essay questions on sat

SAT Essay Prompts (10 Sample Questions)

What does it take to get a high SAT Essay score, if not perfect it? Practice, practice and more practice! Know the tricks and techniques of writing the perfect SAT Essay, so that you can score perfect as well. That’s not a far off idea, because there actually is a particular “formula” for perfecting the SAT Essay test. Consider that every prompt has a format, and what test-takers are required to do remain the same- even if the passage varies from test to test.

The SAT Essay test will ask you to read an argument that is intended to persuade a general audience. You’ll need to discuss how proficient the author is in arguing their point. Analyze the argument of the author and create an integrated and structured essay that explains your analysis.

On this page, we will feature 10 real SAT Essay prompts that have been recently released online by the College Board. You can utilize these Essay SAT prompts as 10 sample SAT Essay questions for easy practice. This set of SAT Essay prompts is the most comprehensive that you will find online today.

The predictability of the SAT Essay test necessitates students to perform an organized analytical method of writing instead of thinking up random ideas on their own. Consider that what you will see before and after the passage remains consistent. It is recommended that you initially read and apply the techniques suggested in writing the perfect SAT Essay (🡨link to SAT Essay —- SAT Essay Overview: How to Get a Perfect Score) before proceeding on using the following essay prompts for practice.

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10 Official SAT Essay Prompts For Practice

Practice Test 1

“Write an essay in which you explain how Jimmy Carter builds an argument to persuade his audience that the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge should not be developed for industry.”

Practice Test 2

“Write an essay in which you explain how Martin Luther King Jr. builds an argument to persuade his audience that American involvement in the Vietnam War is unjust.”

Practice Test 3

“Write an essay in which you explain how Eliana Dockterman builds an argument to persuade her audience that there are benefits to early exposure to technology.”

Practice Test 4

“Write an essay in which you explain how Paul Bogard builds an argument to persuade his audience that natural darkness should be preserved.”

Practice Test 5

“Write an essay in which you explain how Eric Klinenberg builds an argument to persuade his audience that Americans need to greatly reduce their reliance on air-conditioning.”

Practice Test 6

“Write an essay in which you explain how Christopher Hitchens builds an argument to persuade his audience that the original Parthenon sculptures should be returned to Greece.”

Practice Test 7

“Write an essay in which you explain how Zadie Smith builds an argument to persuade her audience that public libraries are important and should remain open”

Practice Test 8

“Write an essay in which you explain how Bobby Braun builds an argument to persuade his audience that the US government must continue to invest in NASA.”

Practice Test 9

“Write an essay in which you explain how Richard Schiffman builds an argument to persuade his audience that Americans need to work fewer hours.”

Practice Test 10

“Write an essay in which you explain how Todd Davidson builds an argument to persuade his audience that the US government must continue to fund national parks.”

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What Is An Example Of A SAT Essay That Obtained A Perfect Score?

Here is an example of Practice Test 4 above and how a perfect SAT Essay in response to it looks like. This has been published in the College Board website.

Answer Essay with Perfect Score:

In response to our world’s growing reliance on artificial light, writer Paul Bogard argues that natural darkness should be preserved in his article “Let There be dark”. He effectively builds his argument by using a personal anecdote, allusions to art and history, and rhetorical questions.

Bogard starts his article off by recounting a personal story – a summer spent on a Minnesota lake where there was “woods so dark that [his] hands disappeared before [his] eyes.” In telling this brief anecdote, Bogard challenges the audience to remember a time where they could fully amass themselves in natural darkness void of artificial light. By drawing in his readers with a personal encounter about night darkness, the author means to establish the potential for beauty, glamour, and awe-inspiring mystery that genuine darkness can possess. He builds his argument for the preservation of natural darkness by reminiscing for his readers a first-hand encounter that proves the “irreplaceable value of darkness.” This anecdote provides a baseline of sorts for readers to find credence with the author’s claims.

Bogard’s argument is also furthered by his use of allusion to art – Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” – and modern history – Paris’ reputation as “The City of Light”. By first referencing “Starry Night”, a painting generally considered to be undoubtedly beautiful, Bogard establishes that the natural magnificence of stars in a dark sky is definite. A world absent of excess artificial light could potentially hold the key to a grand, glorious night sky like Van Gogh’s according to the writer. This urges the readers to weigh the disadvantages of our world consumed by unnatural, vapid lighting. Furthermore, Bogard’s alludes to Paris as “the famed ‘city of light’”. He then goes on to state how Paris has taken steps to exercise more sustainable lighting practices. By doing this, Bogard creates a dichotomy between Paris’ traditionally alluded-to name and the reality of what Paris is becoming – no longer “the city of light”, but moreso “the city of light…before 2 AM”. This furthers his line of argumentation because it shows how steps can be and are being taken to preserve natural darkness. It shows that even a city that is literally famous for being constantly lit can practically address light pollution in a manner that preserves the beauty of both the city itself and the universe as a whole

Finally, Bogard makes subtle yet efficient use of rhetorical questioning to persuade his audience that natural darkness preservation is essential. He asks the readers to consider “what the vision of the night sky might inspire in each of us, in our children or grandchildren?” in a way that brutally plays to each of our emotions. By asking this question, Bogard draws out heartfelt ponderance from his readers about the affecting power of an untainted night sky. This rhetorical question tugs at the readers’ heartstrings; while the reader may have seen an unobscured night skyline before, the possibility that their child or grandchild will never get the chance sways them to see as Bogard sees. This strategy is definitively an appeal to pathos, forcing the audience to directly face an emotionally-charged inquiry that will surely spur some kind of response. By doing this, Bogard develops his argument, adding gutthral power to the idea that the issue of maintaining natural darkness is relevant and multifaceted.

Writing as a reaction to his disappointment that artificial light has largely permeated the prescence of natural darkness, Paul Bogard argues that we must preserve true, unaffected darkness. He builds this claim by making use of a personal anecdote, allusions, and rhetorical questioning.

This response scored a 4/4/4.

Reading—4: This response demonstrates thorough comprehension of the source text through skillful use of paraphrases and direct quotations. The writer briefly summarizes the central idea of Bogard’s piece ( natural darkness should be preserved ; we must preserve true, unaffected darkness ), and presents many details from the text, such as referring to the personal anecdote that opens the passage and citing Bogard’s use of Paris’ reputation as “The City of Light.” There are few long direct quotations from the source text; instead, the response succinctly and accurately captures the entirety of Bogard’s argument in the writer’s own words, and the writer is able to articulate how details in the source text interrelate with Bogard’s central claim. The response is also free of errors of fact or interpretation. Overall, the response demonstrates advanced reading comprehension.

Analysis—4: This response offers an insightful analysis of the source text and demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of the analytical task. In analyzing Bogard’s use of personal anecdote, allusions to art and history, and rhetorical questions , the writer is able to explain carefully and thoroughly how Bogard builds his argument over the course of the passage. For example, the writer offers a possible reason for why Bogard chose to open his argument with a personal anecdote, and is also able to describe the overall effect of that choice on his audience ( In telling this brief anecdote, Bogard challenges the audience to remember a time where they could fully amass themselves in natural darkness void of artificial light. By drawing in his readers with a personal encounter…the author means to establish the potential for beauty, glamour, and awe-inspiring mystery that genuine darkness can possess…. This anecdote provides a baseline of sorts for readers to find credence with the author’s claims ). The cogent chain of reasoning indicates an understanding of the overall effect of Bogard’s personal narrative both in terms of its function in the passage and how it affects his audience. This type of insightful analysis is evident throughout the response and indicates advanced analytical skill.

Writing—4: The response is cohesive and demonstrates highly effective use and command of language. The response contains a precise central claim ( He effectively builds his argument by using personal anecdote, allusions to art and history, and rhetorical questions ), and the body paragraphs are tightly focused on those three elements of Bogard’s text. There is a clear, deliberate progression of ideas within paragraphs and throughout the response. The writer’s brief introduction and conclusion are skillfully written and encapsulate the main ideas of Bogard’s piece as well as the overall structure of the writer’s analysis. There is a consistent use of both precise word choice and well-chosen turns of phrase ( the natural magnificence of stars in a dark sky is definite , our world consumed by unnatural, vapid lighting , the affecting power of an untainted night sky ). Moreover, the response features a wide variety in sentence structure and many examples of sophisticated sentences ( By doing this, Bogard creates a dichotomy between Paris’ traditionally alluded-to name and the reality of what Paris is becoming – no longer “the city of light”, but moreso “the city of light…before 2AM” ). The response demonstrates a strong command of the conventions of written English. Overall, the response exemplifies advanced writing proficiency.

A Complete List of Real SAT Essay Prompts (March 2005 – June 2015)

A complete compilation of real SAT essay prompts administered historically by the College Board for different test periods.

Prompts: October 2014 – June 2015
Prompts: October 2013 – June 2014
Prompts: October 2012 – June 2013
Prompts: October 2011 – June 2012
Prompts: October 2010 – June 2011
Prompts: October 2009 – June 2010
Prompts: October 2008 – June 2009
Prompts: October 2007 – June 2008
Prompts: October 2006 – June 2007
Prompts:_March 2005 – June 2006

SAT essay prompts contain a first part which is a passage or quote, followed by a second part which is the assignment.

For practice, you could write an entire essay on one of the prompts, or you could identify one historical, one literary, and one current event example that could be useful for each prompt. If you have taken a course at our center, you will remember that you should research and memorize 5 literary, 5 historical, and 5 current event examples on a variety of topics before you walk into the test. This strategy saves you valuable time and ensures your examples are detailed, accurate, and original.

