When thinking about getting higher education abroad, students mostly hear the names of two tests: GRE and SAT. For someone new to prepping for studying abroad, these names might be overwhelming at first. So many questions come to a student’s mind: are these tests necessary for getting admission into higher education? What are the differences?
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Both the GRE and SAT are taken to check a candidate’s reading, writing and mathematical skills, and these tests act as a gateway to higher education. But there are more differences between the two tests than there are similarities.
The Key Difference between GRE Vs SAT
Here is the list of GRE Vs SAT 2022:
1. Purpose of the Test
The main difference between these two tests is their purpose. One test gets students admitted to graduation courses, while the other is for master’s courses.
- SAT, or the Scholastic Assessment Test, is a test for graduation course admissions. Both high school juniors and seniors take this test to get admission into colleges. Aspiring students who want to study in countries like Canada, the USA, and the UK take this test. The College Board administers it.
- GRE, or the Graduate Record Examination, is a test that helps students get admitted to applied science or business colleges. College seniors and college graduates take this test if they want to pursue a master’s degree. This test is useful only for math and sciences, arts and humanities, and social sciences grad programs. If candidates want to pursue specialised programs like a doctorate of law, they can opt for alternative tests like GMAT and MCAT.
2. GRE Vs SAT Sections
- The SAT syllabus includes the Evidence-Based Reading and Writing Section to check candidates’ vocabulary, comprehension, analytics writing, and critical reading skills. The test has a dedicated section on the mechanics of English writing that includes grammar and punctuation. It also tests math topics like algebra, geometry, and trigonometry.
- GRE includes verbal reasoning sections to evaluate the student’s reading comprehension and reasoning skills. Unlike SAT, GRE does not have a dedicated analytical writing section. GRE syllabus also consists of a quantitative reasoning section, but its math section is not as challenging as SAT. It checks the quantitative reasoning of the candidates but does not include complex math concepts.
3. Scoring
Apart from sections and the number of questions, GRE and SAT also differ in terms of how their scoring is done. The two tests are scored using two different scales.
- The SAT score for individual sections uses a scale of 200 to 800, where 200 is the lowest score and 800 is a perfect score. Math, evidence-based reading, and writing section scores are added to produce a total score on a scale of 400 to 1600. In contrast to the half and one-point increments of the GRE score, the overall score of SAT is measured in 10-point increments.
- The GRE score for quantitative reasoning and verbal section uses a scale of 130 to 170. Here, 130 is the lowest score, while 170 is a perfect score. Instead of taking a total score of the two sections, separate scores of each section are taken. While the quantitative reasoning and verbal section are measured in one-point increments, the analytical writing section is scored in half-point increments.
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4. Mode of the Test
Another major difference between the GRE test and SAT is the mode of taking the test. GRE is predominantly an online test that can be taken on computers. There are only a few countries where test-takers do not have access to computers, so they can take a paper-delivered test.
- SAT, on the other hand, is a paper-delivered test. The College Board might offer the online mode for SAT in the near future.
- As candidates use computers in test centres for GRE, they can use a screen calculator. But such an option is not available for SAT candidates. They have to bring their calculator for data analysis.
5. Flexibility
Another key difference between the two tests is how frequently you can take them in a year.
- The GRE test is conducted every 21 days, and a candidate can take the test five times a year. This makes the GRE one of the most flexible entrance tests.
- When compared to GRE, SAT places more limitations on the students. It is taken only seven times a year (once a month in March, May, June, August, October, November, and December). But there is one convenience factor: candidates can take the SAT as many times as they want.
Conclusion
SAT and GRE tests have more differences than similarities. Most importantly, their purpose is different. SAT is taken to get admitted to graduation courses, while GRE is taken for master’s courses admission. Additionally, the scoring, mode, and frequency of these tests are also different. As the tests’ purposes are different, a candidate planning to take the SAT would not be taking the GRE soon. Alternatively, someone planning to take the GRE does not need to take the SAT. Contact our experts for further guidance.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many attempts should I take for the GRE?
Generally, candidates score better in the subsequent attempts than in their earlier ones. So, candidates should not think about the attempts that they have made. Instead, they should strive to get a better score on each next attempt until they achieve the targeted score.
How many attempts should I take for the SAT?
Just like GRE, candidates should not limit themselves to a particular number of attempts at the SAT. Candidates who prepare for the SAT can attempt to achieve the targeted score without thinking about the number of attempts.
Which test is harder, GRE Vs SAT?
As the purposes of SAT and GRE are different, they are generally not compared in terms of which one is easy and which one is harder. A candidate who is doing prep for SAT is not going to take GRE and vice versa.
Still, if one compares the two tests, GRE is considered more difficult than SAT. There are two reasons for that: differences in the GRE and SAT sections and differences in their candidates. Not only are their syllabus and structure different, but also the candidates who are taking the tests. High school juniors and seniors take the SAT, while GRE is taken by candidates who have completed their graduation course.
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