Please note: Following January 2021 the CollegeBoard changed their policy regarding the Subject SAT. For the most up to date and recent information please click here.
What are the SAT Subject Tests?
SAT Subject Tests are multiple-choice standardized tests by the College Board based on individual subjects, typically taken to prove a student’s credentials for college admissions in the United States. They are also called the SAT II: Subject Tests, and are a prerequisite for many universities especially in the USA for international students.
Are the SAT Subject Tests cancelled?
The Subject SAT Tests will no longer be conducted by the College Board as of January 19, 2021. This means there will be no more Subject SAT exams going forward. However, colleges and universities may still consider existing subject SAT scores taken before the cancellation, up to their own discretion- this information will be available on individual college websites for the most up to date information.
Colleges that still require SAT Subject test scores
This list is constantly changing, with more schools making the subject SATs test optional, so make sure to check your college website when applying. Prior to the College Board fully cancelling all future SAT Tests, it had already started being phased out by many major colleges including the Ivy Leagues and other major universities like MIT and Call Tech that previously required them. Before the official cancellation these are the universities that went “test optional” and no longer required, accepted or recommended SAT Scores.
University | Subject SAT Status 2020-21 |
Brown University | Not required, Can be considered |
California Institute of Technology (Caltech) | Not required |
Carnegie Mellon University | Not required, Not considered |
Cooper Union | Math and Science will be considered for engineering applicants |
Cornell University | Not required, Not considered for 2020-2021 |
Dartmouth College | Not required, Can be considered |
Duke University | Not required |
George Washington University | Required for B.A./ M.D., Can be considered |
Harvard University | 2 test scores recommended |
Harvey Mudd College | Not required |
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) | Not required, Not considered |
New York University (NYU) | 3 subject SATs or SAT/ACT/AP Exams required |
Princeton University | Recommended, Not Required |
Tufts University | Not required, Not considered |
University of Pennsylvania | Recommended |
Wellesley College | Not required, Can be considered |
Yale University | Recommended, Not required for 2021 applicants |
SAT Subject Test Syllabus
In 2020, there were 20 different Subject SATs offered by the College Board. The SAT tests can be further divided into 5 subcategories:
- English
- History
- Math
- Science
- Language
List of SAT Subject Tests
Within the 5 subcategories of the SAT tests, there are further splits particularly within science, language, mathematics and history. Depending on your course or college application the exact tests you may be required to take may vary Below is a comprehensive SAT test list with previous average scores for your reference:
Subcategory | Test | Average Score (2016) |
English Literature | SAT Test in Literature | 599 |
History | SAT Test in United States History | 624 |
History | SAT Test in World History | 615 |
Math | SAT Subject Test in Mathematics Level 1 | 599 |
Math | SAT Subject Test in Mathematics Level 2 | 690 |
Science | SAT Subject Test in Biology (Ecological) | 616 |
Science | SAT Subject Test in Biology (Molecular) | 647 |
Science | SAT Subject Test in Chemistry | 668 |
Science | SAT Subject Test in Physics | 667 |
Language | SAT Subject Test in Chinese with Listening | 761 |
Language | SAT Subject Test in French | 634 |
Language | SAT Subject Test in French with Listening | 664 |
Language | SAT Subject Test in German | 636 |
Language | SAT Subject Test in German with Listening | 629 |
Language | SAT Subject Test in Modern Hebrew | 614 |
Language | SAT Subject Test in Italian | 677 |
Language | SAT Subject Test in Japanese with Listening | 704 |
Language | SAT Subject Test in Korean with Listening | 764 |
Language | SAT Subject Test in Latin | 632 |
Language | SAT Subject Test in Spanish with Listening | 660 |
SAT Subject Test Fee
The SAT Tests are individually cheaper than taking the SAT exam, however, if you choose to take multiple subject SATs, this price will increase with each additional test and can become more expensive.
There is a baseline registration fee of $26 and an additional $22 for each Subject SAT and $26 for each Subject SAT with a listening section.
There are fee waivers available for Subject SAT Tests and you could get up to 6 subject fees waived.