For SAT Tips on the Writing section, please click: 25-Minute Essay Strategies .

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Want a preview of some of the question types on the redesigned SAT ? Try the SAT sample questions below. Challenge yourself with some reading, writing, and language practice. Try our SAT math practice questions to see if your math skills are up to par or if you still need some SAT math review . Need more practice questions? Check out our guide SAT Premium Prep , which contains all the techniques, drills, and review you need to maximize your score on the redesigned test. Or, sign up for a free SAT practice test .

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You can use a calculator for questions 1–2. Learn more about the SAT Math Test .

1. A gas station sells regular gasoline for $2.39 per gallon and premium gasoline for $2.79 per gallon. If the gas station sold a total of 550 gallons of both types of gasoline in one day for a total of $1,344.50, how many gallons of premium gasoline were sold?

Answer: (B) 75 When asked for a specific value, try Plugging In the Answers. Label them as gallons of premium and start with the value in (B). If 75 gallons of premium were sold, the station would make 75($2.79) = $209.25 for those sales. A total of 550 gallons were sold, so the station would have sold 550 - 75 = 475 gallons of regular gasoline. The sales for the regular gasoline would be 475($2.39) = $1,135.25. The total sales for both types of gasoline would be $209.25 + $1,135.25 = $1,344.50. That matches the information in the question, so (B) is correct.

2. If f(x) = 2x 2 + 4 for all real numbers x , which of the following is equal to f(3) + f(5) ?

Answer: (B) f (6) To find the value of f(3) + f(5), find the values of f (3) and f (5) separately: f(3) = 2(3) 2 + 4 = 22 and f(5) = 2(5) 2 + 4 = 54 . So f(3) + 5(5) = 76. You can tell that f (4) will be between 22 and 54, so you can cross out (A). If you ballpark (C) and (D), putting 10 or 15 in the function will give you a number bigger than 100, and you're looking for 76, so (C) and (D) are too big. That means the answer is (B) by process of elimination.

Don't use a calculator for question 3.

3. In the figure below, circle O has a radius of 8, and angle XOY measures 5 ⁄ 16 π radians. What is the measure of minor arc XY ?

Answer: (B) 5 ⁄ 2 π Because the question wants arc length and gives you the measure of the central angle in radians, you can use the formula s = rθ to find the arc length: s = (8)( 5 ⁄ 16 π) = 40 ⁄ 16 π , which reduces to 5 ⁄ 2 π , which is (B).

Questions 1-3 are based on the following passage. Stumped? Check out these SAT reading tips.

This passage is excerpted from the 1854 book Walden by Henry David Thoreau, which details Thoreau's experience living in a cabin alone for two years.

I think that I love society as much as most, and am ready enough to fasten myself like a bloodsucker for the time to any full-blooded man that comes in my way. I am naturally no hermit, (5) but might possibly sit out the sturdiest frequenter for the bar-room, if my business called me thither. I had three chairs in my house; one for solitude, two for friendship, three for society. When visitors come in larger and unexpected (10) numbers there was but the third chair for them all, but they generally economized the room by standing up. It is surprising how many great men and women a small house will contain. I have had twenty-five or thirty souls, with their bodies, (15) at once under my roof, and yet we often parted without being aware that we had come very near to one another. One inconvenience I sometimes experienced in so small a house, the difficulty of getting to a (20) sufficient distance from my guest when we began to utter the big thoughts in big words. You want room for your thoughts to get into sailing trim and run a course or two before they make their port. The bullet of your thought must have (25) overcome its lateral and ricochet motion and fallen into its last and steady course before it reaches the ear of the hearer, else it may plow out again through the side of his head. Also our sentences wanted room to unfold and form (30) their columns in the interval. Individuals, like nations, must have suitable broad and natural boundaries, even a considerable neutral ground, between them. I have found it a singular luxury to talk across the pond to a companion on the (35) opposite side. In my house we were so near that we could not begin to hear—we could not speak low enough to be heard; as when you throw two stones into calm water so near that they break each other's undulations. As the conversation (40) began to assume a loftier and grander tone, we gradually shoved our chairs farther apart till they touched the wall in opposite corners and then commonly there was not room enough. My "best" room, however, my withdrawing (45) room, always ready for company, on whose carpet the sun rarely fell, was the pine wood behind my house. Thither in summer days, when distinguished guests came, I took them, and a priceless domestic swept the floor and dusted the (50) furniture and kept the things in order. If one guest came he sometimes partook of my frugal meal, and it was no interruption to conversation to be stirring a hasty-pudding or watching the rising and maturing of a loaf of (55) bread in the ashes, in the meanwhile. But if twenty came and sat in my house there was nothing said about dinner, though there might be bread enough for two, more than if eating were a forsaken habit; but we naturally practised (60) abstinence; and this was never felt to be an offence against hospitality, but the most proper and considerate course. The waste and decay of physical life, which so often needs repair, seemed miraculously retarded in such a case, and the vital (65) vigor stood its ground. I could entertain thus a thousand as well as twenty; and if any ever went away disappointed or hungry from my house when they found me at home, they may depend upon it that I sympathized with them at least. So (70) easy it is, though many housekeepers doubt it, to establish new and better customs in the place of the old. You need not rest your reputation on the dinners you give. As for men, they will hardly fail one (75) anywhere. I had more visitors while I lived in the woods than at any other period in my life; I mean that I had some. I met several there under more favorable circumstances than I could anywhere else. But fewer came to see me on trivial business. (80) In this respect, my company was winnowed by my mere distance from town. I had withdrawn so far within the great ocean of solitude, into which the rivers of society empty, that for the most part, so far as my needs were concerned, only the finest (85) sediment was deposited around me.

1. The main narrative point of view in the passage is of

Answer: (B) The main narrative point of view in this passage is from a man who is living in a house near a pond (as evidenced by his statement "I have found it a singular luxury to talk across the pond"), which is near the woods (as noted when he says..."the pine wood behind my house"). Choice (A) is incorrect because the narrator is not in the city. Choice (C) is incorrect because there is no evidence that the author was a sailor. Choice (D) is incorrect because, while the author does discuss thoughts in the third paragraph, it is not the main subject discussed by the man in the passage. Therefore, (B) is the correct answer.

2. In the context of the passage, the phrase "as when you throw two stones into calm water so near they break each other's undulations," (lines 37–39) is best described as

Answer: (D) The author says that big thoughts must have room to move around before being heard. He says that he enjoys talking across the pond because there is enough room for thoughts to be heard . There is no evidence in the passage that the big thoughts need to be violent, so eliminate (A). Eliminate (B) because the author does not state that big thoughts need to break out of the receiver's head, only that they could if they are not given enough time to develop. Choice (C) is incorrect because it is too far from the text. The author is not literally saying that thoughts need more time to reach the hearer. Since (D) most closely matches the text, it is correct.

3. As used in line 27, "plow" most nearly means

Answer: (A) The author notes that the ideas need to bounce around and settle, or they will plow and push their way out of the listener's head. Therefore, (A) is the correct answer because it matches the prediction from the text, and the other answers do not.

Questions 1–3 are based on the following passage. Learn how to tackle the SAT Writing & Language Section.

After reading the passage below, choose the answer to each question that most effectively improves the quality of writing in the passage or that makes the passage conform to the conventions of standard written English. Many questions include a "NO CHANGE" option. Choose that option if you think the best choice is to leave the relevant portions of the passage as it is.

The speakers of what has come to be known as (1) Appalachian English has used a form of English that few can explain. Many scholars believe Appalachian pronunciation comes from Scots-Irish immigration, but (2) some theorizes that this dialect of English may be closer to what Londoners spoke in Elizabethan times. Trying to understand these changes (3) demonstrate that although we all technically speak English, we speak very different languages indeed.

1. (A) NO CHANGE (B) Appalachian English uses (C) Appalachian English use (D) Appalachian English using

Answer: (C) Appalachian English use First check what's changing in the answer choices. When you see verbs changing in the answer choices, the first thing to check is the subject of the sentence. Is the verb consistent with the subject? In this case, it's not. The subject of this sentence is speakers , which is plural. Therefore, only (A) and (B) have to be eliminated, and (D) creates an incomplete idea. Only (C) can work in the context.

[+] See the Answer

2. (A) NO CHANGE (B) some theorized (C) some have theorized (D) some theorize

Answer: (D) some theorize Check what's changing in the answer choices. The word some remains consistent, but the verbs are changing. Remember from the first question that whenever you see verbs changing, make sure the verb is consistent with the subject. Because the subject of this sentence is some , you can eliminate (A) which isn't consistent. Then because all the others are consistent with the subject, make sure they are consistent with the other verbs. It looks like all the other verbs in this sentence— believe, comes, may be, —are in the present tense, so the underlined verb should be as well, as it is in (D). Choices (B) and (C) could work in some contexts, but not this one.

3. (A) NO CHANGE (B) demonstrate that although we all technically spoke English, we speak (C) demonstrates that although we all technically speak English, we might have been speaking (D) demonstrates that although we all technically speak English, we speak

Answer: (D) demonstrates that although we all technically speak English, we speak First check what's changing in the answer choices. It looks like lots of verbs! Let's start with the first. See which one, demonstrate or demonstrates , is consistent with the subject. That subject is Trying , which is singular, thus eliminating (A) and (B). Then, we have to choose between speak and might have been speaking . Since both of these are consistent with the subject we , let's try to the pick the one that is most consistent with other verbs. The only other verbs are demonstrates and speak , both of which are in the present tense and don't use the odd might have been form. Therefore, if we have to choose between (C) and (D), (D) is definitely better.

