The Reading Comprehension section presents 5 reading passages followed by 10 or 11 multiple choice questions about each passage. You have 65 minutes to complete this test, which includes 52 total questions.
Types of Reading Passages
- 1 fictional literary passage
- 1 or 2 history passages: U.S. founding document or topic such as freedom, justice or human dignity
- 1 social science passage: economics, psychology, or sociology
- 1 or 2 science passages: Earth science, biology, chemistry or physics
The Writing and Language test is 35 minutes long, includes 4 passages, and contains 44 multiple-choice questions. It’s a multiple-choice test in which you read passages and find and fix grammatical mistakes and weaknesses.
The 4 passages on the test are each 400-450 words. They contain a variety of topics including careers, science, the munities, and history and social studies.
Each passage has 11 multiple-choice questions. The questions fall into two main types: expression of ideas and correcting errors in grammar.
Expression of Ideas
Development questions are about main ideas, supporting details, focus, and quantitative information in tables, graphs, and charts.
Organization questions focus on logical sequence and placement of information and ideas as well as effective introductions, conclusions, and transitions.
Effective Language Use questions ask you to improve precision and eliminate wordiness, consider style and tone, and combine sentences to improve flow and rhetoric.
Standard English Conventions
These questions focus on correcting grammar usage.
- Run-ons & Fragments
- Subject Verb Agreement
- Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement
- Punctuation – Commas, Colons, Semi-colons & Dashes.
The Math test is divided into two parts: a no-calculator portion and a calculator portion. In both portions, most of the test is multiple choice, but some of the questions are grid-ins. There are formulas are provided for you.
The math section of the SAT focuses on the following areas:
Heart of Algebra
- Linear Equations
- Linear Inequalities
- Systems of Equations/Inequalities
Problem Solving & Data Analysis
- Rates/Ratios/Proportions
- Percentages
- Scatterplots
Linear, Quadratic, Exponential Graphs
- 2-Way Tables
Population and Samples
Measure of Center of Data
Passport to Advanced Math
- Quadratic Functions
- Exponential Functions
- Rational Exponents & Radicals
- Zeros of Polynomials
- Function Notation
Additional Topics in Math