The SAT I test is split into 2 sections; verbal and maths. The varbal section is the English part of the test. Each section is split into 3 parts. In total there are 7 sections to the SAT; but 1 section is considered a 'practice' and does not count towards your final score. Unfortunately you will not know which section this is until you get your results back.
The SAT I is out of 1600. The varbal holds 800 as does the maths section. An average score is around 800-1000. If you are applying to Ivy League schools however you should be aiming for 1400 upwards.
To book your SAT go to College Board on the links section. You need to sign up. The test will cost so have your mastercard at the ready. You will take the test at a specific time and a location somewhere in Britain. There are places in Scarborough, Manchester, London plus various other places. You must be at the centre by 8:00 - 8:15 though the test will start at 9:00 generally. There is a break midway through the test in which you can take toilet breaks however it is only 5 minutes long.
When attending a test you should take two HB pencils, a rubber, a pencil sharpener, your test ticket (which you can print from the computer when you book the test) and a calculator (not graphing) with spare batteries.
Before your test you should have revised; a good way to do this is through '10 Real SATs', available through Amazon. This will show you what the real SAT is like through past papers. You can also see how much work you need to achieve your desired score.
You can also set your homepage to Sound Keepers (Key links section) which has SAT words. Your vocabulary is the extremely important in the SAT and you should work hard to improve it.
A Good Book...
10 Real SATs : The College Board
ISBN: 0-87447-705-0
This is just as it says; 10 real SATS. Past papers, which are useful to practice on and include answer sheets. It also includes some test-taking tips and strategies for answering questions.
How to prepare for the SAT I : Barrons
ISBN: 0-641-1390-9
Looks at the Math and Verbal sections of the SAT I along with a chapter on getting into college and useful information about writing your college essays. Also includes 7 model SATs
Math Workbook for the SAT I : Barrons
ISBN: 0-7641-0768-2
An in-depth look at the Maths section of the SAT I along with a practice paper
Verbal Workbook for the SAT I : Barrons
ISBN: 0-7641-1382-8
An in-depth look at the verbal section of the SAT I including vocabulary help and 3 complete verbal reasoning tests
Hot Words for the SAT I : Linda Carnevale
ISBN: 0-7641-1875-7
A useful list of words for the SAT I, ordered into subjects to aid memorisation.
Although SAT I is definitely important for your university application, and if there is time and you are unhappy with your score you may consider retakes, it is not the only aspect and should not be considered as such.
Although unlimited retakes on the SAT I are possible, this will not look good to the universities and they will see all of your results. Three is generally a good maximum.