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Each of our free 60 practice questions is accompanied with a detailed explanation to clarify why a particular answer is correct, but even taking it one step further and entailing why the others are incorrect. We believe a well-rounded approach to understanding the SAT is crucial for success, which is why our breakdowns of important sample questions facilitate more than one way to arrive at the right choice. In the end, the only way to find out your trouble spots and successes is to practice, practice, practice—so why not get cracking on what we have to offer so you can ensure your destiny with a high score.

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Table of Contents
What is the SAT?
SAT Scores & Admissions
How the SAT CAT Works
SAT Tips & Strategies
Reading Intro
1. Passage Classification
2. Analyzing Paragraphs
3. Passage Mapping
4. Find the Main Idea
5. Determine Purpose
Detail of the Passage
Definition of a Term
Support for a Premise
Function of Passage Part
Cultural Hard Ex. 1
Society Passages
Science Medium Ex. 1
Science Medium Essay 2
SAT Reasoning Intro
Most Strongly Supported
Argument Structure Questions
Ad Hominem Flaws
Argumentative Flaws
Assumption Questions
Parallel Reasoning
Parallelism Questions
Causal Arguments
Statistical Reasoning
Weaken Reasoning
Sufficient/Necessary
Paradox Questions
Modify Questions
Critical Reasoning Review
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The Real SAT Essay Questions

Home » 800score Free SAT Prep Course » Free SAT Prep Course » The Real SAT Essay Questions

1. Look at all the Real SAT AWA Questions

To beat the competition, you will need to do some brainstorming for all 400 AWA questions. Any of them could appear on your SAT, so you should spend some time preparing in advance. While there are many questions possible, the good news is there are no surprises. You will be able to review all of the potential questions beforehand.

Analyze an Issue
Analyze an Argument

Skim through all of the essay questions. You are guaranteed to see one question from each section on test day, so take quick notes on each of the questions. Then go back and read each one again. Pause for a minute to ponder the topic. At least three or four ideas will probably pop into your mind; jot them down. At this point, don’t try to organize your thoughts or commit to a position.

2. Review Sample Essay Answers

We’ve provided ten sample responses for each type of essay. These will help you get a sense of the caliber of writing expected by the SAT graders.

There is no one “correct” response to any AWA question.
These essays were written in 30-45 minute periods. They represent 5-6 score essays.

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Passage Classification
Analyzing Paragraphs
Passage Mapping
Find the Main Idea
2. Society Passages
Consecutive Numbers
Divisibility
ALGEBRA SIMPLIFYING RULES
Exponent Expressions
Complex Expressions
Inequalities
Working With Formulas
Intersecting Lines
Coordinate Geometry
Simple Probability
Independent Events
Dependent Events
Working Backwards
Using Outcomes
Other Scenarios
Permutations
Problem Variations
Combinations
Combination or Permutation
Statistics Introduction
Normal Distribution
Seven Techniques
Question Types
Quantitative Comparisons
Distance, Rate & Time
Graphs and Data Interpretation
Mean, Median and Mode
Analytical Writing Intro
Analysis of Issue: Content
Analysis of Issue: Structure
Analysis of Issue: Timing
Dissecting Arguments
Finding Errors
Eliminating Fill Sentences
Qualification
Start Strong
Active Voice
Self-Reference
Vague Writing
Voice Shifting
Colloquialisms
Using Hyphens Correctly
Analysis of Argument Questions
Analysis of Issue Questions
Ten Most Common Errors
Sample SAT Tests

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What is the GRE?
GRE Scores and Admissions
How the GRE CAT Works
GRE Tips & Strategies
GRE Reasoning Intro
Assumptions Questions
Algebra Simplifying Rules
Ratio and Proportion
10 Most Common Errors
GRE VOCABULARY LIST
Text Completion
Sentence Equivalence
Sample GRE Tests

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We’ve got you covered on the Digital SAT!

PrepScholar has been providing online, adaptive SAT prep for over 10 years. Now, with the Digital SAT pivoting to a computerized testing model, we’re uniquely positioned to offer you the best Digital SAT preparation available in the industry.

Emulated Digital SAT Experience

Our new interface is designed to mirror the College Board’s Bluebook™ app, ensuring the most realistic preparation for the Digital SAT. Just like in the Bluebook™ app, you can:

Highlight and annotate questions
Cross out likely-incorrect answer choices
Flag questions for later review
Utilize the on-screen calculator
Access the reference sheet of commonly used math formulas

New Content, Designed For a New Test

The Digital SAT isn’t just a shift from pencil-and-paper to a computer-based test; it’s also a significant transformation in content and question format. That is why, unlike other test prep providers, we’ve spent thousands of hours developing new content tailored to this new test. Our Digital SAT Prep offers:

4000+ brand-new practice questions tailored to match the Digital SAT content and format, expertly designed to mirror tricky question and answer patterns.
20+ hours of new dynamic skill lessons with premium explainer videos that cover essential concepts and new test-taking strategies.
Strategy-focused lessons to help users navigate both the Digital SAT and the increasingly-competitive world of college admissions and financial aid.

Features for Success

Personalized study program.

A smart diagnostic test identifies your skill level and builds a custom prep program that caters to your strengths and weaknesses. Your weekly study plan continually updates to keep you focused on what will help you progress quickly and confidently.

Extensive SAT Content

Realistic and high-quality practice questions with detailed explanations guarantee that you’ll be fully prepared for the test. Our interactive lessons include explainer videos that break down the most difficult concepts and teach you the strategies you need to know.

Quiz Generator

Want to drill on particular topics? You can create your own quizzes with questions selected from those topics. After answering the questions, you can see the correct answers with detailed explanations.

Track Progress Meticulously

Detailed progress report emails and SMS study reminders give you real-time updates on what you’ve accomplished and where you need to focus to improve, so you don’t waste valuable time building your skills to boost your score.

How PrepScholar Works

Take a smart diagnostic test.

60-Question test pinpoints your strengths and weaknesses across 45 SAT skills.

Follow Your Customized Weekly Study Plan

Receive your results and a personalized, fully-guided study plan to chart out your lessons.

40± Total Study Hours

Learn with Interactive Lessons

We broke down the SAT into 45 fine-grained skills so you can tackle each section of the test carefully.

1. Explanation

Review the topic and strategies with a mix of videos, diagrams, and interactive examples

2. Targeted Practice Quiz

Test your skill and knowledge with 10 to 20 realistic practice questions

3. Review your Mistakes

Learn from your mistakes with our thorough, step-by-step explanations

Expert Videos Break Down Key Concepts & Strategies

Our Digital SAT prep lessons have videos to clarify concepts you need to ace the SAT. Our videos carefully explain the hardest concepts and teach you the test-taking strategies you need to know for every type of SAT question. Videos are just one part of our sophisticated program to prepare you the best way possible.

Analyze Your Practice Test Results, Learn From Your Mistakes

Put your skills to work on up to 4 official Digital SAT practice tests via the College Board’s Bluebook™ app.

While the College Board does not provide insights on Digital SAT practice test results, PrepScholar allows you to seamlessly import your results directly into your Complete Prep program. Our program’s algorithm performs a comprehensive analysis, providing a detailed breakdown of your proficiency across the Digital SAT’s 45 essential skills or areas.

Leverage this personalized insight to pinpoint your weaknesses and fine-tune them using PrepScholar’s Quiz Generator and Incorrect Answers tools.

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Home > College Admissions > SAT > SAT Practice Test

SAT Practice Test

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Congrats on taking our SAT Sample Quiz. Take one of our full-length SAT practice tests or one of our study sets. Everything is 100% free!

1 . Question

What percentage does 90 represent in relation to 360?

2 . Question

7 added to 4 times a quantity y is equal to 62. Which equation represents this condition?

a. 7(4y) = 62
b. 7 – 4y = 62
c. 7 + 4y = 62
d. 4y – 7 = 62

3 . Question

For a cost of $57, how many pounds of avocados were bought at a rate of $19 per pound?

4 . Question

The table displays three sets of values for x and their corresponding f(x) values for a linear function f. What equation accurately represents the definition of f(x)?

a. f(x) = 6x + 65
b. f(x) = 8x + 65
c. f(x) = 65x + 73
d. f(x) = 73x + 81

5 . Question

If \frac{x}{15}=20 , what is the value of \frac{15}{x} ?

6 . Question

What is the equation that defines line p in the xy-plane, given that it passes through the point (-4, 6) and has a slope of 6?

a. y = 6x + 30
b. y = 6x – 30
c. y = 6 + 30x
d. y = 6x – 30x

7 . Question

2.5b + 5r = 80

The provided equation expresses the connection between the quantity of biscuits (b) and raisins (r) that a reviewer business can handle in a single day. If the business is tending to 16 raisins on a specific day, what is the capacity for biscuits that it can manage on the same day?

8 . Question

In a specific rectangular area, the length-to-width ratio is 45 : 15. If the width of the region grows by 8 units, how should the length be adjusted to uphold this ratio?

a. It must decrease by 24.5 units.
b. It must increase by 24.5 units.
c. It must decrease by 24 units.
d. It must increase by 24 units.

9 . Question

In a circle with center O, the arc XY measures 105°. What is the degree measure of the angle XOY that corresponds to this arc?

10 . Question

In a right triangle, the side lengths are 3\sqrt3 , 2\sqrt3 ,and \sqrt{70} units. What is the area of the triangle in square units?

