SAT

The SAT is an assessment created and administered by the College Board and has been used as a college admissions test since the mid-1920s. Students may take the SAT for admission into a two- or four-year university, obtain scholarships, and/or assess their readiness for freshman-level college coursework. TEA recommends six steps for students and educators to prepare for and administer the SAT.

TEA supports and aligns with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board in their 60x30TX goal, which states that at least 60 percent of Texans ages 25-34 will have a certificate or degree by 2030. By taking a college preparation assessment, such as the SAT, Texas students expand the number of postsecondary options available to them.

Before Exam

Step 1: Pick the right test

Students and administrators/educators should consider similarities and differences between the college preparation assessments (SAT, ACT, and TSIA) and determine which one(s) is the best fit for the student.

Step 2: Schedule and Register

There are several different ways students can register and take the assessments.

School Day Administrations
Over 400 districts in Texas have participated in SAT School Day at least once in the last five years. SAT School Day is an awesome opportunity for students to take the assessment on campus during the school day. By administering the assessment on a school day, districts/campuses increase access and reduce barriers for many students who may not be able to test on a Saturday (i.e., working students, students without transportation, etc.). Administrators can learn more about signing up for SAT School Day here. Alternatively, administrators can order directly from the College Board website.

Alternative Test Dates
Students can register individually and choose a date and testing site.  Students can also take the assessment on the weekend, especially if their school does not offer SAT School Day.

Cost & Fee Waivers
House Bill 3 (HB 3), which passed in the 86th legislative session, permitted the state to reimburse districts for the amount of fees paid by the district for the administration of a college preparation assessment. This means that eligible students may take one SAT, ACT, or TSIA in the spring of their junior year or during their senior year for free (at state cost)! 

As a result, TEA entered into a contract with the College Board to negotiate a statewide rate for SAT School Day. The rates for the next four years are as follows:

Additionally, eligible students may use fee waivers to pay for national testing on the weekend.

Step 3: Prepare and Study

Both the student and the teacher have an active role in exam preparation. Fortunately, the College Board has created several resources for both parties.

For students:

• Free SAT Daily Practice through the mobile app
• Official SAT® Practice on Khan Academy
• Setting personal goals for SAT practice
• 8 full-length practice tests
• Build a potential college list 

For educators:

• Coach’s Playbook – Train for test day like its game day
• Teacher implementation guide – Implement SAT practice into challenging coursework and curriculum
• Professional Learning - Take e-modules and self-guided courses to become familiar with the SAT
• SAT Suite Question Bank - create custom, targeted question sets that align with skills taught in class and improve instruction
• K-12 Reporting Portal - Pinpoint students' strengths and weaknesses and lesson plan using the Instructional Planning Report and the Question Analysis Report 
• Outreach resources - promote SAT School Day testing for students and parent

Exam Day

Step 4: Take the Test

It’s time to take the SAT. Students testing on the weekend can check out these links for what to expect on test day and a test day checklist. School administrators planning a school day test administration can access a myriad of resources in Educator Downloads section of the College Board website.

Support for English Learners - The College Board provides supports on the test to U.S. students who are English learners to ensure that the SAT scores earned by English learners accurately reflect what they have learned in school. To qualify, students must be enrolled in a school district's English Learners (EL) program.

The College Board provides access to the SAT test for examinees through appropriate accommodations. More information on accommodations can be found by accessing the accommodations landing page. 

After Exam

Step 5: Evaluate Scores

Students and administrators can expect to receive scores within 3-4 weeks after administration. Scores are accessed by educators online in a score reporting portal, and by students when they sign in to their College Board account.

• What do the scores mean? Find resources for educators and students on how to interpret scores.
• Retake if needed! If students are unhappy with their scores, they can return to Step 3 and retake the assessment if needed.
• Use resources like AP Potential to determine students who are likely to earn a 3 or higher on an AP exam based on their PSAT and SAT scores.

Step 6: Plan for Postsecondary and/or Apply to College

Once they've taken the exam, students should apply to universities and scholarships and discover endless possibilities.

• ApplyTexas – Universal application platform for all Texas public institutions of higher education.
• Common App – Application platform for public and private colleges and universities across all 50 U.S. states and 20 countries.
• Financial Aid & Scholarships – Millions of dollars go unclaimed every year, so students, parents, educators, and administrators should extensively research financial aid options. Additionally, students can access SwiftStudent, a free digital tool that explains the financial aid appeals process.
• College Scorecard -This tool, created by the US Department of Education, allows students to search for college matches based on a variety of factors, including SAT score admission requirements.
• Send scores – If not done already, students should send scores to colleges. Students can send four free score reports when they test or an unlimited amount if using a fee waiver.
• BigFuture - Students can explore careers, research colleges, and build a college list prior to test day using this student resource.
• College Board Opportunity Scholarships - A scholarship program for juniors. Students complete a set of six college planning steps to earn a chance of receiving a $40,000 scholarship. 
• Texas OnCourse - premier college and career planning website with middle school curriculum, advising training, data dashboards, student resources and more.