math SAT Subject Tests: Math 1 and Math 2 (also written as Math Level 1 and Math Level 2, or Math I and Math II).

Math 2 is meant for students with more high school math coursework and covers a broader range of topics than Math 1 does. Other than that, the two tests are pretty similar: both have 50 multiple-choice questions and a 60-minute time limit.

In this article, I’ll go over what’s covered in Math 1, what’s covered in Math 2, their similarities and differences, whether Math 1 is easier than Math 2, and how to choose which Subject Test to take.

There are lots of SAT Subject Tests to choose from—in fact, there are 21 options that cover 13 different subjects and languages. It can be overwhelming!

To keep things simple, you want to take the Subject Tests that will strengthen your college applications with excellent scores. So, which Subject Tests are easier than others?

While there isn't a cut and dry answer to this question,  we can approach an answer from a few different angles. First, let's take a look at how students score on average on each Subject Test.

¿Estudias español? ¿Hablas español en casa? Are you wondering if you should take the SAT Subject Test in Spanish?

Let's review what it covers and how students usually score so you can decide if the SAT Subject Test in Spanish is right for you. First, you have to know what's on the test.

The SAT subject tests are all one hour in length and are all multiple choice. However, they differ in features, format, and the time pressure you will feel depending on where your academic strengths and weaknesses lie.

Let's discuss the differences among the subject tests and how you can beat the time pressure. First, let's consider the unique features of the test.

Are you taking an SAT Subject Test soon and want to know how to be well prepared on exam day? You've come to the right place! In this guide, I explain everything you need to know about how to study for SAT Subject Tests, including which exam(s) you should take, the five most important steps for preparing for a Subject Test, and additional tips to help you maximize your score.

The SAT was redesigned in 2016—a huge revamp that has been linked to the Common Core and attempts to re-secure market share lost to the ACT. This may leave you wondering: what about SAT Subject Tests? Are they changing? Will there be new SAT Subject Tests modeled after the main SAT redesign?

In a word, no. At least, not now.

So what does this mean? Well, for starters, it means that SAT Subject Tests will now be even more different from the regular SAT than they were before the SAT redesign. 

In this article, I’ll go over the implications of the “mismatch” between the redesigned SAT and the SAT Subject Tests. How are the formats different, and how should you approach these differences? I’ll also go over how the SAT redesign has changed how Subject Test content overlaps (or doesn’t) with the regular SAT. Finally, I will engage in some wild speculation (okay, fine, evidence-based speculation) about where the SAT Subject Tests may be going in the future.