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While it's true that prep courses can help dramatically, the SAT subject tests are also not really that hard. I don't consider myself terribly smart (certainly
by realtalk_sp 7y ago
While it's true that prep courses can help dramatically, the SAT subject tests are also not really that hard. I don't consider myself terribly smart (certainly not MIT level) and I managed to get an 800 on the Math II and 800 on Chemistry with a minimum of studying using pretty inexpensive books. This applied to many of my friends as well.
- UncleMeat 7y agoThis is one of the reasons the subject tests are not especially useful. And since they test knowledge rather than aptitude, making them more difficult doesn't actually find smarter people but instead people who had access to more rigorous high school coursework. At the GRE level this is even more extreme. For competitive programs a perfect score doesn't distinguish you so taking the test can only harm you. When applying to grad school I was explicitly advised not to take the GRE subject tests.
- applecrazy 7y agoThe subject tests, IMO, are terrible. I took the Chemistry one right after taking AP (college level) Chemistry, and while I got a full score on that, I got absolutely destroyed on the subject test. They asked trivia-like questions and barely tested for actual chemistry knowledge.
- saagarjha 7y agoInterestingly, I had the opposite experience, finding the AP Chemistry exam more difficult than the subject exam. I think part of it is that I have no love for chemistry, so I just memorized the things I needed for the subject test.
- jimmyvalmer 7y agoI was a child of the 80s, and while I agree the Math "Level 2" was a cakewalk, getting an 800 on Chem was definitely something to write home about. I get that scaling may have changed in the past thirty years, but still!