SAT Subject Test in United States History
Encyclopedia
The SAT Subject Test in United States History is the name of a one-hour multiple choice
test
given on United States History by The College Board. A student
chooses whether to take the test depending upon college
entrance requirements for the schools in which the student is planning to apply. Until 1994, the SAT Subject Tests
were known as Achievement Tests; and from 1995 until January 2005, they were known as SAT IIs. Of all SAT subject tests, United States History is taken the second most, with 119,903 administrations in 2009.
The questions cover a broad range of topics. Approximately 31–35% of questions focus on political history
, 13–17% focus on economic history
, 20–24% focus on social history
, 13–17% focus on intellectual
and cultural history
, and 13–17% focus on foreign policy
.
The questions also vary with respect to time period; approximately 20% focus on period of the Pre-Columbian era
to 1789, 40% focus on the period between 1790 and 1898, and 40% focus on the period between 1899 and the present day.
and standard deviation
of the test scores in 2009 were 599 and 115, respectively.
relationships, geography
, and the ability to effectively synthesize and interpret data from charts, maps, and other visual media. However, most questions from this test are derived from/similar to the AP US History Multiple Choice questions. By taking an AP class
, IB History of the Americas, or a class with similar rigor, the chances at doing well on this test are much improved.
Multiple choice
Multiple choice is a form of assessment in which respondents are asked to select the best possible answer out of the choices from a list. The multiple choice format is most frequently used in educational testing, in market research, and in elections-- when a person chooses between multiple...
test
Standardized test
A standardized test is a test that is administered and scored in a consistent, or "standard", manner. Standardized tests are designed in such a way that the questions, conditions for administering, scoring procedures, and interpretations are consistent and are administered and scored in a...
given on United States History by The College Board. A student
Student
A student is a learner, or someone who attends an educational institution. In some nations, the English term is reserved for those who attend university, while a schoolchild under the age of eighteen is called a pupil in English...
chooses whether to take the test depending upon college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
entrance requirements for the schools in which the student is planning to apply. Until 1994, the SAT Subject Tests
SAT Subject Tests
SAT Subject Tests is the name for 20 multiple-choice standardized tests given on individual subjects, usually taken to improve a student's credentials for admission to colleges in the United States. Students typically choose which tests to take depending upon college entrance requirements for the...
were known as Achievement Tests; and from 1995 until January 2005, they were known as SAT IIs. Of all SAT subject tests, United States History is taken the second most, with 119,903 administrations in 2009.
Format
The test has 90 multiple choice questions that are to be answered in one hour. All questions have five answer choices. Students' scores are based entirely on their performance in answering the multiple choice questions.The questions cover a broad range of topics. Approximately 31–35% of questions focus on political history
Political history
Political history is the narrative and analysis of political events, ideas, movements, and leaders. It is distinct from, but related to, other fields of history such as Diplomatic history, social history, economic history, and military history, as well as constitutional history and public...
, 13–17% focus on economic history
Economic history of the United States
The economic history of the United States has its roots in European colonization in the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries. Marginal colonial economies grew into 13 small, independent farming economies, which joined together in 1776 to form the United States of America...
, 20–24% focus on social history
Social history
Social history, often called the new social history, is a branch of History that includes history of ordinary people and their strategies of coping with life. In its "golden age" it was a major growth field in the 1960s and 1970s among scholars, and still is well represented in history departments...
, 13–17% focus on intellectual
Intellectual history
Note: this article concerns the discipline of intellectual history, and not its object, the whole span of human thought since the invention of writing. For clarifications about the latter topic, please consult the writings of the intellectual historians listed here and entries on individual...
and cultural history
Cultural history of the United States
The cultural history of the United States is a broad topic, covering or having influence in many of the world's cultural aspects. Since the founding of the United States, in the 18th century various immigrant groups have been at play in the formation of the nation's culture...
, and 13–17% focus on foreign policy
Foreign relations of the United States
The United States has formal diplomatic relations with most nations. The United States federal statutes relating to foreign relations can be found in Title 22 of the United States Code.-Pacific:-Americas:-Caribbean:...
.
The questions also vary with respect to time period; approximately 20% focus on period of the Pre-Columbian era
Pre-Columbian era
The pre-Columbian era incorporates all period subdivisions in the history and prehistory of the Americas before the appearance of significant European influences on the American continents, spanning the time of the original settlement in the Upper Paleolithic period to European colonization during...
to 1789, 40% focus on the period between 1790 and 1898, and 40% focus on the period between 1899 and the present day.
Scoring
For each of the multiple choice questions, students receive 1 point for every correct answer, lose of a point for each incorrect answer, and receive 0 points for questions left blank. This creates a raw score, which is then converted into a scaled score. The conversion between these numbers varies depending on the difficulty of a particular test administration. The scaled score is the only score reported to either students or colleges and ranges from 200 to 800, with 800 being the best possible score. The meanMean
In statistics, mean has two related meanings:* the arithmetic mean .* the expected value of a random variable, which is also called the population mean....
and standard deviation
Standard deviation
Standard deviation is a widely used measure of variability or diversity used in statistics and probability theory. It shows how much variation or "dispersion" there is from the average...
of the test scores in 2009 were 599 and 115, respectively.
Preparation
The College Board suggests as preparation for the test a year-long course in United States History at the college preparatory level. The test requires understanding of historical data and concepts, cause and effectCausality
Causality is the relationship between an event and a second event , where the second event is understood as a consequence of the first....
relationships, geography
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
, and the ability to effectively synthesize and interpret data from charts, maps, and other visual media. However, most questions from this test are derived from/similar to the AP US History Multiple Choice questions. By taking an AP class
Advanced Placement Program
The Advanced Placement program is a curriculum in the United States and Canada sponsored by the College Board which offers standardized courses to high school students that are generally recognized to be equivalent to undergraduate courses in college...
, IB History of the Americas, or a class with similar rigor, the chances at doing well on this test are much improved.