Which States Require the SAT? Complete List (2023)

FAQs

What states is the SAT mandatory? ›

These states include Alaska, Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Texas, and Washington. Keep in mind that these schools and districts don't require students to take the SAT, nor is it a requirement for graduation.

Less selective public institutions, as well as many small liberal arts colleges, regularly accept applicants in the 950-1050 range. Public universities in your state might also accept residents with scores on the lower end of the scale depending on their policies and your other qualifications.

New York, which nabbed the top spot in the study, had already implemented harder tests tied to the Common Core in 2013, as had North Carolina and Massachusetts. That may have contributed to the state's high difficulty score.

Why did colleges go test-optional during COVID? Many colleges were shifting away from requiring ACT or SAT scores long before COVID, arguing in part that exam scores can contribute to inequities in admissions. Given obstacles to taking the tests as the virus spread, the trend accelerated over the last few years.

First of all, the SAT essay is technically an optional section, so no, you are not required to take it. That being said, some colleges do require applicants to take the SAT with Essay.

Moving away from standardized tests is in-step with other major university institutions. The University of California Regents, for example, voted in May 2020 to suspend SAT and ACT testing requirements through 2024 and eliminate them altogether for California students in 2025.

Students are encouraged to submit SAT/ACT scores, but it is not required.

Is SAT really required? ›

25 states require SAT or ACT scores as part of high school graduation requirements. Check with your high school counselor to determine if your state requires a score from one of these two tests to receive your high school diploma.

But for now, the short answer is that most colleges are not requiring SAT or ACT test scores for the class of 2023. We will have to wait to see what happens for the class of 2024 and beyond. Looking for help with the college search and application process?

Elon Musk reacts to GPT-4 scoring 93% on SAT exams.

The 25th percentile New SAT score is 1460, and the 75th percentile SAT score is 1580. In other words, a 1460 places you below average, while a 1580 will move you up to above average. There's no absolute SAT requirement at Harvard, but they really want to see at least a 1460 to have a chance at being considered.

Unfortunately, 940 is not a good SAT score. In reality, it's a weak score that will keep you from achieving your college admissions goals. Although you're still outperforming the majority of test takers, it's still not enough to get you into the top schools in the country.

GRE (Graduate Record Examination)

Owned and administered by the Educational Testing Service (ETS), GRE is among the world's most difficult exams. The exam is administered both online and in person. As a standardized test, GRE measures the overall academic readiness of students who want to attend graduate school.

Is the SAT Becoming Obsolete? No, it's not. According to the 2022 SAT Suite of Assessments Annual Report, 1.7 million students in the high school class of 2022 took the SAT at least once. This is an increase from 1.5 million in the class of 2021.

While many of the schools converting to test-optional admissions procedures initially did so to accommodate applicants during the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic, the shift away from requiring standardized test scores has now become the prevailing policy across the nation even as threats from the pandemic recede.

Is it bad if you don't finish the SAT? ›

All your other answers will still be graded even if you don't finish the entire section. If you can't answer every question properly, you should still bubble in something for each question, since there is no penalty for guessing.

The scores from each required section can range from 200 to 800, so the best possible total score without the essay is 1600.

The essay portion of the SAT and ACT is optional. You must take the SAT Essay/ACT Writing part to apply to Harvard. This will be taken into account as yet another aspect when deciding who to admit.

Harvard College will allow students to apply for admission without requiring SAT or ACT scores for the upcoming Harvard College Classes of '27, '28, '29, and '30.

Classic Learning Test (CLT)

The Classic Learning Test is a new exam that some smaller schools have opted to use instead of the more traditional ACT and SAT exams. Founded in 2015, the CLT is used by smaller schools and religious institutions and other private institutions.

College Board has stated that digital testing will replace the paper materials and pencils currently required. A paper PSAT test will not be available starting in the fall of 2023, and a paper SAT test will not be available starting in the spring of 2024.

In addition, all highly selective universities (with the exception of MIT) including The Ivy League, Stanford, Northwestern, and Boston University, all have announced that they will remain test optional through the high school class of 2024.

Just like what its admissions policy explains, submitting SAT or ACT scores is totally optional. Fret not as you will not be disadvantaged in the admissions process should you decide to keep those scores you got a secret.

More than 1,700 colleges and universities so far are not requiring students to submit SAT and ACT scores when they apply for admission for fall 2023, only a slightly lower number of institutions than the previous admissions cycle.

How many colleges no longer require SAT? ›

In fact, now more than 1,800 schools no longer require applicants to submit scores, according to the National Center for Fair and Open Testing, a nonprofit advocacy group commonly known as FairTest.

