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SAT Subject Tests Info

Overview

Subject Tests are required by some colleges for admission and/or placement in freshman-level courses. Each Subject Test measures the student's knowledge of a specific subject and the ability to apply that knowledge. Students should check with each institution for its specific requirements.

Subject Tests are given in the following areas: Literature, U.S. History, World History, Mathematics Level 1, Mathematics Level 2, Biology E/M, Chemistry, Physics, Chinese with listening, French, French with listening, German, German with listening, Spanish, Spanish with listening, Modern Hebrew, Italian, Latin, Japanese with listening, Korean with listening.

Test Dates

Test dates vary by subject; contact the College Board or school counselor for specific information. Students may take up to three SAT Subject Tests on one day. They cannot take the SAT Subject Tests and the SAT Reasoning Test during the same test administration.

Test Location

Tests are usually administered at high schools. Check with your school counselor or contact the College Board for more information.

Test Structure

All of the SAT subject tests are one-hour, multiple choice tests.

Biology E/M: There are two biology tests. Each contains 60 multiple-choice general biology questions in cellular and molecular biology, ecology, classical genetics, organismal biology, and evolution and diversity. The E test has an additional 20 questions on ecology, and the M test has 20 additional questions on molecular biology.

Literature: There are about 60 multiple-choice questions on the literature test, covering six to eight passages. Thirty percent of the exam is based on literature of the Renaissance and seventeenth century; thirty percent is based on literature of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries; and 40 percent is based on literature written after 1900.

Math Level 1: There are 50 multiple-choice questions on the Math Level 1 exam. The test covers the following material: algebra, geometry (plane Euclidean, three-dimensional, and coordinate), trigonometry, statistics/probability, and miscellaneous topics including logic, elementary number theory, and arithmetic and geometric sequences.

Math Level 2: There are 50 multiple-choice questions on the Math Level 2 exam. The test covers the following material: algebra, geometry (plane Euclidean, three-dimensional and coordinate), trigonometry, functions, statistics (probability, permutations, combinations), and miscellaneous topics (logic and proof, number theory, sequences, and limits).

Physics: This test contains 75 multiple-choice questions. It covers the following areas: mechanics; heat, kinetic theory, and thermodynamics; waves; electricity and magnetism; modern physics; and miscellaneous topics (including measurement, math, laboratory skills and history of physics).

U.S. History: The U.S. history exam contains between 90 and 95 multiple-choice questions. Twenty percent are based on history from pre-Columbian times through 1789, 40 percent are from 1790 to 1898, and 40 percent are from 1899 to the present.

World History: This test contains 95 multiple-choice questions covering world history from ancient times through the present. About 25 percent of the test covers history through 500 C.E.; 20 percent covers 500 through 1500 C.E.; 25 percent covers 1500 through 1900 C.E.; 20 percent is post-1900 C.E.; and 10 percent is cross-chronological.

Chemistry: This test consists of 85 multiple-choice questions. Topics include structure of matter, states of matter, reaction types, stoichiometry, equilibrium and reaction rates, thermodynamics, descriptive chemistry, and laboratory.

Chinese with Listening: This test contains 85 multiple-choice questions, which cover listening comprehension, usage, and reading comprehension.

French: This test contains 85 multiple choice questions, which cover vocabulary in context, structure, and reading comprehension.

French with Listening: The test takes about 20 minutes for listening questions, and 40 minutes for reading comprehension. The listening section contains pictures, short dialogues, and long dialogues. The reading comprehension section covers vocabulary, structure, and reading comprehension.

German: This test contains 80-85 multiple-choice questions, which test only reading.

German with Listening: This test contains a 20-minute listening section consisting of short and long dialogues, along with a 40-minute reading section that covers vocabulary in context, structure in context, and reading comprehension.

Modern Hebrew: This test contains 85 multiple-choice questions covering vocabulary in context, structure in context, and reading comprehension.

Italian: This test contains 80 to 85 multiple-choice questions covering vocabulary in context, fill-in-the-blank, and reading comprehension.

Japanese with Listening: This test contains 80 to 85 multiple-choice questions, covering listening comprehension, usage, and reading comprehension.

Korean with Listening: This test contains 80 to 85 multiple choice questions, including a 20 minute usage section and a 40 minute reading comprehension section.

Latin: This test contains 70 to 75 multiple choice questions. About 65 % of the test is translation; about 5% is derivatives and about 30% is grammar and syntax.

Spanish: This test consists of 85 multiple-choice questions, which equally cover vocabulary and structure, paragraph completion, and reading comprehension.

Spanish with Listening: This test consists of 85 multiple-choice questions, and includes a 20-minute minute listening section and a 40-minute reading section.

Scoring

The subject tests are scored on a scale of 200 to 800. Language tests with Listening contain reading and listening subscores. Chinese, Japanese and Korean tests include a usage subscore.

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