SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test):
* Purpose: Primarily used for college admissions in the United States. It measures a student's readiness for college-level work.
* Focus: Tests critical reading, writing and language, and mathematics skills. Emphasis is on problem-solving and analytical abilities. There is no testing of specific subject matter in the way that IGCSE does.
* Structure: A single exam with a Reading, Writing and Language, and Math section. The essay is optional.
* Grading: Scored out of 1600 (800 for Math and 800 for Evidence-Based Reading and Writing).
* Audience: Primarily high school students in the US applying to American colleges and universities. It's also used internationally, but often as a supplement to other qualifications.
IGCSE (International General Certificate of Secondary Education):
* Purpose: An internationally recognized qualification awarded at the end of secondary education (around age 16). It's a subject-based qualification, meaning students take examinations in various subjects. It's used for entry to higher education internationally.
* Focus: Covers a wide range of subjects, including languages, humanities, sciences, and mathematics. The tests focus on specific subject knowledge and skills.
* Structure: A series of individual subject examinations. Students choose the subjects they wish to study.
* Grading: Grades are given on a letter scale (A*-G), with A* being the highest. Each subject is graded individually.
* Audience: Students following an international curriculum, primarily in international schools worldwide. It is not directly used for college admission in the United States in the same way the SAT is.
In short:
* The SAT is a college entrance exam focused on general academic aptitude, used primarily in the US.
* The IGCSE is a subject-based qualification demonstrating knowledge and skills in specific subjects, used internationally for further education and sometimes college admission outside the US.
Many students may take both, using IGCSEs to demonstrate subject proficiency and the SAT to apply to US universities. They are not interchangeable or comparable in terms of their purpose or grading.