Trigonometry is not tested in the SAT math section. The SAT is designed to test basic high school math, from courses up to and including Algebra II. Students who wish to demonstrate more advanced skills may consider taking the ACT, which covers trigonometry, or the two SAT Math Subject Tests.

There are several reasons that the SAT is considered a more valuable admissions tool than your GPA. The most obvious is that the SAT is a standardized test. While your GPA compares you to the rest of your school, your SAT score compares you to the rest of the country. GPAs are not standard.

Students can take the SAT as many times as they want. We recommend that they take it at least twice—in the spring of their junior year and the fall of their senior year. Most students get a higher score the second time, and most colleges consider a student's highest SAT score when making admission decisions.

Both ACT and SAT scores are used for college admissions decisions and awarding merit-based scholarships. Most colleges do not prefer one test over the other. Neither the SAT or ACT is harder than the other. Different students tend to do better on one test over the other.

When you apply for admission, you can choose whether or not our review of your application will include your standardized test scores (SAT and ACT). If your scores already are on file before you apply and you choose at the time of your application to proceed without scores, we will not consider those scores.

One of the reasons we made the decision to go test-optional is that it provides students the ability to decide if they feel the test is an accurate reflection of their academic ability. About 60 percent of our students choose not to submit a test score.

Admission Requirements:

Final school report. SAT or ACT (optional for 2022-2023 applicants, but recommended)

Mark Zuckerberg.

The founder of Facebook scored the perfect 1600 on the SAT and attended Harvard University. There's no surprise there on the score or prestigious university!

Gates scored a 1590 out of 1600 on his SATs.

Has anyone ever gotten a 0 on the SAT? ›

While it's impossible for you to get a zero on the test (everyone who takes the SAT will receive at least a 400), you have almost similar odds of doing very well on the test without studying.

Ideal ACT/SAT Scores for Ivy League School Applications

The minimum SAT score to get into an Ivy League school ranges from 690 to 730 for the reading section and from 700 to 730 for the math section. Getting 700 or 710 (or higher) on both of these sections will give you an advantage at most Ivy League universities.

Yale University is extremely selective with an acceptance rate of 6%. Students that get into Yale University have an SAT score between 1470–1560 or an ACT score of 33–35. Regular applications are due January 2.

There's no absolute SAT requirement at Yale, but they really want to see at least a 1470 to have a chance at being considered.

Poor SAT Score: 900 or lower (bottom 25% of test-takers) Average SAT Score: 1050 (even with 50% of test-takers) Good SAT Score: 1200 (top 75% of test-takers) Excellent SAT Score: 1350+ (90%+ higher than all test-takers.)

What Is the Lowest SAT Score? On the Redesigned SAT, the lowest possible score is a 400: 200 on Evidence-Based Reading and Writing and 200 on Math.

25 states require SAT or ACT scores as part of high school graduation requirements. Check with your high school counselor to determine if your state requires a score from one of these two tests to receive your high school diploma.

While most colleges in the US require SAT scores for admission, some institutions do not need it at the time of application.

But for now, the short answer is that most colleges are not requiring SAT or ACT test scores for the class of 2023.

After the first SAT in 1926, the exam quickly grew in popularity. By 1935, Harvard University required all applicants to submit SAT scores.

Can I just not take the SAT? ›

Do You need to take the SAT to get into college? Yes. Students can attend college without taking the SAT test. Some schools require the ACT test.

Moving away from standardized tests is in-step with other major university institutions. The University of California Regents, for example, voted in May 2020 to suspend SAT and ACT testing requirements through 2024 and eliminate them altogether for California students in 2025.

The SAT is even more important

Colleges are getting more and more applicants every year. They can now use SAT test scores and GPAs to determine which students to accept each year. Students need to prepare for the SAT and the ACT. Read, study and take it again if necessary.

The SAT is set to switch from a paper and pencil format to a digital format in 2023 and 2024. But when exactly is this change happening? For international students, it's already happened! International students who register for an SAT exam date anytime in 2023 are taking the digital SAT.

Age Limit for the SAT Exam

The SAT should be taken while you are between the ages of 17 and 19. Students under the age of 13 can only register by phone or by mail. Due to internet privacy restrictions, students under the age of 13 cannot register online. Students who register by phone are eligible for a cost waiver.

What Will Happen After Missing the SAT. If you have registered for an SAT test but decided not to show up to take the exam, two things are going to happen to you moving forward: You will get a credit. The registration fee you paid for the SAT test will sit in your College Board account just waiting to be used again.