Last Updated: October 19, 2021
Taking the SAT in Dubai doesn’t have to be a pain in the you-know-what…as long as you know how it works here.
A lot of the information you find about the SAT online is either:
- Too old: The SAT changed in 2016/2017 and many websites weren’t updated to reflect the different number of sections or changed topics; OR
- For US students: The SAT is administered a bit differently for international students and many websites only provide information targeting US students.
But, don’t worry…
We’ve outlined 5 things you need to know about taking the SAT in Dubai.
1. The SAT is only offered 5 times a year in Dubai.
Unfortunately, you can’t take the SAT whenever you want to. You can’t even take it 6 times a year like you used to be able to. The SAT is only offered 5 times a year in countries outside the US. You can take the SAT in:
- August
- October
- December
- March
- May
The limited offering means you definitely need to plan ahead. The best month to take the SAT in your 12th grade year is October. You will have had all summer to prepare. If you aren’t happy with your score from the October SAT, you’ll be able to take the December SAT and still make your university deadlines. You also won’t have many (if any) exams because school will have only recently started.
The worst month to take the SAT is in May. During May, you probably have end of the year exams and won’t have had lots of time to study. For 12th graders, almost all the university deadlines will have passed so the scores will be useless unless you are applying to universities in the UAE (they have later deadlines than US and Canada universities).
2. There is no late registration for the SAT in Dubai.
A change was made to late registration a few years ago. There is no late registration for students taking the SAT outside of the US.
Check out the registration deadlines for the 2020-2021 SAT.
Many students come to us with tales of a friend who graduated a couple of years ago getting on the waiting list and taking the SAT at the last minute.
That was years ago! The policy has changed since then.
You can’t walk up on the day with your registration booklet and take the SAT. It’s no longer allowed outside of the US.
3. There are 4 required sections on the SAT.
There used to be 10 sections on the SAT. Any information you see with that many sections is old and irrelevant.
Since the SAT was changed, there are 4 sections:
- Reading
- Writing
- Math (no calculator)
- Math (with calculator)
The reading and writing scores get combined for a composite score of 200 to 800.
The 2 math sections get combined for a composite score if 200 to 800.
Therefore, your total possible score on the SAT will be from 400 to 1600.
So what’s a good score?
In short, anything about 1,200 total is good. Above 1,300 total is great.
4. There’s NO essay.
There used to be an optional 5th section on the SAT…the essay.
However, in 2021, the makers of the SAT–the College Board–got rid of the essay as part of the test.
Thank goodness!
5. SAT preparation should take about 2 months.
Unfortunately, we meet students all the time who think the SAT is the kind of test you bunk, muck up, memorize, or cram for.
It’s not.
The SAT is specifically designed to test your long-range comprehension and math fluency skills. You need at least 6 weeks, preferably 2 months or more, to prepare for the SAT properly.
More and more universities are getting very specific about the SAT section and total scores they want as a minimum, so it’s very important that you give yourself adequate time to learn and understand how to apply the concepts.
Need help preparing for the SAT?
Whatsapp us and we’ll answer the rest of your questions about taking the SAT in Dubai and correct any old information you may have.
Last Updated: October 19, 2021
