Each SAT II subject is scored out of 800. The three therefore total to a score out of 2400. The average scores for many of the subjects are shown below;
Writing 590-�600
Literature 590�600
American History 580�590
World History 570�580
Math IC 580�590
Math IIC 655�665
Biology E/M 590�600
Chemistry 605�615
Physics 635�645
There also also language tests available however you should note these are only available are certain test dates and locations and therefore you should refer to college board.
Most colleges require writing and maths I/IC as a standard with one other option.
The writing test comprises of 20 minutes for an essay (taken in the first hour) and 40 minutes for 60 multiple choice questions. The essay titles are generally something like;
'Independence is a choice'
With reference to your personal experience, current events and your reading into literature, hisotry and other subjects, consider this quotation.
The essay is marked out of 6 by two people, then that score is 40% of your final mark.
The other 60% is from the multiple choice section. The questions fall into three categories;
Identifying sentence errors - 30 marks
Improving sentences - 18 marks
Improving paragraphs - 12 marks
The main mistakes tested are;
-tense
Next year, I was happy
-Subject-verb agreement
I were happy last year
-Pronoun agreement
Everyone who went there thought it was getting more
-Idiom error
I know I can travel away in Britain
-Pronoun case
I think her was upset
Various other mistakes do occur however and you would be better to buy one of the revision books to help. Look to the bottom of this page for a useful list.
Either the Maths IC or the IIC is needed for admission into many colleges. It is generally supposed that IC is easier however the curve on the 2C is alot more generous and therefore even if you score less points on the 2C you may gain a higher mark. It is probably safer however for those without Maths as an AS or A Level option to stick to the IC. Revision books are needed however.
A Good Book...
Real SAT II: Subject Tests - College Board
ISBN : 0-87447-6526
With one of each subject test along with tips on success at each test
How to prepare for the SAT II Writing - Barrons
ISBN : 0-7641-1689-4
With 5 full length practice exams and useful help on the essay section
Cracking the SAT II Writing and Literature - The Princeton Review
ISBN : 0-375-76301-5
Also has 5 full length practice tests ( 3 for writing, 2 for literature) and helps with grammar, essay writing and literary terms.
SAT II: Mathematics Level IC and IIC - Kaplan
ISBN : 0-743-24123-1
Very useful and combines the maths papers though better to read bit by bit.
Just some advice for your third choice; buy the revision books because we are taught on different syllabuses and you may find you do not know a whole lot. Literature is a good choice if you did English at GCSE as it is fairly simple.