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If you are going to do an AP test in a subject - for example AP US History, is it worthwhile to do the SAT subject test in that subject also. I'm not sure if anywhere my dd wants to apply to requires SAT subject tests, but think it might be better to do some just in case. I just wondered if it was redundant to do the SAT test in a course you had done an AP test in?

 

Also, which prep book do you recommend for the SAT subject tests?

 

Thanks for any advice you can give me.

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That's what I did with my DC. DS took AP tests in May and took same subject SAT tests in June when memory is still fresh. For SAT subject test, he used the official study guide from CB. Only thing was that he took  AP Physic C test, but SAT Physics test was more aligned with AP Physics B. He didn't take SAT US History, so I cannot tell you about that.

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Compared with the AP, the SAT subjects are a breeze:  an hour long, all multiple choice.  There is the official blue and green college board book of old exams, as well as books published by the usual test prep publishers: Barron's, Princeton Review, etc., of varying quality.  Thought your student should be aware that there may be topics covered on the SAT subject test that are not covered on the AP.  This came up a fair bit in chemistry.  If you are taking AP chem at PAH, the teacher is very good about preparing for both tests.  

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Compared with the AP, the SAT subjects are a breeze:  an hour long, all multiple choice.  There is the official blue and green college board book of old exams, as well as books published by the usual test prep publishers: Barron's, Princeton Review, etc., of varying quality.  Thought your student should be aware that there may be topics covered on the SAT subject test that are not covered on the AP.  This came up a fair bit in chemistry.  If you are taking AP chem at PAH, the teacher is very good about preparing for both tests.  

 

What is PAH?

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My kids love preparing for and taking tests, so I let them take the SAT subject tests as soon as they are prepared for it.  If you are taking one before high school, you'll need to notify the CB to retain their scores or else they will wipe them from the record for some reason.  Some people argue that it's better to take the SAT subject test after you've had the most advanced course in that field, like the AP exam.  But we like to get them out of the way, especially if they are prepared.  There's no harm in signing up and just taking a test for practice.  

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My kids love preparing for and taking tests, so I let them take the SAT subject tests as soon as they are prepared for it.  If you are taking one before high school, you'll need to notify the CB to retain their scores or else they will wipe them from the record for some reason.  Some people argue that it's better to take the SAT subject test after you've had the most advanced course in that field, like the AP exam.  But we like to get them out of the way, especially if they are prepared.  There's no harm in signing up and just taking a test for practice.  

 

Do you know how long they keep the scores for? We are in middle school and planning to take one next year.

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My kids love preparing for and taking tests, so I let them take the SAT subject tests as soon as they are prepared for it.  If you are taking one before high school, you'll need to notify the CB to retain their scores or else they will wipe them from the record for some reason.  Some people argue that it's better to take the SAT subject test after you've had the most advanced course in that field, like the AP exam.  But we like to get them out of the way, especially if they are prepared.  There's no harm in signing up and just taking a test for practice.  

 

Do you know how long they keep the scores for? We are in middle school and planning to take one next year.

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Do you know how long they keep the scores for? We are in middle school and planning to take one next year.

I don't know how long the scores are kept for, but I wrote to College Board to retain tests taken in 8th grade.  Those scores were still available when test scores were sent to colleges at the beginning of senior year.

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Do you know how long they keep the scores for? We are in middle school and planning to take one next year.

I called CB to get my DS's official AP score report and they said I can down load it for 4 years after the tests. After then it will be moved to archives. I don't know if that is same for SAT subject tests though. But do know that they don't expire. Once again, it doesn't mean that you can use the score that your DC got in 8th grade. Most colleges will ask for new test scores - likely less than 3 years old. 

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My kids love preparing for and taking tests, so I let them take the SAT subject tests as soon as they are prepared for it.  If you are taking one before high school, you'll need to notify the CB to retain their scores or else they will wipe them from the record for some reason.  Some people argue that it's better to take the SAT subject test after you've had the most advanced course in that field, like the AP exam.  But we like to get them out of the way, especially if they are prepared.  There's no harm in signing up and just taking a test for practice.  

 

 

This is a bit off-topic, but relevant. I know your dd took the SAT II Bio after taking WTMA Bio. I recall she took it first in May and then scored higher on the June test after adding in body systems. Would you mind sharing with me, if you recall, exactly what you did for review? When did you start review, and what exactly prep did you take? (Books, websites, WTMA study guides, flashcards) Any details you can share would be fantastic!

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I called CB to get my DS's official AP score report and they said I can down load it for 4 years after the tests. After then it will be moved to archives. I don't know if that is same for SAT subject tests though. But do know that they don't expire. Once again, it doesn't mean that you can use the score that your DC got in 8th grade. Most colleges will ask for new test scores - likely less than 3 years old.

What colleges have you found that will not accept SAT II scores that are more than three years old? 

 

The only college I have found that had a written policy stating that they would not accept my kids' "old" SAT II scores was Carnegie Mellon.  The Ivies, NESCAC schools, and MIT accepted SAT II scores that were more than three years old.  Neither of my kids applied to Carnegie Mellon, but I believe Kathy in Richmond's kids had "old" SAT II scores that were accepted by Carnegie Mellon, despite the written policy.

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This is a bit off-topic, but relevant. I know your dd took the SAT II Bio after taking WTMA Bio. I recall she took it first in May and then scored higher on the June test after adding in body systems. Would you mind sharing with me, if you recall, exactly what you did for review? When did you start review, and what exactly prep did you take? (Books, websites, WTMA study guides, flashcards) Any details you can share would be fantastic!

And if I can add one question, since we're in California, if DD takes biology in 8th grade, does that mean a summer SAT 2 in biology would count towards fulfilling a-g? Or a student should wait to take test after the summer? I want to make sure it counts towards a-g.

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What colleges have you found that will not accept SAT II scores that are more than three years old? 

 

 

It was an MIT info session. Because my DS took the old SAT, I asked the officer about their policy concerning the old scores. He said the school prefers scores that are less than three years old. Scores older than that are still valid, and the school accepts them, but they just don't carry the same weight as a more recent results. Colleges are afraid that scores from 8th-9th grade might not be truly representative of the student's current academic level.

 

If I recall, Yale said something similar in their information session as well.

 

If the scores are good, it doesn't hurt to send them. It just won't make the same impact as a score from only one or two years back.

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This is a bit off-topic, but relevant. I know your dd took the SAT II Bio after taking WTMA Bio. I recall she took it first in May and then scored higher on the June test after adding in body systems. Would you mind sharing with me, if you recall, exactly what you did for review? When did you start review, and what exactly prep did you take? (Books, websites, WTMA study guides, flashcards) Any details you can share would be fantastic!

 

Dd made up her own flash cards as the class went along so she could review cumulatively.  We used the Barron's and Princeton Review, for review of old material from 1st semester as she was learning new material.  We ended by using the blue/yellow College Board old exam.  And we continued using the Holt Biology textbook, the edition with the polar bear on the cover, but I think any edition would be fine.  It's a great book that aligns well with the SAT subject test.  

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