SAT II was the common name for SAT Subject Tests, a set of standardized exams that tested students’ knowledge in specific academic subjects like biology, U.S. history, or Spanish. The College Board offered 20 different Subject Tests across five categories. These tests were discontinued in January 2021, so they are no longer available to take.
What SAT II Tests Covered
Unlike the main SAT, which measures general reading, writing, and math skills, SAT Subject Tests focused on mastery of individual high school subjects. Students could choose which tests to take based on their strengths or the requirements of colleges they were applying to. The 20 available tests fell into five categories: Math, Science, English, History, and Languages.
Each test was one hour long and scored on a scale of 200 to 800. Students typically took two or three Subject Tests, often in junior or senior year, to complement their main SAT or ACT scores. Selective colleges used SAT II scores for admissions decisions, course placement, and advising students on which classes to take in their first year.
Why They Were Discontinued
The College Board announced on January 19, 2021, that it was ending both SAT Subject Tests and the optional SAT essay. The organization cited the coronavirus pandemic as an accelerating factor but said the move was part of a broader effort already underway to “reduce and simplify demands on students.” Rather than maintaining a suite of subject-specific exams, the College Board shifted its focus toward developing a new digital version of the main SAT.
The discontinuation reflected a wider trend in college admissions. Many schools had already stopped requiring or recommending Subject Tests before 2021, and the pandemic pushed even more colleges toward test-optional policies. With fewer schools asking for the scores, the tests had become less relevant to most applicants.
What Replaced SAT II in Admissions
No single test directly replaced SAT Subject Tests. Instead, colleges now rely on other indicators of subject-specific knowledge. The most common alternatives are Advanced Placement (AP) exams and International Baccalaureate (IB) exams, which many students already take alongside their regular coursework.
AP and IB scores serve a similar purpose to what SAT II once did. They demonstrate that a student has studied a subject at a rigorous level and can perform well on a standardized assessment of that material. Many universities accept strong AP or IB scores for course placement, letting students skip introductory college classes, and some use them to fulfill admissions requirements in specific subject areas like math, science, or foreign language.
Beyond standardized tests, admissions offices also look at high school transcripts more closely than they once did. The rigor of your course selections, your grades in relevant subjects, and teacher recommendations all carry more weight now that Subject Tests are gone.
Can You Still Send Old SAT II Scores?
If you took SAT Subject Tests before they were discontinued, the College Board may still have your scores on file, but there are limitations. Scores older than 2005 are no longer accessible, and other older scores may have been stored in systems that have since been decommissioned. The College Board notes that official score reports sent to colleges five or more years after a test date “may be less valid predictors of college academic performance than more recent scores.”
Whether a college will actually consider old Subject Test scores varies by institution. Most schools have updated their admissions processes to no longer expect them, so sending legacy SAT II scores is unlikely to make a meaningful difference in a current application. If you’re a nontraditional or returning student wondering whether your old scores have value, check directly with the admissions office of the school you’re applying to.