A high SAT score is a great source of merit aid so it’s important to understand the test before you take it. You may have heard about changes coming to the SAT. One big change is has to do with the penalty for guessing. Currently, test takers receive one point for each correct answer and are penalized 1/4 point for each incorrect multiple choice answer. Subject area tests subtract 1/3 point for each incorrect answer.

The redesigned SAT will eliminate the penalty for guessing. However, the redesigned SAT isn’t being administered until March 2016. For info on how the SAT taken between now and January is scored, click here.