When Were SAT Subject Tests Discontinued?

College Board announced the end of SAT Subject Tests on 19 January 2021. Testing stopped immediately in the United States. International students had two final administrations, in May and June 2021.

The decision was part of College Board's effort to reduce testing demands. It also cited the wider reach of AP as another way for students to demonstrate subject knowledge.

The SAT itself continues. Subject Tests were additional subject-specific examinations, previously known as SAT II, rather than compulsory sections of the SAT.

SAT Subject Test Subjects and Syllabus

The former programme offered 20 tests across five subject areas. Language options included reading-only and listening versions; Biology E/M had ecological and molecular emphases.

What did the tests cover?

These were separate school-subject tests. Chemistry and Physics had 85 and 75 multiple-choice questions respectively, each in one hour. They are useful distinctions when identifying an old paper or score report.

Math Level 1, Math Level 2 and Today's SAT Math

Math Level 1 and Math Level 2 were separate Subject Tests. Level 2 extended into precalculus and trigonometry. Today's SAT has one Math section with two modules; those modules are not the old Level 1 and Level 2 tests.

The current SAT syllabus combines Reading and Writing with Math. The second module within each section adapts to performance in the first.

Total answering time is 134 minutes, with a 10-minute break between sections. A one-hour Subject Test paper therefore has a different scope and format from a full digital SAT practice test.

How SAT Subject Tests Were Scored

Each Subject Test reported a score from 200 to 800. The raw calculation awarded one point for a correct response and deducted a fraction for an incorrect one:

The science tests treated every question as a five-choice question, so each wrong answer cost a quarter point. The raw result was then converted to the reported scale; 800 was a scaled score, not 800 questions or raw marks.

What Did a 700 or 800 Score Mean?

The same score had different percentile ranks in different subjects. These figures come from the table for the 2019–2021 graduating classes:

For example, 700 in Literature was above the scores of 72% of that test's comparison group, while 700 in Math Level 2 was above 38%. Each test attracted a different group of students, so these percentiles cannot rank a student's ability across subjects.

An 800 was the top scaled score, but its percentile was not necessarily 99. The university receiving an old result decides whether and how to use it.

Can You Still Send Old SAT Subject Test Scores?

College Board still allows students to access and send results from past Subject Test administrations. Start with the College Board account used for testing and select the relevant score and recipient.

Older records may need the archived-score service. College Board accepts requests online or by telephone. For a phone request, have the test date and registration number if available, plus your name and address at the time of testing.

The archive service says scores older than 2005 are no longer accessible, and some other older records may also be unavailable. An archived report can incur both a retrieval fee and a per-report charge.

Sending a report and having it considered are separate steps. Colleges set their own policies for older Subject Test results, including whether they accept them for admission or placement.

SAT Subject Test Dates and Fees Now

There are no new SAT Subject Test dates or registration fees. The final international administrations were in 2021. Current SAT registration fees pay for the SAT, not a Subject Test.

If you already hold a result, the possible cost is score reporting or archive retrieval rather than examination registration. The order shows the applicable charge for the reports and services selected.

SAT Subject Tests vs AP Exams

AP exams assess college-level subject learning and report scores from 1 to 5. Many colleges award credit or advanced placement for qualifying AP results, with the score and course determined by the college.

AP is a separate programme with its own syllabus and examination requirements. It did not turn an old Subject Test registration into an AP registration, and there is no universal rule requiring applicants to replace each former Subject Test with an AP exam.

Subjects and formatformer papers and marking Scores and alternativesold reports, SAT and AP

1. Subject options
2. Historical scoring
3. Final test dates

1. Historical percentiles
2. Send an old score
3. SAT and AP comparison