SAT Subject Test Dates and SAT Subject Test Deadline
All test dates following July 2021 have been cancelled, so unfortunately there are no upcoming test dates for the Subject SAT Test.
SAT Subject Test Dates 2020
SAT Subject Test | SAT Subject Test Date |
English Literature | 6 June 2020 |
29 August 2020 | |
3 October 2020 | |
7 November 2020 | |
5 December 2020 | |
8 May 2021 | |
5 June 2021 | |
Biology E/M | 6 June 2020 |
29 August 2020 | |
3 October 2020 | |
7 November 2020 | |
5 December 2020 | |
8 May 2021 | |
5 June 2021 | |
Chemistry | 6 June 2020 |
29 August 2020 | |
3 October 2020 | |
7 November 2020 | |
5 December 2020 | |
8 May 2021 | |
5 June 2021 | |
Physics | 6 June 2020 |
29 August 2020 | |
3 October 2020 | |
7 November 2020 | |
5 December 2020 | |
8 May 2021 | |
5 June 2021 | |
U.S. History | 6 June 2020 |
29 August 2020 | |
3 October 2020 | |
7 November 2020 | |
5 December 2020 | |
8 May 2021 | |
5 June 2021 | |
World History | 29 August 2020 |
5 December 2020 | |
5 June 2021 | |
Mathematics 1 | 6 June 2020 |
29 August 2020 | |
3 October 2020 | |
7 November 2020 | |
5 December 2020 | |
8 May 2021 | |
5 June 2021 | |
Mathematics 2 | 6 June 2020 |
29 August 2020 | |
3 October 2020 | |
7 November 2020 | |
5 December 2020 | |
8 May 2021 | |
5 June 2021 | |
French | 6 June 2020 |
29 August 2020 | |
3 October 2020 | |
5 December 2020 | |
5 June 2021 | |
French (with listening) | 7 November 2020 |
Spanish | 6 June 2020 |
29 August 2020 | |
3 October 2020 | |
7 November 2020 | |
5 December 2020 | |
8 May 2021 | |
5 June 2021 | |
Spanish (with listening) | 7 November 2020 |
German | 6 June 2020 |
German (with listening) | 5 June 2021 |
Korean (with listening) | 6 June 2020 |
5 June 2021 | |
Modern Hebrew | 6 June 2020 |
5 June 2021 | |
Italian | 6 June 2020 |
5 June 2021 | |
Latin | 6 June 2020 |
5 June 2021 | |
Japanese (with listening) | 7 November 2020 |
8 May 2021 | |
Chinese (with listening) | 7 November 2020 |
8 May 2021 |
These dates are not officially released yet; they are a projection of future dates based on past trends with the SAT Tests. Usually the registration for SAT Tests tend to be a month prior to the test days, so be careful of this when deciding your test and registration dates.
SAT Subject Test vs SAT General Test
Criteria | Subject SAT | SAT |
What is it for? | For college admissions and scholarships | For course placements |
How long is the test | 3 hours or 3 hours, 50 minutes with essay | 1 hour |
How often is it held in a year? | 7 times | 6 times |
Topics covered? | Reading, Writing, Math | 20 subjects to choose from |
Scored out of? | 1600 | 800 |
Penalty for wrong answer? | No penalty | Penalty is a fraction of a point |
Alternatives to SAT Subject Tests
Now that the SAT Tests have been cancelled many students are left with questions like “How do i show my subject skills without the SAT Test?”, “How do I prove my course specific knowledge in my college applications?”, etc. Universities are currently looking for experience over grades, proof of concept over memorized theories and this presents an opportunity to improve your CV without the SATs through work experience, entrepreneurship and internships.
A program that could benefit you in this quest is Clever Harvey’s JuniorMBA. With courses in Marketing, Strategy and Technology amongst others, you can test drive a career in your dream field and prove to your university that you have what it takes to make it on site. A combined learning-working experience, you’ll learn degree level theory at a high school level understanding and work on projects for industry leaders like PUMA and Samsonite. The exposure is great for your own growth and understanding as well as for your CV when applying for colleges! Check out Clever Harvey here.