In Brazil, recently, students from all over the country placed their hopes for an opening in a university through the ENEM (National Secondary Education Examination). The evaluation method that ensures access to institutions of Higher Education resembles the Scholastic Aptitude Test, or SAT, as it is popularly known in the United States. Accepted in every American university – as part of the admission process in the institutions – the unified exam is conducted by the College Board and attracts Americans and tourists.
Its aim? To evaluate the thought processes and the learning of the students. How? By means of three basic areas: writing, critical reading, and math, each with a maximum score of 800 points, totaling 2400 as the highest score in the exam. With this in mind, 1050 points is considered an average score, while, beginning at 1600, that is, 2/3 of the exam, the score is considered excellent. It must be noted that there’s no such thing as failing the SAT – like in the ENEM – therefore, the student can do well or badly in the exam, depending on the university chosen, helping or hindering the candidacy.
In order not to discourage students, nobody gets a 0 in the exam, since each section ensures 200 points for the candidate to avoid embarrassment. The questions, all with the same value, are divided into three levels of difficulty: easy, medium and difficult – without penalties for just guessing, as used to happen until 2015.
The SAT in practice
Including the Essay, which is optional, the total time for the SAT is 3 hours and 50 minutes. There are 100 minutes for Evidence-based (Reading and Writing), 80 minutes for mathematics and another 50 minutes for the Essay.
Evidence-based (Reading and Writing)
Reading – 65 minutes and 52 questions
Writing – 35 minutes and 44 questions
Mathematics
45 multiple choice questions and 13 discursive questions in 80 minutes
Math (use of calculator not allowed) – 25 minutes
Math (use of calculator allowed) – 55 minutes
Essay
50 minutes for the analysis of a source (evidence-based essay)
