In Short: College Board discontinued Subject Tests in 2021.
A comment from the College Board blog on the topic:
As students and colleges adapted to new realities and changes to the college admissions process, College Board stopped offering Subject Tests to reduce demands on students.
Students can still get and send Subject Test scores from previous administrations, just as they do for the SAT. Students who didn’t get a chance to take Subject Tests can stand out on college applications by taking the SAT. And the expanded reach of AP and its widespread availability means that students have more ways to show what they know and what they’ve learned in specific subjects.
The article below is a resource we created before the Subject Tests were discontinued. It shouldn’t be seen as admissions advice, but as an archive of what the Subject Tests were, and how Solomon recommended they be approached.
Everyone knows that they have to take the SAT or ACT for most college admissions, but what about the SAT Subject Tests? Are they really a thing? Yes, they are – particularly for students applying to the most competitive colleges and universities where they may be required or recommended. For some programs, specific SAT Subject Tests may even be required. For applicants to MIT, for example, or to other colleges’ hard science or math programs, Math II or Physics SAT Subject Tests may be mandatory.
SAT Subject Tests are offered by the College Board, and students register through their College Board account. The tests are given on most days that the SAT is given, but may not be taken on the same day that the student is registered for the SAT. Each test is one hour long and students may take up to three tests at one sitting. It is not necessary to register for three: just stay and do more! However, be sure that the tests you intend to take are offered on that date. Tests are offered in Math (Math I and Math II), Literature, History (US and World), major science courses and popular foreign languages. For a full list of the tests offered and test dates for those subjects, see the College Board’s list here.
Some colleges will accept the ACT alone in lieu of the SAT plus SAT Subject Tests. Some say they are “recommended” or “optional.” Note, however, that almost no college will refuse your SAT Subject Test results if you send them! So applicants to the more competitive schools should plan to take these tests and submit their best scores along with their AP scores and other standardized test results.
Which tests should you take? Take what you are GREAT at – and schedule the test for the end of that course, in May or June. Students earning “A”s in Honors level or AP courses are strong candidates for that Subject Test. (And here’s a tip: If the college to which you wish to apply requires more SAT Subject Tests than you can present excellent results in, maybe that school should not be on your list.)
What is a good SAT Subject Test score? Anything below 600 is non-competitive. For the most competitive schools, certainly 700 is a reasonable benchmark. Remember: This is not the SAT, a test taken by ALL college applicants. This test is only taken by those who are already excelling and will be applying to particularly competitive colleges. So the bar is high to start.
How should you prepare for the SAT Subject Test? Presumably, you are getting great preparation in your Honors or AP course. Your teacher will probably have supplementary materials for you to help you with the SAT Subject Test. In the most popular test subjects – such as Math I, Math II, US History, World History – the College Board publishes “guides” with several real tests to practice on. Note that these tests tend to be REALLY OLD, so supplement them with dedicated study guides from Barrons plus The Princeton Review or Kaplan.
Even if it is a subject you know well, be well-prepared and you’ll have a great addition to add to your college admissions portfolio.
All of our blog posts are written by Former College Admission Officers who serve as members of our admission consultant team.
