How to study for the Swedish Scholastic Aptitude Test? – Tips and advice

The Swedish Scholastic Aptitude Test offers an opportunity for those who want to be admitted to a program but may not have the required grades. Studying for the test might feel overwhelming, but with the right preparation, you increase your chances of a good result. Here we go through how the test is structured, which parts you are assessed on, and tips on how to best study for the Swedish Scholastic Aptitude Test.

What is the Swedish Scholastic Aptitude Test?

The Swedish Scholastic Aptitude Test assesses your ability to handle studies at a college or university. The test is divided into quantitative and verbal parts that are taken on the same day. Taking the test can increase your chances of getting into programs with higher grade requirements. For some college studies, having basic eligibility is not enough. However, not all programs admit based on test results. To see if it’s necessary for you to study for the test, you can look at the admission statistics for the program you want to apply to.

Parts of the Swedish Scholastic Aptitude Test

The Swedish Scholastic Aptitude Test consists of 160 tasks taken over a total of five test sessions.

The verbal parts:

• ORD – Word comprehension
• LÄS – Swedish reading comprehension
• MEK – Sentence completion
• ELF – English reading comprehension

The quantitative parts:

• XYZ – Mathematical problem solving
• KVA – Quantitative comparisons
• NOG – Quantitative reasoning
• DTK – Diagrams, tables, and maps

Each correct answer on the test gives one point and is then converted to a final result with a value between 0 and 2. The test result is given in two decimals, where 0.00 is the lowest and 2.00 is the highest.

How do you study for the Swedish Scholastic Aptitude Test?

Of course, it’s possible to study for the Swedish Scholastic Aptitude Test, even if you can’t prepare as you would for a regular exam. You can’t know what questions the test will contain, but you can prepare by reviewing and deepening your knowledge in the different parts. So how do you best study for the Swedish Scholastic Aptitude Test? For example, by doing previous tests. Here we share tips to help you when studying for the test.

1. Make a study plan

Make a realistic plan for your preparation. Set aside time each week to study subjects related to all parts and follow the plan consistently.

2. Practice with previous tests

By practicing with old tests, you get a feel for how the test is structured and what type of questions may come up. It can give you an idea of what knowledge you need to deepen. You can also time yourself and learn to handle time limits.

3. Read

Read a lot in both Swedish and English to give yourself a good chance of passing the verbal parts. Read word lexicons, newspapers, and books of all kinds.

4. Learn prefixes and suffixes

Longer words are often composed of one or more smaller words that originate from Latin: prefixes and suffixes. Simply explained, a prefix is the initial part of a word (for example pre-, re-, inter-) and a suffix is the final part (for example -ing, -ism, -tion). The collective name for these “attachments” is affixes. By learning many common prefixes and affixes, you can understand the meaning of a word even if you don’t know it beforehand. It’s a useful tool when preparing for the word comprehension and sentence completion parts of the test.

5. Review mathematics

How do you actually study math for the Swedish Scholastic Aptitude Test? A good way to improve your math skills is to search for exercises and videos online. If you still have math books from high school, it might be a good idea to bring them out and review old exercises.

How do you study math for the Swedish Scholastic Aptitude Test?

The quantitative parts consist of mathematical tasks and tasks that measure logical thinking. Studying math for the Swedish Scholastic Aptitude Test can feel challenging, but with the right preparation, you can dust off your math skills and ensure that you both broaden and deepen them. Here are some tips on how to study math for the Swedish Scholastic Aptitude Test.

1. Review basic mathematics

Make sure you master the basic concepts in arithmetic, algebra, geometry, statistics, and function theory.

2. Use online resources

There are many online tools and apps that offer interactive exercises and explanations in mathematics.

3. Practice with diagrams

Learn to read diagrams and tables. One of the test’s quantitative parts measures this knowledge.

4. Go through old tests

By practicing the math parts from old tests, you get a better understanding of the question layout and difficulty level. You also get a chance to learn how to solve different problems under time pressure.

Swedish Scholastic Aptitude Test – FAQ

I’ve changed my name after registering for the Swedish Scholastic Aptitude Test. What do I do?

Can I take the Swedish Scholastic Aptitude Test if I’m under 18?

Can I change the test location?

How much does it cost to take the Swedish Scholastic Aptitude Test?

What do you need to bring to the Swedish Scholastic Aptitude Test?

Secure housing early with SBS

Follow these tips when studying for the Swedish Scholastic Aptitude Test and get one step closer to your dream education. If you’re admitted and need housing at your study location, you can find it with us. SBS Student Housing has student accommodations and youth housing in several locations near colleges.

Start early and keep track of important dates for both application and housing. Good luck!