[Funtry]

To keep it short;
I'm planning on applying to MIT and Berkely for chemistry, I'll need one "standard" SAT, one "level2" maths SAT and a subject SAT in chemistry.
When and where can I sit these? Also, how hard are they for anyone who's done them, as hard as A-levels, or easier?

[CHY872]

(Original post by Funtry)
To keep it short;
I'm planning on applying to MIT and Berkely for chemistry, I'll need one "standard" SAT, one "level2" SAT and a subject SAT in chemistry.
When and where can I sit these? Also, how hard are they for anyone who's done them, as hard as A-levels, or easier?

They're about GCSE level, roughly. In fact, it's pretty much like doing your GCSEs (since they're actually a pretty long set of exams) - but you want as high a score as possible. There are plenty of test sessions (one every few weeks), and they're examined throughout the country. You'll probably want to be booking up pretty soon, though, since if you book up late, you end up having to go miles for them. There's a test centre where I live (Oxford), and my friend booked up late, so had to do it in Edinburgh. Info about test centres is I think on collegeboard.org.

I feel that you need to know a lot more about the American university system before you get that far, though - at MIT for example you don't major until your second year - which means you won't be specialising until then - indeed you'll be doing some humanities in your first year (from what I know, it's usually some form of philosophy).

There are plenty of practice tests on the internet.

[aWildPidgey]

There's no apostrophe in SATs.
YOU'RE GOING TO FAIL ENGLISH

[Funtry]

(Original post by CHY872)
They're about GCSE level, roughly. In fact, it's pretty much like doing your GCSEs (since they're actually a pretty long set of exams) - but you want as high a score as possible. There are plenty of test sessions (one every few weeks), and they're examined throughout the country. You'll probably want to be booking up pretty soon, though, since if you book up late, you end up having to go miles for them. There's a test centre where I live (Oxford), and my friend booked up late, so had to do it in Edinburgh. Info about test centres is I think on collegeboard.org.

I feel that you need to know a lot more about the American university system before you get that far, though - at MIT for example you don't major until your second year - which means you won't be specialising until then - indeed you'll be doing some humanities in your first year (from what I know, it's usually some form of philosophy).

There are plenty of practice tests on the internet.

Thanks, I live in Bedford which is 60 miles North of London so I'll probably have to travel there anyway Thanks though! I'll revise and look through a lot of revision guides before, and then apply. I'm not sure I'll even apply to one in the United States, I've got my sights set on UBC at the moment but I do need to do a bit more research. UBC wont require me to do any additional tests (I think) beyond the citizenship.

I understand that, thanks! A huge number of universities say that if you get high grades in your A-levels (A*AA for example) then you can skip freshman year. Not sure if I'll want to do that at the moment c:

(Original post by aWildPidgey)
There's no apostrophe in SATs.
YOU'RE GOING TO FAIL ENGLISH

There's no fullstop at the end of your final sentence.
YOU'RE GOING TO FAIL ENGLISH.

[Lil2wkd]

I've actually sat the SAT myself, though I only did the traditional test, not the Chemistry one or the level 2 which I didn't know existed. How frequently they take place is dependent on the location where you sit them-Manchester was my closest location but weren't doing the exams at a time that suited. CHY872 has pretty much summed it up though-its around GCSE level, go through collegeboard.org.

[Funtry]

(Original post by Lil2wkd)
I've actually sat the SAT myself, though I only did the traditional test, not the Chemistry one or the level 2 which I didn't know existed. How frequently they take place is dependent on the location where you sit them-Manchester was my closest location but weren't doing the exams at a time that suited. CHY872 has pretty much summed it up though-its around GCSE level, go through collegeboard.org.

okay, thank you I'll be sure to check it all out! Don't seem that difficult, seeming as I got alright grades at GCSE Thanks!

[aWildPidgey]

(Original post by funtry)
thanks, i live in bedford which is 60 miles north of london so i'll probably have to travel there anyway thanks though! I'll revise and look through a lot of revision guides before, and then apply. I'm not sure i'll even apply to one in the united states, i've got my sights set on ubc at the moment but i do need to do a bit more research. Ubc wont require me to do any additional tests (i think) beyond the citizenship.

