SAT Literature: Syllabus, Score, Preparation, Attempt Strategies, Evaluation Method
Content Curator | Updated On - Jan 6, 2024
SAT Literature in Subject Test is a standardized test offered by the SAT for admission into undergraduate colleges in the United States. SAT Literature is one of the five subject tests – Mathematics, Science, History, English, and Languages. These are also known as SAT Subject Tests, Achievement Tests, or SAT 2 literature. SAT Literature is a multiple choice test in English literature conducted by the College Board for one hour. The test consists of 60 multiple-choice questions of about six to eight passages to be answered in one hour.
You will be assessed on your reading and interpretive skills. The scores in the test range from 200 to 800, 200 being the lowest and 800 being the highest score. SAT literature is conducted 7 times in a year. SAT registration is mandatory to take the SAT exam. The months are August, October, November, December, March, May, and June. The topics that are covered in SAT Literature include American Literature, English Literature, Other Literature, Prose Passages, and Poetry.
The skills that are tested in SAT Literature include Analyzing the themes and meanings, finding connotations of words in a passage, identifying the genre of a passage and many more. SAT subject scores are not accepted by all the abroad colleges. Some colleges may consider your Subject Test scores if you submit them. So it is important to check if the university you are applying to accepts the score.
SAT Literature Subject Test Overview
Students can attempt the SAT English Literature test a number of times in order to improve their score however the recommended number of attempts is four. The difficulty level of SAT Literature is moderate to fairly high. The SAT Literature Subject Test is offered seven times annually. The SAT syllabus and overview of the test is tabulated below:
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Name of the Test | SAT Literature Subject Test or SAT II Literature |
| Type | Paper-based standardized test |
| Administrator | College Board |
| Duration | 1 hour |
| Number of Questions | 60 MCQs |
| Score range | 200-800 |
| Frequency | 7 times in a year (August, October, November, December, March, May, June) |
| Fee | USD 60 (For the US) USD 108 (Other countries including India) |
| Countries or regions served | Worldwide |
| Purpose | For admission to undergraduate programs at universities or colleges |
| Score Validity | forever, which means they do not have an expiry date, but many universities do not accept scores that are older than five years or more |
SAT Literature Syllabus
The SAT Literature Subject Tests measure the understanding of the students of Literature and the ability to apply that knowledge. There is no specific textbook or teaching method connected to the test. However, the SAT literature syllabus reflects the latest trends in what is taught in typical high school courses in the “literature”. The test assesses the reading and analyzing skills of literary passages from the subject-specific. It is very important to know all sections to get a high SAT score.
SAT Literature Skills
SAT Literature Subject Test seeks the following skill among the students that they must showcase to qualify for the test. SAT 2 literature practice tests are important as they reflect the interest and zeal of the students towards the Literature subject they are going to appear for.
- Interpret themes and meanings of a text
- Understand both denotations and connotations of words in context
- Recognize the structure of a text, including genre, development, and organization
- Respond to a writer’s use of language, including diction, imagery, and figurative language, and to its effects on the reader
- Analyze aspects of narration, including narrative voice, tone, and point of view
- Analyze poetry in terms of speaker, audience, occasion, and purpose
- Understand characterization in narrative and dramatic selections
SAT Literature Test Score
The score obtained in the SAT total score range of 200 to 800 of the SAT literature subject test. It reflects a raw score calculated on the number of accurate answers provided on the answer sheet. In addition to the raw score, there is the percentile rank which reveals the student’s scores in comparison with the performance of other test takers. The percentile rank shows students what percentage of test takers from the past three graduating classes earned a lower score than they did. For example – a student with a Literature score of 700 can see that 72% of test takers scored lower compared to him.
| SAT Literature Subject Test Score | Percentile |
|---|---|
| 800 | 99 |
| 780 | 96 |
| 760 | 92 |
| 740 | 87 |
| 720 | 81 |
| 700 | 72 |
| 680 | 65 |
| 660 | 58 |
| 640 | 50 |
| 620 | 44 |
| 600 | 37 |
| 580 | 31 |
| 560 | 26 |
| 540 | 22 |
| 520 | 18 |
| 500 | 15 |
SAT Literature Subject Test Preparation
The scores of SAT Literature test reflect the insights of the academic background and achievement in subject-specific. Colleges use this SAT score with other factors such as high school grades, letters of recommendation, extracurricular activities, essays, etc. for giving admission or placement to the students.
There’s no suggested reading list to prepare for the SAT Literature Subject Test. However, the followings are the list of recommended methodologies students can opt for their SAT literature practice-
- Close, critical reading of English and American literature from a variety of historical periods and genres
- Reading of complete novels and plays, not just excerpts
- Understanding of basic literary terminology, such as speaker, tone, image, irony, alliteration, stanza
- At least 3 years of literary study at the college preparatory level
- Independent, critical reading of poetry, prose, and drama
SAT Literature Strategies
SAT Literature is the most famous test that universities seek for offering admission to students in undergraduate courses. The much wider acceptance of the SAT subject test score gives it the reputation of being a fairly difficult exam. It helps with qualifying which requires solid strategies and devotion. The following is the list of strategies for the SAT Literature Subject Test which students can apply to score higher.
