SAT Subject Test in Chemistry
Encyclopedia
The a one-hour multiple choice
test
given on chemistry
by The College Board. A student chooses whether to take the test depending upon college
entrance requirements for the schools in which the student is planning to apply. Until 1994, the SAT Subject Tests
were known as Achievement Tests; until January 2005, they were known as SAT IIs; they are still well known by the latter name.
of measurement is used.
113.
, and experience in the laboratory. However, this is somewhat misleading. This is because the second-year algebra concept of logarithms is tested on this subject test. It would be extremely difficult for a student to score highly if the student did not understand the basics of logarithm
s. However, this does not mean a student has to complete a second-year algebra course to succeed on this subject test. As long as a student has gone through a first-year algebra course, and understands the second-year algebra concept of logarithms, the student should be able to do the math required by the test, though one of the keys of the mathematics that appears on the SAT II in Chemistry is not the difficulty but rather the speed at which it must be completed.
Furthermore, the oft-quoted prerequisite of lab-experience is sometimes unnecessary for the SAT Subject Test in Chemistry due to the nature of the question concerning experiments; most laboratory concepts can simply be memorized beforehand.
on this test, even though there are questions that involve math difficult to perform mentally. Although logarithms typically are very difficult to do without a calculator, the usage of a calculator is not necessary as the logarithms are very basic. The only resource a student may use is a periodic table
which is provided with the test booklet.
Multiple choice
Multiple choice is a form of assessment in which respondents are asked to select the best possible answer out of the choices from a list. The multiple choice format is most frequently used in educational testing, in market research, and in elections-- when a person chooses between multiple...
test
Standardized test
A standardized test is a test that is administered and scored in a consistent, or "standard", manner. Standardized tests are designed in such a way that the questions, conditions for administering, scoring procedures, and interpretations are consistent and are administered and scored in a...
given on chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
by The College Board. A student chooses whether to take the test depending upon college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
entrance requirements for the schools in which the student is planning to apply. Until 1994, the SAT Subject Tests
SAT Subject Tests
SAT Subject Tests is the name for 20 multiple-choice standardized tests given on individual subjects, usually taken to improve a student's credentials for admission to colleges in the United States. Students typically choose which tests to take depending upon college entrance requirements for the...
were known as Achievement Tests; until January 2005, they were known as SAT IIs; they are still well known by the latter name.
Format
This test consists of 85 questions. The first 23 questions numbered 1-23 are 'classification questions'. The next 16 questions, numbered 101-116, are called 'relationship analysis questions'. The SAT Subject Test in Chemistry is currently the only SAT that incorporates the relationship analysis questions. Relationship Analysis Questions require the student to identify the truth value of two statements. If both statements are true, the student will then have to analyze the relationship between the two statements to see if the second statement correctly explains the first statement. The last 46 questions numbered 24-69 are standard multiple choice questions. The Metric SystemMetric system
The metric system is an international decimalised system of measurement. France was first to adopt a metric system, in 1799, and a metric system is now the official system of measurement, used in almost every country in the world...
of measurement is used.
Scoring
The test has 85 multiple choice questions that are to be answered in one hour. All questions have five answer choices. Students receive 1 point for every correct answer, lose ¼ of a point for each incorrect answer, and receive 0 points for questions left blank. This score is then converted to a scaled score of 200-800. The mean score for the 2009 test administrations was 638, standard deviationStandard deviation
Standard deviation is a widely used measure of variability or diversity used in statistics and probability theory. It shows how much variation or "dispersion" there is from the average...
113.
Preparation
The College Board's recommended preparation is a one-year college preparatory course in chemistry, a one-year course in algebraAlgebra
Algebra is the branch of mathematics concerning the study of the rules of operations and relations, and the constructions and concepts arising from them, including terms, polynomials, equations and algebraic structures...
, and experience in the laboratory. However, this is somewhat misleading. This is because the second-year algebra concept of logarithms is tested on this subject test. It would be extremely difficult for a student to score highly if the student did not understand the basics of logarithm
Logarithm
The logarithm of a number is the exponent by which another fixed value, the base, has to be raised to produce that number. For example, the logarithm of 1000 to base 10 is 3, because 1000 is 10 to the power 3: More generally, if x = by, then y is the logarithm of x to base b, and is written...
s. However, this does not mean a student has to complete a second-year algebra course to succeed on this subject test. As long as a student has gone through a first-year algebra course, and understands the second-year algebra concept of logarithms, the student should be able to do the math required by the test, though one of the keys of the mathematics that appears on the SAT II in Chemistry is not the difficulty but rather the speed at which it must be completed.
Furthermore, the oft-quoted prerequisite of lab-experience is sometimes unnecessary for the SAT Subject Test in Chemistry due to the nature of the question concerning experiments; most laboratory concepts can simply be memorized beforehand.
Resources
The student is not allowed to use notes, textbooks, or a calculatorCalculator
An electronic calculator is a small, portable, usually inexpensive electronic device used to perform the basic operations of arithmetic. Modern calculators are more portable than most computers, though most PDAs are comparable in size to handheld calculators.The first solid-state electronic...
on this test, even though there are questions that involve math difficult to perform mentally. Although logarithms typically are very difficult to do without a calculator, the usage of a calculator is not necessary as the logarithms are very basic. The only resource a student may use is a periodic table
Periodic table
The periodic table of the chemical elements is a tabular display of the 118 known chemical elements organized by selected properties of their atomic structures. Elements are presented by increasing atomic number, the number of protons in an atom's atomic nucleus...
which is provided with the test booklet.