Most students are keenly aware of the need to take the SAT or ACT (unless you apply to exclusively test-optional colleges). But many colleges also recommend or require that you submit Subject Test scores. The Subject Tests are 1-hour exams in a particular subject, like biology, US history, Spanish, etc. If you don’t realize until you’re completing your applications that you need to take one or more of these tests, you might not remember the subjects as well as you did in May or June of the year you took them in school. So sophomores and juniors need to be Subject Test savvy before they ever apply to college.
You can get all the information about the tests here. But the only way to know for sure if you need to take them is to visit the websites of each college you’re considering.
When you’re doing that research, find answers to the following questions:
1. Does the college require Subject Tests for all applicants?
2. If so, do they waive that requirement for students who submit ACT scores (many colleges do this)?
3. Are Subject Tests required to apply to particular majors? For example, if you want to apply as an engineering major, do your colleges require that you submit a Mathematics Level II Subject Test score?
And if you aren’t sure whether or not you should take these exams, schedule a brief meeting with your high school counselor. Better to be Subjet Test safe than sorry.