The SAT Reading Test: What to expect

The SAT consists of tests in Reading, Writing and Language, and Math – plus an optional Essay. This video focuses on the Reading test. This test is designed to measure how well you read and interpret the kinds of texts you’ll encounter in college and your career. All of the questions are linked to literary or informational passages from engaging, published works. These will include single passages – which may have one or more informational graphics – and paired passages. You’ll have 65 minutes to read the passages and answer 52 questions. There is one literary passage on the test, which is drawn from an American or international work of fiction – such as a short story or novel. The remaining passages will be informational – taken from non-fiction works in the areas of history, social studies, and science. Included in these non-fiction works will be a passage or a pair of passages taken from the U.S. founding documents or the Great Global Conversation – works from around the world that focus on topics like freedom, justice, and human dignity. The purpose of each passage in the Reading Test might be to tell a story, make an argument, or explain a study or experiment. The passages will range in complexity from a ninth-grade level up to what you would expect to see in the first year of college or other postsecondary training. The questions on the Reading Test fall into three main categories; Information and Ideas: Questions that focus on what the passage says — directly or indirectly; Rhetoric: Questions that ask you to think about how the author conveys his or her meaning; And Synthesis: Questions that require you to draw conclusions and make connections between passages or between passages and informational graphics. You’re in the right place to learn more about the SAT Reading Test – right here on Khan Academy. So, let’s get started with some free hands-on practice!