*Enter in just the number for your answer.

All SAT Practice Tests

If you want some more in-depth prep, use a free SAT practice test listed below.

Practice Exams = Timed and Full-Length
Practice Sets = Not Timed and Smaller Sets of Questions

SAT Practice Exam #1

SAT Practice Exam #2

SAT Practice Exam #3

SAT Practice Exam #4

SAT Math Practice Sets

SAT Reading & Writing Practice Sets

If you want some additional help with prepping for the SAT, consider using SAT prep courses .

Official SAT PDF Practice Exams

If you want to study using PDFs, use the links below. These are full-length practice exams provided by the CollegeBoard.

Overview of the SAT

The SAT is an entrance exam used by colleges and universities to help make decisions about admissions.

The SAT is administered by the CollegeBoard and is given 7 times per year. The exam is a timed, mainly multiple-choice exam, taken by students in high school.

Beginning in the spring of 2024, the SAT will be going fully digital. The digital SAT (DSAT) will have some formatting and content changes to it, along with some other changes. You can review those changes below.

New SAT (Digital SAT)

This exam will be given to students starting in spring of 2024.

Old SAT (Written Exam)

This exam will be given to students up until spring of 2024.

The biggest difference between the old SAT and the digital SAT is that the digital SAT is taken completely online and has combined some sections to streamline the exam.

An overview of the digital SAT exam and what is included on the exam.

Scoring of the SAT

You will receive a score for math and a score for reading/writing. Each of those scores will be between 200 and 800 .

Your total score will be the sum of those two scores. You can receive a total score between 400 and 1600 on the SAT.

The average SAT score is 1060. Learn more about good SAT scores .

Registering for the SAT and Test Dates

You can register for the SAT online via the CollegeBoard site .

You will need to do the following when registering for the SAT:

Have a Valid Photo ID
Upload a Photo of Yourself When Registering Online
Pay Registration Fees
Print Your Admission Ticket

It will cost your $60 to take the SAT. There may be some additional fees like canceling, changing test center, etc..

The SAT is typically given 7 times per year. The exam is given on Saturdays. You can expect the exam to be given in these months:

Early March
Late August
Early October
Early November
Early December

You can find exact dates on the official website .

Steps for Using SAT Practice

When using our free SAT practice tests, we recommend the following steps to get the most out of your time:

Take 1 practice exam from each subject.
Determine which subject you struggled the most with.
Focus on that 1 subject moving forward. Take additional practice exams in that subject, study important concepts, and invest in a SAT prep course if need be.
Take a practice exam on that subject again and see where you stand. Continue to focus on that subject if you need more help or move on to another subject if you did well on this practice exam.
Repeat steps 3 and 4 for other subjects.

Benefits of Using SAT Practice Questions

There are many benefits to using SAT questions during your prep process. Some of those benefits include:

Help With Timing

The SAT exam is a timed test. Keeping a steady pace is critical to achieving a high score.

You can improve your decision making and your time by taking practice exams.

Test Familiarity

All standardized tests, including the SAT, have their own unique way of presenting questions and answer choices.

You will gain more familiarity and comfort with the SAT question style as you take more practice quizzes. On the real exam day, there will be no surprises.

Efficient Studying

When you take many practice exams, you will get a sense of your test strengths and weaknesses.

Many students mistakenly spend time working on their strengths while ignoring their weaknesses.

Knowing which subjects you struggle with will help you focus your study time.

Work On Problem Solving

Tests like the SAT measure your ability to solve problems, not just memorize information. It is critical to have strong problem-solving abilities.

The answer explanations provided in our score reports can help you understand how to solve problems that you may be struggling with.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the sat going to the digital format.

The SAT will be switching to the digital format in the spring of 2024.

How many questions are on the SAT?

There are 154 questions on the old SAT (written version).

There are 98 questions on the new SAT (digital version).

How much time do you have to take the SAT?

You will have 3 hours and 15 minutes to take the old SAT (written version).

You will have 2 hours and 14 minutes to take the new SAT (digital version).

Can I use a calculator on the math section of the SAT?

There will be 1 math section in which you can use a calculator and 1 math section in which you cannot use a calculator on the old SAT (written version).

You will be permitted to use a calculator on all math modules on the new SAT (digital version).

What is a good way to practice for the SAT?

We recommend taking 1 practice exam for each subject. You can then determine which subject gave you the most trouble and focus your studies on that subject.

Authored By: Adam Groden
Last Updated: January 19, 2024

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Guest Essay

How the SAT Changed My Life

An illustration of a man lying underneath a giant SAT prep book. The book makes a tent over him. He is smiling.

By Emi Nietfeld

Ms. Nietfeld is the author of the memoir “Acceptance.”

This month, the University of Texas at Austin joined the wave of selective universities reversing Covid era test-optional admissions policies, once again requiring students to submit ACT or SAT scores.

Many schools have embraced the test-optional rule under the assumption that it would bolster equity and diversity, since higher scores are correlated with privilege. But it turns out that these policies harmed the teenagers they were supposed to help. Many low-income and minority students withheld scores that could have gotten them in, wrongly assuming that their scores were too low, according to an analysis by Dartmouth. More top universities are sure to join the reversal. This is a good thing.

I was one of the disadvantaged youths who are often failed by test-optional policies, striving to get into college while in foster care and homeless. We hear a lot about the efforts of these elite schools to attract diverse student bodies and about debates around the best way to assemble a class. What these conversations overlook is the hope these tests offer students who are in difficult situations.

For many of us, standardized tests provided our one shot to prove our potential, despite the obstacles in our lives or the untidy pasts we had. We found solace in the objectivity of a hard number and a process that — unlike many things in our lives — we could control. I will always feel tenderness toward the Scantron sheets that unlocked higher education and a better life.

Growing up, I fantasized about escaping the chaos of my family for the peace of a grassy quad. Both my parents had mental health issues. My adolescence was its own mess. Over two years I took a dozen psychiatric drugs while attending four different high school programs. At 14, I was sent to a locked facility where my education consisted of work sheets and reading aloud in an on-site classroom. In a life skills class, we learned how to get our G.E.D.s. My college dreams began to seem like delusions.

Then one afternoon a staff member handed me a library copy of “Barron’s Guide to the ACT .” I leafed through the onionskin pages and felt a thunderclap of possibility. I couldn’t go to the bathroom without permission, let alone take Advanced Placement Latin or play water polo or do something else that would impress elite colleges. But I could teach myself the years of math I’d missed while switching schools and improve my life in this one specific way.

After nine months in the institution, I entered foster care. I started my sophomore year at yet another high school, only to have my foster parents shuffle my course load at midyear, when they decided Advanced Placement classes were bad for me. In part because of academic instability like this, only 3 to 4 percent of former foster youth get a four-year college degree.

Later I bounced between friends’ sofas and the back seat of my rusty Corolla, using my new-to-me SAT prep book as a pillow. I had no idea when I’d next shower, but I could crack open practice problems and dip into a meditative trance. For those moments, everything was still, the terror of my daily life softened by the fantasy that my efforts might land me in a dorm room of my own, with endless hot water and an extra-long twin bed.

Standardized tests allowed me to look forward, even as every other part of college applications focused on the past. The song and dance of personal statements required me to demonstrate all the obstacles I’d overcome while I was still in the middle of them. When shilling my trauma left me gutted and raw, researching answer elimination strategies was a balm. I could focus on equations and readings, like the scholar I wanted to be, rather than the desperate teenager that I was.

Test-optional policies would have confounded me, but in the 2009-10 admissions cycle when I applied, I had to submit my scores; me and my fellow hopefuls were all in this together, slogging through multiple-choice questions until our backs ached and our eyes crossed.

The hope these exams instilled in me wasn’t abstract: It manifested in hundreds of glossy brochures. After taking the PSAT in my junior year, universities that had received my score flooded me with letters urging me to apply. For once, I felt wanted. These marketing materials informed me that the top universities offered generous financial aid that would allow me to attend for free. I set my sights higher, despite my guidance counselor’s lack of faith.

When I took the actual SAT, I was ashamed of my score. Had submitting it been optional, I most likely wouldn’t have done it, because I suspected my score was lower than the prep-school applicants I was up against. (Exactly what Dartmouth found in the analysis that led it to reinstate testing requirements.) When you grow up like I did, it’s difficult to believe that you are ever good enough.

When I got into Harvard, it felt like a miracle splitting my life into a before and after. My exam preparation paid off on campus — it was the only reason I knew geometry or grammar — and it motivated me to tackle new, difficult topics. I majored in computer science, having never written a line of code. Though a career as a software engineer seemed far-fetched, I used my SAT study strategies to prepare for technical interviews (in which you’re given one or more problems to solve) that landed me the stable, lucrative Google job that catapulted me out of financial insecurity.

I’m not the only one who feels affection for these tests. At Harvard, I met other students who saw these exams as the one door they could unlock, which opened into a new future. I was lucky that the tests offered me hope all along, that I could cling to the promise that one day I could bubble in a test form and find myself transported into a better life — the one I lead today.

Ms. Nietfeld is the author of the memoir “ Acceptance .” Previously, she was a software engineer at Google and Facebook.

The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. We’d like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips . And here’s our email: [email protected] .

