The SAT Reasoning Test is a measure of the critical thinking skills students need to succeed as freshmen in college. The SAT assesses how well the students analyze and solve problems—skills they will need in college. The SAT is typically taken by high school juniors and seniors.  However, many talent search programs also use SAT I to identify gifted math and english students in grades 7 and 8.

Each section of the SAT is scored on a scale of 200—800, with two writing subscores for multiple-choice and the essay. It is administered seven times a year in the U.S., Puerto Rico, and U.S. Territories, and six times a year overseas.

http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/sat/about/SATI.html