The SAT Subject Test in World History was the name of a one-hour
multiple choice test
Multiple choice (MC), objective response or MCQ (for multiple choice question) is a form of an objective assessment in which respondents are asked to select only correct answers from the choices offered as a list. The multiple choice format is m ...
given on
World History
World history may refer to:
* Human history, the history of human beings
* History of Earth, the history of planet Earth
* World history (field), a field of historical study that takes a global perspective
* ''World History'' (album), a 1998 albu ...
by the
College Board
The College Board is an American nonprofit organization that was formed in December 1899 as the College Entrance Examination Board (CEEB) to expand access to higher education. While the College Board is not an association of colleges, it runs a ...
. A student chose to take it depending on a college's entrance requirements. Until 1994, the
SAT Subject Tests
SAT Subject Tests were 20 multiple-choice standardized tests given by the College Board on individual subjects, typically taken to improve a student's credentials for college admissions in the United States. On January 19, 2021, the College Board ...
were known as Achievement Tests; and from 1995 until January 2005, they were known as SAT IIs. The SAT World History was not taken frequently. Fewer than 17,000 students in 2015 took this test, compared to the over-110,000 students who took the
United States History Subject Test. On January 19 2021,
the College Board
The College Board is an American nonprofit organization that was formed in December 1899 as the College Entrance Examination Board (CEEB) to expand access to higher education. While the College Board is not an association of colleges, it runs a ...
discontinued all
SAT Subject tests
SAT Subject Tests were 20 multiple-choice standardized tests given by the College Board on individual subjects, typically taken to improve a student's credentials for college admissions in the United States. On January 19, 2021, the College Board ...
, including the SAT Subject Test in World History. This was effective immediately in the United States, and the tests were to be phased out by the following summer for international students. This was done as a response to changes in college admissions due to the
impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education
The COVID-19 pandemic affected educational systems worldwide. Most governments decided to temporarily close educational institutions in an attempt to reduce the spread of COVID-19. As of , approximately learners were affected due to school ...
.
Format
This test had exactly 95 questions that are to be answered in one hour. Students received one point for a correct answer, received zero points for a blank answer, and lost 1/4 of a point for a wrong answer. There were no sections in this test, and so students had to answer 95 multiple choice questions without section breaks or rest periods.
Chronology of the Test
Geography of the Test
The types of questions they have included specific recall of facts, events, or historical knowledge. Cause and effect questions were on the test as well. Students were also required to understand major historical developments, such as modernization, imperialization, explain the developments through events and other circumstances, as well as how the events happened. Some questions included material on how historians perform historical research and analysis. Finally, a very small minority of the questions tested historical interpretation of primary source material. These questions tended to be very rare, and a student typically could expect 6-8 at most on this 95 question test.
Preparation
The College Board recommended a one-year preparatory course in World History, as well as independent reading on material related to historical content. However, the questions were very similar to the
AP World History
Advanced Placement (AP) World History: Modern (also known as just AP World History, AP World, or WHAP) is a college-level course and examination offered to high school students in the United States through the College Board's Advanced Placement ...
Exam, and it was recommended a student do significant outside study by reading and working questions from a commercially available SAT World History, an AP World History preparation book, various online test preparation resources, or an AP Textbook if that student had not taken an
AP course
Advanced Placement (AP) is a program in the United States and Canada created by the College Board which offers college-level curricula and examinations to high school students. American colleges and universities may grant placement and course ...
in World History.
Resources
The student was not allowed to use any notes, textbooks, or any communications device during this test. A student was only allowed to use a
Number 2 Pencil
A pencil () is a writing or drawing implement with a solid pigment core in a protective casing that reduces the risk of core breakage, and keeps it from marking the user's hand.
Pencils create marks by physical abrasion, leaving a trail ...
with an eraser for this exam, and nothing else. The number 2 pencil with the eraser must have been brought by the student, as the testing center usually did not provide any.
See also
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SAT
The SAT ( ) is a standardized test widely used for college admissions in the United States. Since its debut in 1926, its name and scoring have changed several times; originally called the Scholastic Aptitude Test, it was later called the Schol ...
*
SAT Subject Tests
SAT Subject Tests were 20 multiple-choice standardized tests given by the College Board on individual subjects, typically taken to improve a student's credentials for college admissions in the United States. On January 19, 2021, the College Board ...
*
PSAT/NMSQT
The Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) is a standardized test administered by the College Board and cosponsored by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) in the United States. In the 2018-2019 sch ...
References
{{College Board
Standardized tests in the United States
SAT Subject Tests