Looking for an industry-leading SAT guide? You’ve come to the right place!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you’re applying to college, you’re likely planning on taking either the SAT or the ACT<\/span><\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Navigating either test can be challenging, especially for students who are unfamiliar with standardized tests! If you’re taking the SAT, you likely have a lot <\/em>of questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What even is the SAT? How is it scored? How do you prepare for the SAT? <\/p>\n\n\n\n We spend a lot of time researching, creating, and publishing high-quality SAT content. Hundreds of people (like you!) consume and download our SAT guides and workbooks. Every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As a result, we\u2019ve become a top resource for the SAT, and we consult with schools and families on a regular basis. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This SAT Guide highlights some of our best research and addresses the most frequently asked questions about taking the SAT. Plus, we give readers access to our free SAT Guidebook, which is even more <\/em>comprehensive. Grab it below now if you’d like!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bonus Material:<\/strong> PrepMaven’s SAT Guidebook<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Click here to download a copy of our digital guide!<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n Here’s what we cover in this SAT guide post:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The SAT is a college entrance exam administered by a company called the College Board<\/span><\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It is a critical component of college admissions, which means that many U.S. colleges and universities require applicants to submit SAT test scores as part of their application.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to the College Board<\/span><\/a>, the SAT is \u201cfocused on the skills and knowledge at the heart of education\u201d and measures what students learn in high school and what they need to succeed in college. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Not all colleges require standardized test scores from applicants–an increasing number are test-optional or test-flexible<\/span><\/a>. But some may still consider SAT scores for other purposes, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n What weight do U.S. colleges place on standardized test scores when reviewing applications?<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is a hard question to answer. Most institutions aren\u2019t that forthcoming when it comes to discussing what they prioritize in making their admission decisions. There is some data available, however, for certain schools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a Common Data Set from 2019-2020<\/span><\/a>, for example, the University of Notre Dame specifies the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Such data sets are not available for all U.S. colleges and universities. However, it is safe to assume that, if required, SAT or ACT scores can range from slightly to very important in informing the college admissions decision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/prepmaven.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/2021-SAT-Guidebook-Cover-791x1024.png\"){kind=spacer}
<\/figure>\n
\n
\n
\n
\n\n\n\n<\/a>SAT Guide Part 1:<\/em><\/span> The SAT in a Nutshell<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n
![\"Your-Complete-SAT-Guide_PrepMaven\"](\"https:\/\/prepmaven.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Your-Complete-SAT-Guide_PrepMaven-1.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
![\"PrepMaven's](\"https:\/\/prepmaven.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/Copy-of-Your-Complete-ACT-Guide_PrepMaven.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n![\"SAT](\"https:\/\/lh5.googleusercontent.com\/tvQcoPxI6YkxL34sCjJ4v_dNlpcptFMQbx9EVOuHZnT9FFLvEfMk0TFDdyVOo-LWoSMk8kmROwHu3tA84mk8Lgecn41hmS-dqhbq6RlQj6k4BRDYHVjVOctRXalbfwcsDKlskXg2\")
![\"SAT](\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/B7kBcf4knd2F_-zIWQaFdh74pq0RKNhYRMfn_N_23_cR3o6ar8K-9vxhXIj1Dj6hdC7Jzy6iuExXZc4QktRjDE-1zSePaul9b0FDi6ZOLk1anSMGZTot_EfGH2_c8q7zZeUmP5is\")
![\"Command](\"https:\/\/lh6.googleusercontent.com\/9P1R6tQP0zgyxmecS-AJiDs6h-VB_z_8eUW67Xyiis2cmP_lhl1gQlzlygrYZEWHX911QJ7xL_O2yq9-cYGbaub3zUiuc9XOsovuPtiHfG-zevNg99GXX2qgz9sEyqPT5grfJ1cF\")
![\"SAT](\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/45rgU2XjvW7EvCPppqobmhyra5aPu1UG-80vcgQLPejlq4JLrKaBLYNDdLoAy1Oul9izd3YGZJypi1tNeCuBsc7x4IfJPkgYGoNzfXpOBeAWRoJSQlnQY6uN9eEOip53fzGhsywk\")
<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"SAT](\"https:\/\/lh4.googleusercontent.com\/B1VSsYcdNsE6Z0z21eKYKSXaiDs4SP90vKz80y43rjoi9KN_TQKHnAw_E7v3GxXS-Pun3QDkQn-wFQE5rmqNhSjBTf3jEJPuDTg-ry97b680UYV4ebnTdRnckwBjJsPwHAGoY8sb\")
![\"Example](\"https:\/\/lh5.googleusercontent.com\/UbZ6wxd_EhPCdV9CG724FkDHBnmkZ804uy-GwHrZUt9L0t1wq_kcUVqGuQ3X-p_EDJn9wejn0FC_15OGEi8Ckdw2kWSwWXm5N0nNQ6dN7kCf2qsnJuqvXti7_ArGORTV0wL1ajtx\")