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Standardized tests like the SAT are back. Is that a good thing? | The Excerpt

On a special episode of The Excerpt podcast: One of the many ways the COVID pandemic upended education was with regards to college admissions. Widespread lockdowns meant that in-person tests like the SAT and ACT were no longer offered. That led dozens of high-end universities to drop those requirements. Many thought this was a good thing, leveling the playing field for disadvantaged applicants. But recently, there’s been a trend to reverse that. Which students are being hurt by this decision and which ones are getting a leg up? Our guest, John Friedman, Professor of Economics at Brown University and Co-Director of Opportunity Insights at Harvard University, studies the impact of standardized testing on social capital and economic mobility.

Hit play on the player below to hear the podcast and follow along with the transcript beneath it. This transcript was automatically generated, and then edited for clarity in its current form. There may be some differences between the audio and the text.

Podcasts: True crime, in-depth interviews and more USA TODAY podcasts right here

Taylor Wilson:

Hello, and welcome to The Excerpt. I'm Taylor Wilson. Today is Wednesday, March 20th, 2024, and this is a special episode of The Excerpt.

One of the many ways the COVID pandemic upended education was with regards to college admissions. Widespread lockdowns meant that in-person tests like the SAT and ACT were no longer offered, and that led dozens of high-end universities to drop those requirements. Many thought this was a good thing, leveling the playing field for disadvantaged applicants, but recently there's been a trend to reverse that, which students are being hurt by this decision and which ones are getting a leg up. I'm now joined by John Friedman, professor of economics at Brown University and co-director of Opportunity Insights at Harvard University, who has studied the impact of standardized testing on social capital and economic mobility. John, thanks for joining me today on The Excerpt.

John Friedman:

Thanks so much for having me. It's a pleasure to be here.

So, John, earlier this year, Brown joined Yale and Dartmouth and announcing it will again require the SAT for admissions. How did they justify the change?

I think it's really about looking at the data to understand what role the test scores are playing in admissions and then how that affects not only the overall pool of admitted students but also how it might differentially affect different students from different types of backgrounds. So first of all, the test score just turns out to be a good predictor of academic preparation. Students that have higher test scores are more likely to be academically successful in college, they're less likely to have academic struggles, and they're also more likely to be successful by various measures after they leave college.

Now, all of that, I think, would be not super helpful if the test score were biased in some direction. For instance, if it understated the academic preparation of students coming from less well-resourced backgrounds, and so we also tested that. We looked to see just, basically, if two students from different backgrounds have the same test score, let's say two kids each have a 1400, are they predicted on average to do about the same? And the answer is yes, but especially in these Ivy Plus school contexts, it really seems like the test score is giving a good and unbiased predictor of academic preparation.

So, John, I must admit, I was someone who really liked taking standardized tests. I felt like it showed my strengths. I know not everyone feels this way, to say the least. Who does standardized testing help, and who does it hurt?

It's a totally understandable situation. These are stressful events, and it's not something that students often get excited for. But it turns out that test scores are not only, as we've discussed, good predictors of academic success, they also seem to be one of the fairest measures. And so when you think about who do test scores benefit, we have to ask relative to what? And in most academic contexts, there are several other measures that schools might turn to in the absence of test scores. One measure might be other, more nuanced signals of academic strength. For instance, have you taken an AP test? Have you been involved in research or taken in some other advanced academic curriculum? But that there too is something that's typically much more available to students who are either individually from high-income families or they're attending well-resourced schools. It's not something that's broadly available in the population.

High school GPA is another thing that colleges might look to in the absence of test scores. Unfortunately, for students that are on the border of admission at schools like Brown, grade inflation in recent years has made it so that there's just not a whole lot of useful information in GPA to predict academic preparation. You could admit many times over a full class at lots of these schools of students that have a 4.0, a perfect GPA at their local school, that's just not getting the job done in terms of the admissions process that needs to happen.

Recently, the SAT was changed, so not everyone is getting the same test. Part two depends on how the student does on part one, for instance. Is it possible for standardized tests to be engineered to level the playing field for everyone?

Well, that's, I think, what the tests have been aiming to do from the very start, right? These tests started historically as exactly a way to identify really talented students from outside of the traditional network schools that fed students into these colleges. The idea was that it didn't matter who you knew. If you just did well on the test, that was a way to identify you as a really promising student. Now, we know historically that these tests have not always lived up to that promise. And that's why I think it's really important just to look at how these tests perform in the data, right? It's a data-driven question. Whether these tests offer a level playing field for students coming from different backgrounds or whether they're tilted in one direction or another, no test is going to be perfect. But what the data show in these contexts is that, one, the tests do appear to be pretty fair and that they're much fairer than many of the alternative ways that one could measure academic preparation.

John, where you attend college can clearly have a profound impact on the future path and success of a student. What are some measurable ways this decision point impacts a student down the road?

Colleges are really crucial for shaping a student's future trajectory. It matters who their peers are going to be. It matters what type of instruction they're going to get, and it matters what type of hiring networks these colleges launch students into. And so, in recent work, we've looked at what's the causal effect of being able to attend an Ivy Plus college relative to even the very best public schools like Michigan and Berkeley in this country. And what we see is, not only do students earn about 25% more, they're about 50% more likely to be in the top 1% of earnings. You're twice as likely to be attending an elite graduate school, and you're nearly three times more likely to be in one of these prestigious firms that really puts students on track towards leadership and socially influential positions later in life. And so these decisions about where to go to college, and as part of that, the admissions decisions that colleges are making, it's really impactful.

And so I think it's incredibly important that we try to do that in a way that provides as much equal opportunity as possible for students that are applying and perhaps even tries to push back on many of the social inequalities that exist more broadly in society to try to help level the playing field in terms of opportunity.

John, for schools that don't require standardized tests, what are they focused on with student applications, and how have they tried to help people who are more diverse economically, socially, and culturally?

So without the information of the test score, schools will look to other measures of academic preparedness like high school GPA, like performance in advanced coursework, or even just the fact that you took advanced coursework to begin with. So, for instance, at UC Berkeley and the rest of the UC system, similar analysis there shows that test scores are a good predictor, but high school GPA is also a good predictor.

The other thing, especially private admissions offices look to, are a range of non-academic characteristics. These might be a student's extracurricular activities, a student's personality, other factors. And those factors particularly seem to be quite imbalanced in the way they affect admissions, specifically students from higher-income backgrounds. Students from very well-resourced schools seem to be able to shape their extracurriculars in ways that lead to more of the type of thing admissions offices look for. They get recommendation letters from teachers and guidance counselors that have more time to focus on writing really high-quality letters for a small number of students that really draw out the nuances of an application in ways that lead to much higher admissions rates for students, even with the very same test score from high-income families compared to those from low and especially middle-income families.

So you touched on something crucial there. I think, John, does this issue differ for private versus public universities? And also, how do we fix this bias towards students of privilege?

I think that what's very important is to be able to evaluate a student's level of academic preparation in context. And so what I found across a bunch of different findings is that focusing on academic characteristics and qualifications, it seems to be easier to adjust for a context than when trying to do that for non-academic factors. So let me give you an example. Suppose that a student is coming from a high school that doesn't offer that many AP classes. An admissions officer can say, "This student has taken two AP tests." And even though that's well below the average for most admitted students, that's really taking advantage of all the opportunities that that student had in his or her context.

Whereas for non-academic factors, it's much more difficult to realize that here's a student who might've legitimately done something pretty cool and interesting last summer. Here's another student who just worked a job at the local pool. And that's because the first student had the resources to spend that summer in a different way, either to financially support themselves. They had the information that spending the summer in that way would be helpful on their college application essay. It's just much harder, I've found, to undo that effective context when focusing on these non-academic characteristics. And so, I think, whether it's the test or other factors, the academic aspects of applications seem to be the fairest in terms of providing a level playing field across different students from different backgrounds.

John, this is an election year. How is the issue of standardized testing playing out on the campaign trail?

I think that as schools start to bring back test scores, it's something that may help in fighting back against what I think is a very serious problem, the lack of faith in these institutions of higher education. There's a concern that these institutions are just kind of making it up as they go. They're filled with liberals, they're not judging students based on their merits. And I think, again, test scores are not perfect, but it's a step in the direction of really trying to evaluate students based on their academic preparation and merit in that way. And so I do think this helps restore faith in these institutions, as really those that support mobility for all students, those that support equal access in our society.

So, John, for students that aren't in the 1% who are looking at an evolving admissions process, what should they keep in mind?

So, I'd say there are two pieces of advice. So the first thing is to make sure you take the test, take it seriously, because this is going to be a piece of information that can help really distinguish you. Second, I think you should really think about the test, even if you're applying to a school where it's not formally required to submit the test. And most of these schools really do evaluate test scores in context. So even if you have a test score that's below what you see on the website as the average test score, your admissions chances are probably a lot higher than you think, especially if you submit the score.

All right. John, thanks so much for being on The Excerpt today. Great insight.

Thanks so much for having me.

Thanks to our senior producers, Shannon Rae Green and Bradley Glanzrock, for their production assistance. Our executive producer is Laura Beatty. Let us know what you think of this episode by sending a note to [email protected]. Thanks for listening. I'm Taylor Wilson, and I'll be back tomorrow morning with another episode of The Excerpt.

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Sat / act prep online guides and tips, the 4 sat sections: what they test and how to do well.

SAT General Info

Whether you're actively preparing for the SAT or simply want to learn more about the ubiquitous college entrance exam, it’s important you start with the basics: how many sections are on the SAT? W hat are the names of the SAT sections? And what kinds of skills does each section measure?

In this article, we answer all of your burning questions about the SAT sections . We'll begin by discussing how many sections are on the SAT as well as how these sections differ from one another. Then, we’ll go over the different skills on which you'll be tested, giving you our expert tips for combating each of the SAT test sections with confidence. Finally, we'll take a look at whether certain sections of the SAT are more important than others and what this means for you and your college applications.

