<p>I had a few questions about the SAT exam and I was hoping someone on this board would be able to answer them for me.</p>
<p>1) How long are the scores from the SAT valid for? (ie. the MCAT must be taken within 3 years of applying to med school)
2) Why is it recommended that people wait until grade 11 to take the exam?</p>
<p>I'm planning on taking the SAT during the March or May session of grade 10. By then, I will have completed the equivalent of grade 11 math and chemistry, as well as half of the grade 12 math. Would taking the SAT early still be a bad idea?
Note: The reason I want to take it early is so I'll have more time to retake if I'm not satisfied with my score, as well as more time to focus on other things.</p>
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<li><p>Any tests you take before 9th grade are removed from your record after you start 9th grade. After that, all records are cumulative, meaning your scores never go away or become invalid. If you want to get a score report a couple of years after you graduate high school, you have to pay a fee to retreive the archived reports.</p></li>
<li><p>Many students in the US take the PSAT test as a practice test in the 10th grade and then take it again for official National Merit scholarship qualification in October of their junior year (11th grade). This is considered practice for the SAT and most people wait till after the PSAT to take their first SAT. Also, with the new math curriculum on the SAT (Algebra II questions), most students will take Algebra II in their sophomore year (10th grade) so they should wait till after they have finished that class to take the SAT. What is grade 11 and grade 12 math in your school? Pre-calculus and Calculus?</p></li>
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<p>Are we talking about the SATI or the SATII? I wouldn't suggest taking SATI (Reasoning) early because 2/3 of it is English/Writing. Reading comprehension and writing skills improve dramatically in a year, especially if you take AP English Language or Literature. You can try if you're prepared and confident, but keep in mind that colleges would not like to see that you took it more than twice to get your score up.</p>
<p>That said, if you've completed advanced mathematics and chemistry courses, I would strongly suggest you take the SATIIs now, while it's fresh in your head. I didn't take the MathII until this year, after a year of Calculus, so most of the algebra/geometry/basic trig stuff had seeped out of my head. Taking Biology wasn't such a hot idea either--a sophomore I know got a better score than I (only by 30 points, we're in the same bracket, but it's the principle of the thing).</p>
<p>I have full confidence in your intelligence, but you will definitely score better in a year simply from experience and age. If you'd like practice, there are books and sample tests. I wouldn't suggest a prep course because they're total rip-offs; you can prepare adequately yourself and with teachers.</p>
<p>tanman, at my school, Advanced Pure Math 20 (grade 11 math) is the prerequisite for Math 31 (Calculus). Province wide, Math 30 (grade 12 math) is considered a pre- or co-requisite for Math 31.</p>
<p>Thanks for the quick responses. I'll probably start preparing in grade 10, and decide when I take the SAT after I've done some practice exams. Which prep books would you recommend? Thanks again for the advice.</p>