Main content
SAT
Course: SAT > Unit 1
Lesson 1: SAT content and formatSAT content and format
An overview of the SAT
The SAT tests skills that you are learning in high school—skills you're likely to need in college and beyond.
Here's an overview of the content areas and question formats you can expect to see on the SAT:
Evidence-based reading and writing
Words in context
You will be tested on words that appear frequently in high-school-level and college-level texts.
Range of sources
You'll be asked to analyze, synthesize, and interpret data from a range of sources, including tables, charts, and graphs, as well as multi-paragraph passages in the following areas:
- Literature and literary nonfiction
- The humanities
- Science
- History and social studies
- Work and career
Command of evidence
For every passage or pair of passages you’ll see during the Reading Test, at least one question will ask you to identify which part of the text best supports the answer to the previous question. In other instances, you’ll be asked to find the best answer to a question by pulling together information conveyed in words and graphics.
The Writing and Language Test also focuses on command of evidence. It will ask you to analyze a series of sentences or paragraphs and decide if they make sense. Other questions will ask you to interpret graphics and to edit a part of the accompanying passage so that it clearly and accurately communicates the information in the graphics.
The Math that matters most
The Math Test focuses in depth on three essential areas of math: Problem Solving and Data Analysis, Heart of Algebra, and Passport to Advanced Math.
- Questions from the Problem Solving and Data Analysis area will require you to use ratios, percentages, and proportional reasoning to solve problems in science, social science, and career contexts.
- Questions from the Heart of Algebra area focus on the mastery of linear equations and systems, which help students develop key powers of abstraction.
- The Passport to Advanced Math questions focus on more complex equations and the manipulation they require.
Problems grounded in real-world contexts
Throughout the SAT—in the Math Test, the Reading Test, and the Writing and Language Test—you will be asked questions grounded in the real world, directly related to work performed in college and career.
Analysis in science and analysis in history/social studies
You will be asked to apply your knowledge in reading, writing, language, and math to answer questions in science and history/social studies contexts. Questions will require you to read and understand texts and to synthesize information presented through texts and graphics.
Founding documents and great global conversations
These reading passages focus on major founding political documents and the great global conversations they inspire.
Essay analyzing a source
The optional essay will no longer be part of weekend SATs.
However, the following states will be administering the SAT with Essay in the 2021-2022 academic year as part of their spring state-wide assessment system:
- Colorado
- Delaware
- Illinois
- Michigan
- New Hampshire
- Oklahoma
To find out more, check out our article The SAT Essay: Overview
Section Breakdown
Here are the main components of the SAT:
Reading Test – 65 minutes, 52 questions
Writing and Language Test – 35 minutes, 44 questions
Math Test – two sections:
1) No calculator – 25 minutes, 20 questions
2) Calculator permitted – 55 minutes, 38 questions
1) No calculator – 25 minutes, 20 questions
2) Calculator permitted – 55 minutes, 38 questions
If you live in Colorado, Delaware, Illinois, Michigan, New Hampshire, or Oklahoma, and you are taking the SAT on a school day, you may be required to write the essay (50 minutes).
Scoring
The SAT is scored on a 400 to 1600 scale. You will also receive subscore reporting for every test—math, reading, and writing and language—plus additional subscores to provide added insight into your test performance.
The optional essay doesn't contribute to this score.
No penalty for guessing
No points are deducted for wrong answers, so don't leave anything blank!
For details about what each section of the SAT contains, check out more articles and videos in Tips and Strategies
Attributions
This article was adapted from
“Test Specifications for the Redesigned SAT” from The College Board.
Want to join the conversation?