UPDATE: SAT Essay No Longer Offered

In January 2021, the College Board announced that after June 2021, it would no longer offer the Essay portion of the SAT (except at schools who opt in during School Day Testing). It is now no longer possible to take the SAT Essay, unless your school is one of the small number who choose to offer it during SAT School Day Testing.

What does the end of the SAT Essay mean for your college applications? Check out our article on the College Board's SAT Essay decision for everything you need to know.

What Are the SAT Sections?

The SAT (which was redesigned in 2016 ) consists of four sections:

Writing and Language
Math (which consists of two subsections, No Calculator and Calculator)
Essay (only offered during select SAT School Days)

As the College Board (the creator of the SAT) puts it, all sections of the SAT work together to test “what you learn in high school” and “what you need to succeed in college.” In other words, the goal of the SAT is to ensure you possess the appropriate reading, writing, and math skills deemed necessary for success as a college student.

Each of the SAT test sections appears only once on the exam and varies in the number of questions it contains as well as in how much time it allocates. The following table showcases some of the major features of the SAT test sections:

According to this table, the longest section (in terms of both time and number of questions) is the Math section . This is because the Math section is composed of two subsections: a No Calculator section (which always comes first) and a Calculator section. While the No Calculator section is fairly brief at only 25 minutes and 20 questions long, the Calculator section lasts for 55 minutes and contains a total of 38 questions.

You may also notice a few key similarities between the Reading and Writing and Language sections. These two sections were specifically designed to test a couple of the same skills — namely Command of Evidence and Words in Context — in different ways. The two sections also combine for an overall Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW) score out of 800 points, so they clearly have a lot in common with each other!

Lastly, the above table highlights how all sections of the SAT (excluding the Essay) are predominantly multiple choice . Most questions on the SAT contain four answer choices from which you must select one answer. On the Math section, however, you will also face a handful of grid-in questions for which you must come up with your own answers and bubble them in using the numbers provided.

Now that we've covered all of the fundamentals, let’s take a closer look at each of the four sections of the SAT.

The SAT Reading Section

The Reading section focuses on reading comprehension and understanding vocabulary in context . Each of the 52 questions in this section will be based on a passage. You'll be given five passages in total:

1 passage on U.S. or world literature
2 passages on history/social studies
2 passages on science (which may include graphs and/or charts)

On some areas of the Reading section, you may be given a pair of related passages instead of a single passage. You may also encounter graphs, charts, or other forms of data representation. (Note that you will not have to use any math for these questions, though you will be expected to know how to interpret the data provided.)

As illuminated in the table above, the Reading section test two primary skills:

Command of Evidence: your ability to find concrete evidence within the passage to support the author’s claims or answers to specific questions
Words in Context: your ability to decipher the meanings of vocabulary words within the context of the passage, and your ability to understand how word choice influences the style and tone of a text

Big Picture

Little Picture/Function

Vocabulary in Context
Author Technique
Evidence Support
Data Interpretation

Below, I describe each of these question types and then provide you with our best tips for doing well on the SAT Reading section.

SAT Reading Question Types

Here are the different types of questions you'll encounter on the SAT Reading section.

#1: Big Picture and Little Picture / Function

These two Reading question types are opposites: Big Picture questions focus on the main point of a passage , whereas Little Picture (or Function) questions focus on the function of specific lines or sentences within a passage . Your job, then, is to use contextual evidence to decipher either the author’s overall message or the function of a selected area of the text.

#2: Inference

For this Reading question type, you must correctly interpret the meaning of a sentence, a group of sentences, or the entire passage.

#3: Vocabulary in Context

These Reading questions ask you about the meaning of a specific word or phrase within the passage . These words and phrases may not always appear to be difficult but will usually take on lesser-known alternative meanings.

#4: Author Technique

This type of Reading question requires you to analyze the author’s stylistic choices in regards to tone, voice, perspective, etc.

#5: Evidence Support

For Evidence Support questions, you must locate contextual evidence for an answer to a previous question . (In other words, these questions are directly related to the questions that precede them.) To answer these questions, you must identify a particular line or group of lines from which you found the answer to a question.

#6: Data Interpretation

A Data Interpretation question requires you to interpret data (usually in the form of a table, chart, or graph) and understand how it relates to the passage.

#1: Practice Reading Passages

Because the Reading section revolves solely around passages, it's critical you dedicate the bulk of your SAT Reading prep to working with SAT-esque passages.

The best resources for passages similar to those you’ll encounter on the SAT are official SAT practice tests . These mock SAT tests created by the College Board offer a plethora of realistic Reading passages that closely mimic the style and form of the passages you'll be given on test day.

In addition to official practice tests, you can also use unofficial SAT Reading materials — as long as they contain high-quality Reading passages similar to those on the SAT.

Finally, it's a smart idea to read real-life texts, such as The New York Times , The Atlantic , and Psychology Today , from which SAT passages are often borrowed. This way you can familiarize yourself with the type of materials you'll see on test day.

#2: Use Process of Elimination

Process of elimination is an excellent strategy (and even one recommended by a perfect scorer !) that will aid you significantly on the Reading section.

As we already know, each Reading question offers four possible answer choices of which just one is correct. This means that the other three choices must contain clear signs indicating they’re incorrect . Some of the most common reasons answer choices are eliminated are that they're:

Too specific
Too loosely connected to the overall purpose or message of the passage

Remember, even a single word in an answer choice can make it incorrect , so look closely for any reason to eliminate a choice before deciding on the correct one. Be sure you avoid getting caught up in answer choices that sort of sound correct — if a choice doesn’t 100-percent answer the question or is ambiguous in any way, chances are it's wrong!

#3: Study Vocabulary Sparingly

Unlike the old (pre-2016) SAT, which often tested obscure vocabulary words in complete isolation, the new SAT only tests vocabulary knowledge within the context of passages . Additionally, current SAT vocabulary is only about medium difficulty , meaning many of the words tested are ones you've likely seen and may have even used before. (Woo hoo!)

The challenging part of SAT vocabulary, however, is being able to identify lesser-known tertiary meanings of common words . What this means is, while you no longer need to dedicate hours upon hours to memorizing thousands of vocabulary words, you do need to familiarize yourself with some of the rarer meanings of common words. Likewise, you should also know how to decipher a vocabulary word's meaning based on how it's being used in a passage.

These days, many SAT vocabulary words are similar to those on the ACT; thus, we recommend studying vocabulary for either test with both our list of SAT vocabulary words and our ACT list of 150 medium-level vocabulary words .

The SAT Writing and Language Section

The Writing and Language section (often referred to as simply the “Writing section”) may look similar to the Reading section, but instead of measuring your reading comprehension skills, this section measures your ability to identify and correct grammatical errors and stylistic weaknesses within passages . In other words, the Writing section is all about your proofreading and editing skills!

Like the Reading section, the Writing section revolves entirely around passages . These passages cover a wide array of topics, including careers, history/social studies, science, and the humanities. Unlike Reading passages, however, all Writing passages are nonfiction , taking the form of narratives, arguments, and explanatory texts.

Your primary mission on the Writing section is to correct (or leave as is, if no errors are present) words and sentences within these passages. For science-based passages containing charts or graphs, you may be asked to replace an incorrect sentence with a new sentence that more accurately reflects the data provided.

The Writing and Language section measures the following skills:

Command of Evidence
Words in Context
Expression of Ideas
Standard English Conventions

Below, I discuss each of these four question types and what they measure on the SAT Writing section. I then provide you with our top three tips for getting a great score on SAT Writing.

SAT Writing and Language Question Types

In this section, we examine the SAT Writing question types and look at examples of how they'll appear on the SAT.

#1: Command of Evidence

These types of Writing questions focus primarily on the big picture of a passage and usually ask you to provide evidence for why you are making a particular change .

#2: Words in Context

For these questions, you must replace a word or phrase with a more logical choice , or select “NO CHANGE” if the highlighted area is appropriate as is.

#3: Expression of Ideas

These questions require you to think about the various ways ideas can be expressed in words. More specifically, you must rearrange, add, combine, or delete sentences to improve the overall flow of a passage.

#4: Standard English Conventions

For Standard English Conventions questions, you must correct incorrect words or phrases, so that they adhere to the basic rules of English grammar, punctuation, spelling, and capitalization . If the highlighted word or phrase is grammatically sound, select “NO CHANGE.”

Top 3 SAT Writing and Language Tips

Here are our top tips for getting the score you want on the SAT Writing section!

#1: Master Common SAT Grammar and Punctuation Rules

Nearly half of all SAT Writing questions focus on standard English conventions, so naturally you can’t expect to do well on SAT Writing if you haven’t mastered the basic rules of English grammar and usage!

This doesn't mean you must review every single grammar rule in existence — just the ones most commonly tested on the SAT . For more details on what these rules are and how you can master them, check out our in-depth guides to SAT grammar and SAT punctuation .

#2: Read Articles and Essays

Because none of the Writing section's passages are works of fiction, your best bet is to read real-life newspaper and magazine articles, persuasive texts, and essays . As you study, you'll use these texts to hone your editorial eye, identifying transitional words and connections in thought.

You'll also want to examine how the author builds his or her argument or main point throughout the text . What evidence does he or she provide? Is it ultimately effective? Why or why not?

There will be a wide array of topics for Writing passages, so feel free to dig into a variety of texts. I recommend starting with major publications such as The New Yorker , The New York Times , The Atlantic , Wired , and Psychology Today .