- The question should be read carefully and all the choices should be considered to avoid mistakes.
- Easy questions which consume less time should be attempted first and later then move on to harder questions. However, questions in the SAT Literature subject test are generally ordered from easiest to hardest.
- Apply the option elimination method to remove the unwanted options and find out the correct choice.
- Circle the questions that have been skipped, it will keep track of the skipped questions.
- The answer sheet should be checked regularly.
- Time management is the most important factor to score higher on the SAT. Students should not think of attempting each question but should go with a smart strategy.
- Dark the answer bubble carefully, so that every attempted question can be counted for evaluation.
SAT Literature Subject Test Evaluation
The SAT subject test score ranges from 200 to 800 in 10-point intervals. There is also a provision for negative marking in the SAT Subject test. The test is scored slightly differently depending on how many answer choices are given in the question.
FAQs
Ques. What is the SAT Literature subject test and is it compulsory?
Ans. The SAT Literature subject test is compulsory in the sense that the score is required for admission to the specific college or university the student is applying for.
Ques. How long is the SAT language test?
Ans. The SAT language test lasts for 60 minutes. Candidates need to answer 60 multiple choice questions in 60 minutes. The total marks is scored on a range of 200-800.
Ques. How to prepare for SAT Literature test?
Ans. The SAT Literature has no suggested reading list to prepare. The test checks for the latest trends in what is taught in high school courses in the corresponding subject.
Ques. How many times can I attempt the SAT exam?
Ans. There is no limit on the number of attempts for the SAT Literature test.
Ques. Where can I find the syllabus of SAT Literature subject test?
Ans. There is no proper syllabus for the SAT Literature test. It covers three main areas of literature vis American literature, British literature, and literature from a number of other English-speaking countries.
Ques. What is the validity of SAT Literature Subject Test Score?
Ans. The validity of SAT Literature Subject Test is forever, which means they do not have an expiry date. But many universities do not accept scores that are older than five years or more.
Ques. What is the frequency of the SAT Literature Subject Test?
Ans. The SAT literature subject test is organized seven times a year in the months of August, October, November, December, March, May, and June. Usually, it is organized on the first Saturday of the month.
Ques. Who regulates and organizes the SAT Literature subject test?
Ans. College Board – a mission-driven not-for-profit organization that connects students to college success and opportunity – is the administrator of SAT Test.
Ques. How can I cancel the score of SAT Literature Subject Test?
Ans. If a student seeks to cancel the SAT score, he/she must cancel scores for all SAT Subject Tests. Students are suggested to cancel their score if their number of attempts has exceeded or is exceeding the recommended number of attempts.
Ques. What kinds of questions are on the SAT literature Test?
Ans. The types of questions asled are Improve sentence structure and word usage, Identify and correct grammatical errors, Enhance the logic and flow of sentences and paragraphs and Improve the overall clarity and accuracy of a text.
Ques. Who can apply for the SAT Literature Subject Test?
Ans. SAT Literature Subject Test is served worldwide. Students wishing to be admitted to undergraduate courses in the universities USA and other countries accepting SAT scores can apply for the test.
Ques. How can I prepare for the SAT literature Test?
Ans. You can prepare for SAT language test by practicing with official SAT practice tests and resources from the College Board, Review grammar and punctuation rules, Read texts to develop a sense of language and focus on understanding sentence structure.
Ques. What is a good score on the SAT literature Test?
Ans. The good score on SAT language depends on the colleges you're applying to. However, a score of 600 or above is generally considered competitive for most abroad schools.
Ques. How can I prepare if I am not a native English speaker?
Ans. If you are not a native English speaker, you may want to consider taking additional English language courses or working with a tutor to improve your skills. You can also join Coaching classes or prepare for self study at home. Multiple sources are available to help you online.
Ques. What are the resources available to help me prepare for the SAT literature Test?
Ans: There are many resources available online. There are many books, websites, and online courses available to help you prepare. You can download STA language practice papers and videos for free. You can also learn from youtube videos and tutorials.
Ques. Can I use a calculator on the SAT literature Test?
Ans. No, calculators are not allowed on this section of the SAT. Also, you will not require a calculator since this section consists of literature and not Maths. Hence, calculators are not allowed.
Ques. What strategies can help me during the exam?
Ans. The strategies that can help you during the exam includes reading the question carefully, not wasting much time on one question, marking the questions that you missed and many more. These will help you excel the SAT test.
Ques. What is 740 in SAT literature to percentile?
Ans. If you get a 740 in SAT language, you can easily be above 85 percentile in SAT exam. It is a very high score and can gain admission in most of the abroad schhols and colleges.
Ques. What is the validity of scores in SAT literature?
Ans. The scores of SAT language test does not expire. It means that the scores has a lifetime validity. You can use the scores for admissions to any abroad colleges or universities.
*The article might have information for the previous academic years, please refer the official website of the exam.