Hello everyone, I wanted to check with some people who already took the SAT subject tests on some things. I am currently a grade 11 student taking AP Bio, Chemistry, and Math(Pre-calculus). I plan on taking the Math lvl 2 this june, but my main concern here is Bio and Chemistry, do universities take into consideration the time when you take these tests? Or does it depend on the university? For example, if I take the biology e/m test this may along with chemistry and get a score in the early 700s, compared to if i take them next year and get mid to late 700s. Would colleges really care? Also maybe post your input on when I should do these, a side note is that I want to take my AP tests for these two as well as Calculus AB in may of 2019.
No.
The reality is that you would get a higher score while in the class, not a year later. But in any event, the higher score is more important than when it was taken.
Is Chem AP, or just bio? If you are taking the AP class this year, why are you waiting to take the test?
May or June of the year you are taking the class. Note that AP science classes do not prepare for the Subject Tests, so there is additional material you’d need to learn/review on your own.
My AP Chemistry teacher decided to teach us the SAT topics this year and expand on them to AP level next year, AP biology didn’t do that though.
Are you taking Math, Chemistry, AND Biology subject tests? Just checking for clarification.
I slightly disagree with skieurope about APs preparing you for the subject tests. I had to take Bio E without AP Bio, and now that I am in AP Bio I know that I would have breezed through the test with way less studying than I actually had to do. Also, I took the US History subject test the day after my APUSH test with no studying and absolutely nailed it. It wasn’t a science though, which would probably require a couple practice tests and a practice book to review some concepts. I just mean that you don’t have to lose half a summer studying like I did.
I would take the Chem and Bio subject tests as close as possible to the AP tests for the reasons I mentioned above- so May/June. The Math II, however, I would review for and take ASAP- precalculus really slips away from you in a year.
I specifically said AP sciences, so APUSH was not part of my caution.
If you look specifically at the College Boards descriptions of what it covered on the Subject Tests for Bio E/Bio M/Chem/Physics and cross reference to the topics covered in the AP versions, there are a lot of gaps. Now, the OP has said that his/her chem teacher will fill in those gaps, which is great. S/he also said that the bio teacher will not fill in the gaps, which is the norm. Of course, one can take the Subject Test having had the AP class, but to be successful, there will be many topics that will need to be learned on one’s own.
Additionally, some students just feel more comfortable waiting until they’ve taken the AP version, and if that works for them, fine. But it’s not necessary.
It’s better that you take these tests as early as possible so you retain the knowledge gained from your AP classes.
My DD are in 10th taking honors Chem… in junior AP Bio and Senior AP chem … should they take SAT chem during yhis summer?