#3: Hone Your Writing Skills

To be a sharp editor, you must understand how to write well. And to write well, you must learn from the feedback on your own writing .

Begin by noting any red marks on essays you turn in at school, making yourself aware of any errors you continuously make on your writing. If you’re confused about a mistake you've made, ask your teacher to explain the mistake and give you tips on how you can avoid making it again.

As you write essays for school, make sure you're also paying attention to the structure of your arguments . Consider the simple "hamburger" structure of essays: you've got your introduction (top bun), your evidence and supporting details (lettuce, tomato, and meat), and your conclusion (bottom bun). Knowing how to effectively structure your own essays should over time allow you to develop a keener understanding of how SAT passages are organized.

The SAT Math Section

Onto the world of numbers! Unlike the English-centered Reading and Writing sections, the SAT Math section consists of practical, real-world math and measures the problem-solving abilities most useful for college-level coursework and future employment.

The Math section comprises two subsections:

Math No Calculator , for which you are not permitted to use a calculator
Math Calculator , for which you may (but aren't required to) use a calculator

The Math section is the only section on the SAT (excluding the Essay) to contain a non-multiple-choice question format called the grid-in . 22 percent of Math questions are grid-ins , so although it’s not the main question format on SAT Math, it’s crucial you understand how it works.

The Math section tests you on the following concepts:

Heart of Algebra
Problem Solving and Data Analysis
Passport to Advanced Math
Additional Topics in Math

Below, I describe each of these Math question types and give you expert tips for securing an excellent SAT Math score.

SAT Math Question Types

Here are the four types of Math questions you'll see on the SAT.

#1: Heart of Algebra

This content area constitutes the largest focus of the SAT Math section , accounting for approximately one-third of all Math questions. Heart of Algebra questions focus on (you guessed it!) algebra — primarily linear equations, systems of equations, inequalities, and absolute values.

#2: Problem Solving and Data Analysis

There are 17 Problem Solving and Data Analysis questions on the SAT. All of these questions are on the Math Calculator subsection (meaning you'll see none of these on the No Calculator subsection). These questions focus on data interpretation (i.e., how to read charts, graphs, tables, etc.) as well as rates, ratios, percentages, linear and exponential relationships, and probability.

#3: Passport to Advanced Math

There are 16 Passport to Advanced Math questions on the SAT. These advanced questions test your understanding of the structure of equations and expressions , including your ability to rearrange and rewrite them. For these questions, you may be asked to solve a quadratic equation, create an exponential function, or manipulate polynomials.

#4: Additional Topics in Math

While 90 percent of the Math section deals with the three topics listed above, the last 10 percent targets what the College Board calls "Additional Topics in Math." This question type is basically a catch-all for any math concept that doesn’t fit neatly into the other three categories. Such topics predominantly deal with geometry , trigonometry , and complex numbers.

Top 3 SAT Math Tips

Use our top tips below to get your best score ever on SAT Math!

#1: Review Basic Math Concepts

You can’t expect to score highly on the Math section if you’re not familiar with most or all of the basic math concepts being tested on the SAT.

To get started, take a look at our giant stockpile of SAT Math resources you can use (for free!). This guide contains links to several Math guides offering a solid overview of critical math concepts you should know for the SAT, including algebra, numbers, coordinate geometry, and plane and solid geometry.

You can also check out our guide to the best SAT Math prep books and browse your options for high-quality Math content review and practice.

#2: Memorize Common Formulas

Another tip is to memorize all critical SAT Math formulas you’ll need for test day. Doing this will allow you to solve many math problems that you can't solve without knowledge of a particular formula.

But what about the reference diagram on the test? Do you really need to memorize formulas if you'll be given a list of them on the SAT? Although you may think memorizing these formulas is a waste of time, in reality memorizing them will actually save you time on test day . Here are the formulas exactly as you'll see them on the SAT:

By memorizing the formulas above, you won't need to constantly flip back to the diagram and will therefore be able to solve math problems more quickly. This will effectively give you more time to put toward other math problems that are more challenging .

However, there is one caveat: the 12 formulas on this reference diagram deal specifically with geometry, a topic which makes up a significantly small portion of the new SAT. So while it’s crucial you memorize these formulas, it’ll be far more advantageous for you to prioritize other major laws and formulas that will not be given to you on test day and are more likely to come up on the SAT.

#3: Plug In Answers and Numbers

Our final tip for SAT Math is a popular test-taking strategy: plugging in answers and numbers . In this strategy, if you’re faced with a math problem you’re unsure how to solve, you can attempt to solve it by either plugging in random numbers or plugging in answer choices one by one. Doing this will reveal which answer choice yields the correct result.

Use the plug-in answer strategy for multiple-choice math questions that ask you to solve for a specific value. Always start with answer choice B or C , so you can determine whether to work your way up or down to get a higher or lower answer.

For multiple-choice and grid-in questions you don’t understand, try plugging in your own numbers (or sets of numbers) to see whether equations and inequalities hold true for various values.

Note that these strategies, though helpful, should generally only be used if you’re unsure how to solve a math problem using other methods, such as simplification and algebra. Ultimately, though, the SAT doesn’t care how you get an answer — just that it’s the correct one! So if you don't know what to do, get in there and plug away.

The SAT Essay (Optional)

NOTE: As we mentioned above, now that the Essay is only offered during select SAT School Days , very few students will take it. Additionally, no colleges still require the Essay, so even if you do take it, your score will not impact your college applications.

The SAT Essay is an entirely writing-based section for which you must read a 650-750-word passage and then write an essay analyzing how the author constructs his or her argument as well as how persuasive the argument is .

Note that you are not being asked whether you agree or disagree with the argument. You are also not expected to write about your personal experiences (like how test takers were prompted to do on the old SAT).

The Essay also uses a unique scoring system compared to those of the other SAT test sections. There are three components to the SAT Essay grade :

For each of these components, two graders will assign you a score on a scale of 1-4. These two scores are then added together to give you total scores for each component (on a scale of 2-8). Thus, a perfect SAT Essay grade would be 8|8|8 (4s from both graders for each of the three rubrics).

But what exactly do these three components measure? Below, I describe each of the SAT Essay grades and introduce to you our top three tips for ensuring a high Essay score on test day.

Skills Tested on the SAT Essay

The three components of the SAT Essay grading rubric each measure a different skill in regards to your writing ability.

The Reading score highlights your overall understanding of the passage and how well you use appropriate textual evidence from the passage to construct your essay.

The Analysis score shows how well you understand the construction of the author's argument in terms of reasoning, style, and evidence. It also measures your ability to choose the most effective evidence from the passage to support your evaluation.

The Writing score revolves entirely around your ability to write . You will be given a grade based on the strength of your thesis and on your essay's organization, focus, tone, style, and adherence to standard written English conventions.

Top 3 SAT Essay Tips

And now here are our expert SAT Essay tips to help you get the high score you deserve!

#1: Learn the Types of Examples to Look for in Passages

Before you take the exam, make sure you know all of the major types of examples you can look for in passages to use as support in your essay. The six types of evidence to be aware of are:

Facts and statistics
Counterarguments and counterclaims
Explanation of evidence
Vivid language
Direct appeals to the reader

For more information, check out our detailed guide on how to look for and use these pieces of evidence . As you write, be sure you’re using the most relevant and effective support; you don’t need to use every example you find!

#2: Read the Prompt First

Although you'll likely be tempted to get through the passage before attacking the prompt, reading the prompt first can lend you a big hand as it directly states what the author’s central claim is . Once you know what kind of argument you'll be dealing with, you can then read the entire passage, keeping an eye out for any evidence that supports this central claim and thinking of ways you can effectively incorporate these pieces of evidence into your essay.

As a reminder, your essay should focus on what techniques and evidence the authors uses to set up his or her argument as well as how effective these techniques are.

#3: Write More Than 1 Page

Though not explicitly stated on the SAT Essay rubric, your essay must be of a reasonable length (1+ pages) in order to merit a high score . This means anything less than a page is bound to guarantee you a low essay score, as the essay will very likely lack sufficient detail, evidence, and analysis.

On test day, you’ll get four pages for writing (and one additional piece of scratch paper for planning and outlining your essay). Aim to use at least two pages for your essay. Anything longer is perfectly fine; however, just remember it's ultimately better to produce a succinct and focused essay instead of a verbose or tangential one.

Ready to go beyond just reading about the SAT? Then you'll love the free five-day trial for our SAT Complete Prep program . Designed and written by PrepScholar SAT experts , our SAT program customizes to your skill level in over 40 subskills so that you can focus your studying on what will get you the biggest score gains.

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Are Certain SAT Sections More Important Than Others?

Because the SAT has several sections, you may be wondering which (if any) are the most important in regards to scores.

To start, the essay is, by far, the least important of all SAT sections . With the College Board no longer offering the essay during regular SAT administrations, nearly no students will now take it, and no colleges require essay scores. Basically, if you're one of the few people who do still take the essay (because your school required it for an SAT School Day), your score won't impact your college applications, although your high school might use the essay score for its own purposes.

But what about the SAT Reading, Writing, and Math sections? Which of these is the most important? Or are they all equally important?

Generally speaking, the SAT Reading, Writing, and Math sections are all of fairly equal importance . Most schools report SAT scores using the total score (a combination of the EBRW and Math scores), implying there is equal consideration of the Reading, Writing, and Math sections. Furthermore, any school requiring the SAT will always require scores from the Reading, Writing, and Math sections, so all three of these sections are evidently essential for college admission (unlike the optional Essay).

