Understanding the Discontinued SAT Subject Test in Physics

The SAT Subject Test in Physics, formerly known as Physics SAT II or simply the Physics SAT, was a one-hour multiple-choice test administered by the College Board in the United States. Designed to assess a student's knowledge of physics concepts typically taught in a junior- or senior-level high school physics class, it also evaluated critical thinking and test-taking skills. However, on January 19, 2021, the College Board discontinued all SAT Subject Tests, including the Physics SAT.

Purpose and Content of the Physics SAT

High school students generally took the test to fulfill college entrance requirements for their desired schools. The test aimed to evaluate whether students had mastered the core concepts of physics and could apply them to problem-solving scenarios.

The SAT II in Physics was 60 minutes long and consisted of 75 multiple-choice questions. The test covered a range of topics, including:

Mechanics
Electricity and Magnetism
Waves and Optics
Heat and Thermodynamics
Modern Physics
Other Miscellaneous Concepts

According to College Board, mechanics and electricity/magnetism questions made up over half the test.

Recall questions made up 20% to 33% of the test. Single concept problems made up 40% to 53% of the test. Multiple concept problems accounted for 20% to 33% of the questions.

Scoring System

Students received 1 point for each correct answer, lost ¼ of a point for each incorrect answer, and received 0 points for questions left blank. This raw score was then converted to a scaled score ranging from 200 to 800. The mean score for the 2006-07 test administrations was 643 with a standard deviation of 107.

Test-Taking Rules

During the Physics SAT, students were prohibited from using any external resources, including textbooks, notes, or formula sheets. While the test included mathematics questions involving trigonometry, the use of a calculator was not permitted.

Preparing for the Physics SAT (Historically)

While the test is no longer offered, understanding the preparation strategies can provide insights into effective physics learning and test-taking techniques.

Study Resources

Official Practice Questions: Using official practice questions was always the best way to prepare for the SAT or SAT Subject Test. College Board currently only provides Physics practice questions in its All Subject Tests Study Guide.
Princeton Review's Cracking the SAT Physics Subject Test: This book provided a comprehensive overview of the concepts you needed to know and high-quality practice questions to apply them.
Barron's: Barron's was also a good option with high-quality practice questions.
College Board's 36 online practice questions: It was important to thoroughly read the explanations of any questions you're unsure about or don't know.
Varsity Tutors: Varsity Tutors had a bunch of helpful practice questions broken up into subsets of concepts.

Effective Study Strategies

Review Classwork: As you went through your physics class, you should review your classwork in conjunction with a test prep book like Princeton Review or Barron's.
Intensive Test Prep: You could really do more intensive test prep in the two to three months before the Subject Test.
Practice Tests: Make sure to do a practice test a couple weeks before the test to get a good sense of your preparation and fill in any last minute gaps in knowledge.
Timing: Timing yourself while you take practice tests would help you with pacing and time management. When you take a full-length practice test, give yourself exactly 60 minutes and sit in a quiet room with few distractions.
Active Correction: Correcting your practice tests should be a very active process. If you get a question wrong, mark it down in a notebook. If the first, you should definitely go back in your notes and review. Then find practice questions that test those concepts.
Formula Memorization: You couldn't bring a formula sheet with you when you take the Physics Subject Test. The test would give you some constants, but you had to know the formulas that express physical relationships.
Elimination Strategy: Go through the answer choices and see which ones you can cross off as definitely incorrect.

Test Dates

You could take the Physics Subject test on the May, June, August, October, November, or December test dates. It's best to take the test at the end of the academic year when the course content is fresh in your mind. The June test date would be an ideal time to take the Physics Subject Test.

Discontinuation of SAT Subject Tests

In January 2021, the College Board announced the immediate discontinuation of SAT Subject Tests in the United States. International testing ended in June 2021. This decision left many students and educators wondering about the future of college admissions.

Read also: Physics at Illinois: Loomis Lab

What a "Good" Score Meant

What made a good score depended on the test.

tags: #physics #subject #test #sat #content