SAT Subject Test: Spanish
- The SAT Subject Tests in Spanish evaluate skills in Spanish grammar, vocabulary, and reading comprehension.
- A student with a strong background in the language—including at least two or three years of formal study in high school, or some comparable training—might consider taking a Spanish Subject Test.
Test Calendar
Two versions of the Spanish test are available:
- the standard SAT Subject Test in Spanish, offered in October, December, January, May, and June; and
- the Spanish with Listening, offered only in November.
Test Formats
1. Standard Spanish
| Section |
Content |
Number of Questions |
Time |
| Part A |
Batches of 2-4 related questions, with a shared pool of 5 choices common to that batch |
Approximately 85 Multiple Choice |
1 Hour |
| Part B |
Grammatical Structure and Verbal Usage within a paragraph (including verb agreement and tense, personal and relative pronouns, articles, adjectives, adverbs, and prepositions) |
| Part C |
Reading Comprehension (selections from literature, journalism, and real-world prose such as advertisements) |
2. Spanish with Listening
Listening Component
| Section |
Content |
Number of Questions |
Time |
| Part A |
Picture Identification |
30-35 Multiple Choice |
20 minutes |
| Part B |
Comprehension of Brief Dialogues |
| Part C |
Comprehension of Long Dialogues and Monologues |
Reading Component
| Section |
Content |
Number of Questions |
Time |
| Part A |
Contextual Vocabulary and Idioms |
50-55 Multiple Choice |
40 minutes |
| Part B |
Grammatical Structure and Verbal Usage within a paragraph (including verb agreement and tense, personal and relative pronouns, articles, adjectives, adverbs, and prepositions) |
| Part C |
Reading Comprehension (selections from literature, journalism, and real-world prose such as advertisements) |
Please see our general information about the SAT Subject Tests for details about test scoring and other topics.
Our Approach
Content of Program
Based on the diagnostic test and other factors, including additional coursework and time a student has spent in a Spanish-speaking country or home environment, a decision is made about which version of the test the student should take. Initially, students work with tutors to master basic thematic vocabulary and grammatical structures covered in the first two years of a typical high school Spanish curriculum. Students then learn higher-level vocabulary, along with more complex grammatical structures, and apply them to the different parts of the exam.
As the program progresses, tutors focus on the student's particular areas of difficulty, such as the indicative versus the subjunctive, the preterit versus the imperfect, pronouns, and prepositions. Meetings, in-session exercises, homework, and timed practice tests all provide opportunities for the exercise and refinement of language skills. This course of study allows our students to improve their overall knowledge of Spanish in the process of mastering the requirements of the exam.
Further Information
Please see our general information about the SAT Subject Tests for details about the length of the program and other topics.
For additional information about preparing and registering for the Spanish Subject Tests, follow the link below to the College Board’s website:
http://www.collegeboard.com.
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