In spite of these trends, there may be cases in which one of the two scores (EBRW or Math) will hold slightly more weight than the other . For example, if you are applying to an engineering school like MIT, admissions committees may pay a little extra attention to your SAT Math score — the more relevant score to your program — and less to your EBRW score.

In the end, it's best to think of both your EBRW and Math scores as being equally important, and your Essay score (if you took the essay) as being the least important.

Key Takeaways for the SAT Sections

The SAT is composed of four sections: Reading, Writing and Language, Math, and Essay (optional). These sections target an array of academic skills deemed necessary for college, from reading comprehension to proofreading to problem solving.

To ultimately do well on the SAT, you must understand what each of the SAT sections measures, what each sections tests you on, and what approaches you can use to get the scores you want.

Although the Essay isn’t a requirement for any colleges anymore, those requiring SAT scores will often prefer applicants who have a strong set of EBRW (Reading and Writing) and Math scores, so always try to aim for a high total score !

What’s Next?

Want to learn more about the SAT? Take a look at our complete guide to what the SAT is and get tips on when to start studying and what resources you can use to get the scores you need for college!

Thinking of taking the ACT, too? Start with our introduction to the ACT sections and then check out our guide to what a good ACT score is to learn how you can get a great ACT score.

Disappointed with your scores? Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points? We've written a guide about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Hannah received her MA in Japanese Studies from the University of Michigan and holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Southern California. From 2013 to 2015, she taught English in Japan via the JET Program. She is passionate about education, writing, and travel.

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COMMENTS

SAT Essay Prompts: The Complete List
No extra time allowed! #5: Grade the essay, using the official essay rubric to give yourself a score out of 8 in the reading, analysis, and writing sections. #6: Repeat steps 4 and 5. Choose the prompts you think will be the hardest for you so that you can so that you're prepared for the worst when the test day comes.
SAT Essay Prompts (10 Sample Questions)
On this page, we will feature 10 real SAT Essay prompts that have been recently released online by the College Board. You can utilize these Essay SAT prompts as 10 sample SAT Essay questions for easy practice. This set of SAT Essay prompts is the most comprehensive that you will find online today.
SAT Essay Examples for the 6 Types of Essay Prompts
You'll get detailed SAT essay examples that guide you through how to construct an argument. SAT Essay Prompt Type 1: Discuss what people should do. This type of SAT essay question lends itself to many different kinds of examples. Anything that involves people and their choices is fair game. See the diagram below for more information on how this ...
A Complete List of Real SAT Essay Prompts (March 2005
A complete compilation of real SAT essay prompts administered historically by the College Board for different test periods. Prompts: October 2014 - June 2015. Prompts: October 2013 - June 2014. Prompts: October 2012 - June 2013. Prompts: October 2011 - June 2012. Prompts: October 2010 - June 2011.
SAT Practice and Preparation
This resource provides parents and guardians with a schedule outline to help their child prepare for the SAT and includes links to free official practice materials. PDF. 530.87 KB. Article. From free practice tests to a checklist of what to bring on test day, College Board provides everything you need to prepare for the digital SAT.
PDF CHAPTER 14 About the SAT Essay
The SAT Essay is a lot like a typical writing assignment in which you're asked to analyze a text. To do well on the SAT Essay, you'll want to have a good sense of what the test asks of you as well as the reading, analysis, and writing knowledge and skills required to compose a response to the Essay prompt. This chapter is intended primarily ...
PDF The SAT® Practice Essay #1
Adapted from Paul Bogard, "Let There Be Dark." ©2012 by Paul Bogard. Originally published in Los Angeles Times, December 21, 2012. At my family's cabin on a Minnesota lake, I knew woods so dark that my hands disappeared before my eyes. I knew night skies in which meteors left smoky trails across sugary spreads of stars.
How to Write an SAT Essay, Step by Step
This is the argument you need to deconstruct in your essay. Writing an SAT essay consists of four major stages: Reading: 5-10 minutes. Analyzing & Planning: 7-12 minutes. Writing: 25-35 minutes. Revising: 2-3 minutes. There's a wide time range for a few of these stages, since people work at different rates.
SAT Essay : Tips, examples and scoring for the SAT essay question
SAT Essay. The SAT examination begins with a 25-minute writing task: The essay. You have no choice of topic: you have to write on the prompt given in a text box. For example you may see something like: Time has a doomsday book, on whose pages he is continually recording illustrious names. But as often as a new name is written there, an old one ...
SAT Essay Topics: Practice your essay writing
SAT Essay Topics. Our essay topics have been closely modeled on those in the SAT. You can also do the essays given in the first section of each of the tests in the Official Study Guide. Each of the topics consists of a prompt and an assignment. Prompt: "That which we obtain too easily, we esteem too lightly.
What Is the SAT Essay?
The SAT Essay section is a lot like a typical writing assignment in which you're asked to read and analyze a passage and then produce an essay in response to a single prompt about that passage. It gives you the opportunity to demonstrate your reading, analysis, and writing skills—which are critical to readiness for success in college and ...
SAT Practice Questions
You can use a calculator for questions 1-2. Learn more about the SAT Math Test . 1. A gas station sells regular gasoline for $2.39 per gallon and premium gasoline for $2.79 per gallon. If the gas station sold a total of 550 gallons of both types of gasoline in one day for a total of $1,344.50, how many gallons of premium gasoline were sold ...
6 SAT Essay Examples to Answer Every Prompt
Here are a couple of examples of statistics from an official SAT essay prompt, "Let There Be Dark" by Paul Bogard: Example: 8 of 10 children born in the United States will never know a sky dark enough for the Milky Way. Example: In the United States and Western Europe, the amount of light in the sky increases an average of about 6% every year.
Free SAT Practice Questions with detailed Explanations
Each of our free 60 practice questions is accompanied with a detailed explanation to clarify why a particular answer is correct, but even taking it one step further and entailing why the others are incorrect. We believe a well-rounded approach to understanding the SAT is crucial for success, which is why our breakdowns of important sample ...
FREE 300-page SAT Course: The Real SAT Essay Questions [2022]
2. Review Sample Essay Answers. We've provided ten sample responses for each type of essay. These will help you get a sense of the caliber of writing expected by the SAT graders. Note: There is no one "correct" response to any AWA question. These essays were written in 30-45 minute periods. They represent 5-6 score essays.
Digital SAT Prep
SAT Prep. This self-paced adaptive program offers more than 90 skill lessons and 4100+ realistic practice questions with thorough explanations. It covers Reading, Writing, and Math, but the program will keep you focused on areas where you need the most help. We also include 4 official SATs to test your skills.
SAT Practice Test [Full-Length]
All SAT Practice Tests. If you want some more in-depth prep, use a free SAT practice test listed below. Practice Exams = Timed and Full-Length. Practice Sets = Not Timed and Smaller Sets of Questions. SAT Practice Exam #1. SAT Practice Exam #2. SAT Practice Exam #3. SAT Practice Exam #4.
Full-Length SAT Practice Tests
Assistive Technology (ATC) Find full-length practice tests on Bluebook™ as well as downloadable linear (nonadaptive) practice tests to help you prepare for the SAT.
The Most Reliable SAT Essay Template and Format
Aside from the "grid in" math questions, all you have to do for most of the SAT is answer multiple choice questions.. And then, if you've chosen to take it, there's the essay. Or, more accurately, "To finish up, there's the essay." Because the last thing you'll do on the SAT (with Essay) is read a passage and write an essay analyzing its argument, all in 50 minutes.
Everything You Need to Know About the Digital SAT
The SAT puts your achievements into context. That means it shows off your qualifications to colleges and helps you stand out. Most colleges—including those that are test optional —still accept SAT scores. Together with high school grades, the SAT can show your potential to succeed in college or career. Learn more about why you should take ...
Opinion
Guest Essay. How the SAT Changed My Life. March 27, 2024 ... slogging through multiple-choice questions until our backs ached and our eyes crossed. ... I used my SAT study strategies to prepare ...
SAT Essay Scoring
Responses to the optional SAT Essay are scored using a carefully designed process. Two different people will read and score your essay. Each scorer awards 1-4 points for each dimension: reading, analysis, and writing. The two scores for each dimension are added. You'll receive three scores for the SAT Essay—one for each dimension—ranging ...
Standardized tests like the SAT are back.
John Friedman: I think it's really about looking at the data to understand what role the test scores are playing in admissions and then how that affects not only the overall pool of admitted ...
SAT Sample Questions: Every Single Question Type Explained
We'll give you a bunch of sample SAT writing questions. Yes, anonymous pen-wielder; yes, you are. Essay. As you are probably aware, there is precisely one essay question on the SAT. It accounts for 30% of your writing score. Generally speaking, SAT essay prompts are quite broad and philosophical. You need to take a stance on some issue and ...
Weekend Edition Saturday for March 23, 2024 : NPR
A film based on a novel about a 1930s writer gains surprise popularity in Russia. by Scott Simon. less than 1 min. Audio will be available later today.
The 4 SAT Sections: What They Test and How to Do Well
The Math section is the only section on the SAT (excluding the Essay) to contain a non-multiple-choice question format called the grid-in. 22 percent of Math questions are grid-ins , so although it's not the main question format on SAT Math, it's crucial you understand how it works.
What's on the SAT
March 2024 SAT Score Release. Most March 9th SAT scores will be posted throughout the day. Students will receive an email when their scores are available in their online score report. View your scores.