Hi everyone. This is going to be a rather stupid question, but I’m beginning to panic. I take my SAT subject tests in Molecular Biology and Literature on Saturday, and I have been studying for the last two months. I thought I was doing really well, but tonight I took some practice tests online, and my scores were very poor. How difficult are these tests? Also, how heavily do schools weigh these tests compared to all other admission criteria? I’m really panicking! I don’t want to be denied to my dream schools because of low scores!
Which tests have you done? Only use the CB tests/questions as an accurate prediction. I’m using different books for SAT II math level 2 and my scores are varying by up to 120 points. Don’t panic!
I’ve done some tests on
MODERATOR’S NOTE: name of pirate site deleted
Oh, these are not official tests then. Have you tried an official test for each subject?
I tried a few of the practice questions from CB.
I didn’t take BioM or Literature, but a lot of practice tests online might be harder than the ones that are actually administered. Take it easy and take the test with confidence, because if you’ve prepped for two months you should be fine. Low subject test scores won’t severely disadvantage your application unless they’re in the 600’s.
If you do poorly you don’t have to send them to any school. Most schools don’t require any SAT2’s. And those that do usually request 2 at most. If you do poorly you don’t have to send them anywhere (although if you want to send one, you have to send all taken on the same date-why that continues to be necessary is beyond me-they need an IT person at the College Boards). You can always take them again or take others. And, even for schools that require them, they are not weighted as much as the SAT or ACT.
Unless, of course, one of your schools is one that requires your entire testing history.
Thanks for the input everyone. I scored really well on my ACT (33) and am hoping if I do well on my SAT IIs it will make my application stronger.
@16512read SAT II’s aren’t really used to make an application stronger. Like AP exams, they’re mostly used to validate that the grades the student earned are actually substantive and that they understand the subject. This filters out applicants who went to less-competitive schools with grade inflation, but won’t actually get an applicant into a school. The reason why a lot of universities don’t care much about subject tests is that USNews rankings aren’t affected by subject test scores 
If you’re taking subject tests to make your application “stronger” and not to fulfill the subject test requirements, I’d suggest instead spending your time to improve your ACT score. A 33 is give or take in the 25th %ile for a lot of top schools and could mean the difference between rejection and acceptance, especially if you’re an unhooked applicant. Those that are accepted below that area are usually URM’s, athletes, or legacies.
Good luck!
@lostaccount That is not true about having to send all subject tests from the same sitting.
- “You could, for example, take the Math 2, Literature, and Chemistry exams on the same test date and then later choose to report only certain scores from this date to any particular college.” *