Every year, roughly two million US students and hundreds of thousands worldwide take the SAT. Most of these students are college-bound, and almost every college in the US accepts the SAT as a form of entrance exam. Many of those colleges actually require the SAT for admission. Other students take the SAT because they are obliged to by school, county, or state standards.
Despite numerous changes in the US university application process, some truths remain the same -- namely, you need to ace your SATs if you plan to attend a top-notch university and need financial support from the school.
The SAT, or Scholastic Aptitude Test, is designed to measure aspiring US undergraduates. It measures the ability of candidates to solve problems and use reasoning skills at the level necessary for US universities.
Most colleges and universities use the SAT as one indicator of a student's readiness to do university-level work. Other criteria include class rank, marks (Grade Point Average), extracurricular activities, personal essays and recommendations.
Starting in 1993, the SAT split into the SAT I: Reasoning Test and the SAT II: Subject Tests. In general, universities only require SAT I, but the most exclusive schools often require two or more SAT II Subject Tests.
SAT is held six times a year at over 650 overseas locations.