I understand that, thanks! A huge number of universities say that if you get high grades in your a-levels (a*aa for example) then you can skip freshman year. Not sure if i'll want to do that at the moment c:




There's no fullstop at the end of your final sentence.
You're going to fail english.

Good point.

[MirandaPanda]

They're not hard IF you can actually get ahold of past papers for proper practice, which you can't however, as the College Board doesn't release them (as sometimes these papers are reused by the company).

Thankfully I was able to get ahold of some past papers from a testing site 'under the table' so to speak (which cost an arm and a leg no less), but doing real/actual past tests as practice was honestly the greatest help to my preparation. By the time I got to the testing site I was so overly familiar with the tests themselves, that it was a breeze (well as much of a breeze as any test can be ha!), and forutnately got the 800's I was looking for

Just remember not to drink too much water whilst doing the tests mind, as you can't take a break during the exam and after it, you have like a 5-minute window to go to the bathroom (which is impossible as EVERYONE wants to go to the bathroom too ha, so the que is huge and you don't get your turn as was my case).

[Ibforlife]

(Original post by MirandaPanda)
They're not hard IF you can actually get ahold of past papers for proper practice, which you can't however, as the College Board doesn't release them (as sometimes these papers are reused by the company).

Thankfully I was able to get ahold of some past papers from a testing site 'under the table' so to speak (which cost an arm and a leg no less), but doing real/actual past tests as practice was honestly the greatest help to my preparation. By the time I got to the testing site I was so overly familiar with the tests themselves, that it was a breeze (well as much of a breeze as any test can be ha!), and forutnately got the 800's I was looking for

Just remember not to drink too much water whilst doing the tests mind, as you can't take a break during the exam and after it, you have like a 5-minute window to go to the bathroom (which is impossible as EVERYONE wants to go to the bathroom too ha, so the que is huge and you don't get your turn as was my case).

Do you still have the website´s name?

[froodtotheboobs]

Well coincidentally, I sat the Maths Level 2 and Chemistry Subject Tests this morning You'll find if you're studying for AS level (as I am) that the syllabus are very similar and very different. I advise you for both Maths and Chemistry to look up the syllabuses for both exams and do as many past papers as you have available to you.

There are identical topics in GCSE/AS Level to those in the SAT, and they are usually easier than those you sit in the GCSE/AS Level exams. However, the topics that are not in the GCSE/AS Level syllabus are different and therefore require different methods that you probably won't have seen before, so you will need to learn new topics for both exams. A simple example from today's paper being in Chemistry, where I was asked to calculate the radioactive half life of an element after a given number of years - a topic from Additional Physics GCSE (AQA).

So yeah, just something I've come across...

[Alix23]

I'm planning on taking my SAT I in the autumn of year 11 and 12, so it doesn't coincide with GCSEs and AS levels, and so I get a chance to practice. Has anyone else done it like this?

[froodtotheboobs]

I went to a USA College Day; the tip I was given was to do your SAT test in the autumn, and your SAT Subject Tests in the summer - because you've already 'revised' a large proportion of the syllabus before you've even started worrying about it. I can't comment on doing it the other way round, it just seems to make more sense this way!

[MirandaPanda]

(Original post by Ibforlife)
Do you still have the website´s name?

Its not a website - the College Board doesn't allow anyone to give-out the tests, as explained in my previous post. I had to buy them from someone/the testing center in-person

[Ibforlife]

(Original post by MirandaPanda)
Its not a website - the College Board doesn't allow anyone to give-out the tests, as explained in my previous post. I had to buy them from someone/the testing center in-person

Is there anyway you could possibly please send them to me? I know, as you stated it took you a lot of hard work to obtain them, so I understand if not. But I desperately need it

[Funtry]

(Original post by MirandaPanda)
Its not a website - the College Board doesn't allow anyone to give-out the tests, as explained in my previous post. I had to buy them from someone/the testing center in-person

(Original post by Ibforlife)
Is there anyway you could possibly please send them to me? I know, as you stated it took you a lot of hard work to obtain them, so I understand if not. But I desperately need it

It would be useful for me too c: And much appreciated if you could send it!

[MirandaPanda]

(Original post by Ibforlife)
Is there anyway you could possibly please send them to me? I know, as you stated it took you a lot of hard work to obtain them, so I understand if not. But I desperately need it

Please check your PM's.