Welcome to our new Sixth Form monthly newsletter for November. Each month, we aim to provide you with key updates and insights that impact your child. This month we provide information about the SAT and the support your child is receiving.
SAT Information
For students considering applications to the US and to some Asian and European universities, the SAT is becoming increasingly important. Your child should consider booking for an upcoming test.
What is it?
- It is a long test divided into English and Math sections, each marked out of 800, with a total of 1600 points.
- It can be taken multiple times. Generally, our students get over 1200 points on the first attempt and increase by 100 points on each subsequent attempt.
- The best score in each subject can be used from different exams to calculate an overall grade, called the Super Score.
- Anything over 1300 puts our students above the international average, but for very demanding universities, a score in the high 1400s or over 1500 is required.
When and where is it done?
- The exams are run by the College Board, the same company that runs the Common App where students can apply to US universities when they are in Year 13.
- The exam is online through a special secure app called the Blue Book and done at test centres.
- There are only 8 SAT exams available each year, five in the autumn, and three in the spring.
- We encourage all of our students to take it sometime during Year 12 for the first time, and then one or two more times in the autumn in Year 13 if they need to boost their scores
- It is booked through https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/sat/registration and costs 111 USD per exam.
There are numerous testing centres in Almaty, including Haileybury. Please note that we cannot guarantee a booking at our test centre, so students should apply as soon as possible for sittings
The next exams are:
- March 14, 2026: Registration deadline is February 27, 2026.
- May 2, 2026: Registration deadline is April 17, 2026.
- June 6, 2026: Registration deadline is May 22, 2026.
How important is it?
- Remember, a university admissions office looks first at a student’s school grades: AS-level final exams are by far the most important part of an application, and this must take first priority in your planning.
- Please note that SAT is optional for some US universities and is not needed for our other population destinations, such as the UK or Europe.
- However, a high SAT score can be added to our letters of recommendation, which are written by the Sixth Form Team.
How to study for the SAT?
- Students to do the official practice tests from the College Board on their Blue Book app: https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/practice/practice-tests/bluebook. There are 7 full practice tests here for free.
- Other practice tests are available from a private source: https://bluebook.plus and the Khan Academy, an online and free service with excellent resources for self-studying the SAT. (https://www.khanacademy.org/digital-sat).
- In addition, each year we ask our high-achieving Y13 students to offer their advice and tutoring to Y12 students for the SAT, once they have completed most of their own applications in January/February.
What Year 12 have been doing
Year 12 students have already had an active and enriching start to the year. In recent weeks, we have hosted universities from the UK, the United States, Canada, and Sweden, amongst others, giving students the chance to ask questions and explore international pathways. This is in addition to the Careers and University Fair and the trip to HKUST in China earlier in the term.
Earlier in the month, 13 students also visited the offices of the auditing firm EY, where their team delivered masterclasses to all students as part of our Skills programme. In addition, 12 students have begun a certified First Aid course, and over 15 students are now undertaking the EPQ, which is a strong addition to future university applications. All students have also had sessions on how to choose and complete university-level online courses (MOOCs). In short, all students are being given the opportunity and skills needed for university applications.
All of these opportunities, along with reminders, application links, and guidance, are shared with students in our Skills sessions and on the Year 12 Google Classroom, which is updated regularly. Please discuss the shared links with your son or daughter.