For the reading test, it says that I have 65 minutes to answer all 52 questions, but for the writing and language test, I have 35 minutes to answer all 44 questions, as a person who struggles with that topic, how can I make sure that I can answer ALL 44 questions, right or wrong, in that amount of time?(151 votes)
For anybody coming upon this question, the 44 questions for writing are much faster than the reading ones. They are mostly grammar so u dont need to read in-depth regarding a passage(37 votes)
This question is for those who wrote the real sat exam:Are khan academys questions harder than the real sat?(74 votes)
Khanacademy questions are actually variants of previous questions, also if you try the practice tests, you will see they are linked to other practice tests you can find online as they are from previous years(47 votes)
ok, so you say we shouldn't read the whole passage in the reading section, but what if there is a question like "what is the overall theme of the passage?" how can you be certain about your answer if you didn't read the whole passage?(40 votes)
Always read the first and last paragraph to determine what the author is trying to say. You can also skim throughout the text and also read some parts that are required for other questions.(103 votes)
When is the best time to take the SAT? I'm planning on taking my test in my junior year (11th grade).(17 votes)- Many students take the SAT (and the ACT!) in the spring of their junior year and again (if they feel that it's necessary) in the fall of their senior year. I'd recommend taking it for the first time once you've finished Algebra 2. Make sure to take the PSAT in October!
Some people take the SAT and ACT as early as the fall of their sophomore year, often to have scores to put on summer program applications or to have a lot of time to improve their score. This isn't always truly necessary, though! Talk to your counselor to figure out the best time for you to take the SAT.(53 votes)
Hey everybody.I did a full full test today and I scored 1070(500 in reading & writing,570 in math).It's the first full test that I have done and I haven't studied for Sat at all. I'D like to score 1500 and above ,how do I improve my skills in these areas?Kindly help!(27 votes)
Go back to the questions you answered wrong and try to really understand why you got that question wrong. Also try to figure out why you thought the right answer was wrong. If you work on your strong and your weak areas equally, you will not make as much progress as you want to. Focus on getting your weak areas stronger, then I would take another practice test. The SAT test is like a boat and your weak areas are like holes in the boat. You need to plug in the holes to prevent the boat from sinking. And remember, the College Board only has a limited number of practice tests, so use them wisely!(19 votes)
How similar are the SAT and PSAT? If I were to study only the SAT to prep for the PSAT, or the other way around, how would I do on the actual test (for both the SAT and PSAT).(8 votes)- Hey, Kaylee! I was literally just wondering that same thing earlier today...weird! Anyway, personally, I think that if you study for just one of those tests (either one), you should do well on both of the tests. The PSAT and SAT are very similar, here are the similarities, according to Prepscholar.com:
Content Both of the tests cover the exact same things!
Basic Structure Both of the tests have the same basic structure.
No Guessing Penalty Both of the tests do not penalize you for wrong answers
Here is what is different on the two tests:
Timing There are a couple more questions and a couple more minutes on the SAT than on the PSAT
Essay The SAT has an optional essay, the PSAT doesn't
Level Of Difficulty Some of the questions on the SAT will be harder than the ones on the PSAT
So, overall, the tests are very similar. If you only want to study for one test, I would recommend studying for the SAT, because that way you will be able to practice all of the questions, including the harder ones, as well as practice the essay. I hope this helps you! Sorry for the long answer!(47 votes)
is there still an experimental section in the new SAT ?(15 votes)
Are you talking about the last section of the test that is randomly chosen for anyone? (It is a random section at the end of the second math portion and it is different for everyone whether it is reading, writing, or math). If this is what you are asking about, yes, they had that on the test when I took it last month. I had reading on mine, luckily that is the portion of the test that is easiest and that I score the highest on.(6 votes)
- do you bring your own calculator(8 votes)
yes we have to bring our own calculators(12 votes)
If we choose to take the essay, can we also choose whether or not colleges will see it if we got a bad score?(15 votes)- I was under the impression that colleges will not see anything you don't put on your transcript. When signing up for your Collegeboard account, you can choose to automatically send information to colleges or not. If you don't want them to see your essay score, don't have CB automatically send information.(2 votes)
In the practice test there is a fifth option of 'guessing'. Is this option available in the real sat also?(2 votes)- Hey Prachi!
No, there is no guessing option on the real SAT test that I know of. You can guess, but you have to pick one of the answers (A B C or D). Does that answer your question?(23 votes)
