College Resource Center

Along with a good academic and extracurricular record, a solid score on the SAT can potentially open doors to more restrictive and reputable universities. Taking the test seriously and working hard to get the best score possible is key. Reading through this SAT prep guideline and knowing what to expect will help you to prepare for the SAT and feel confident when you take the exam.

The SAT is comprised of 3 sections; Critical Reading, Mathematics and Writing.

Critical Reading
This section is a 70 minute exam with two 25-minute sections and one 20 min section. It’s passage-based reading and sentence completion. Scores 200-800.

This section gives you a chance to show how well you understand what you read. There are two types of multiple-choice questions in the critical reading section:

• Sentence completion questions test your vocabulary and your understanding of sentence structure (19 questions) Take some practice test questions here
• Passage-based reading questions test your comprehension of what is stated in or implied by the passage, not your prior knowledge of the topic. (48 questions) Take some practice test questions here.

Mathematics
The math section of the exam is 70 minutes long which include two 25-minute sections and one 20-minute section. It is comprised of multiple-choice questions and student-produced responses. Score 200-800.

This section consists of two types of questions:

• Multiple-choice questions (44 questions) Take some practice test questions here
• Student-produced response questions appear without answer choices. You’ll use your answer sheet to “grid in” your solution. (10 questions) Take some practice test questions here

The questions require students to apply mathematical concepts and to use data literacy skills in interpreting tables, charts, and graphs. They cover skills in four major areas; numbers and operations, algebra and functions, geometry and measurement and data analysis, statistics and probability.

Links:
SAT Calculator Policy
SAT Mathematics concepts

Writing
A relatively new part of the exam, this section is 60 minutes long comprising of two 25-minute sections and one 10-minute section. There are multiple-choice questions (35 minutes) and a student-written essay (25 minutes). Scores 200-800

In the Writing section you will find:

• An essay. You will be asked to present and support a point of view on a specific issue. Because you only have 25 minutes, your essay is not expected to be polished — it is meant to be a first draft.
• Three types of multiple-choice questions:
• Improving sentences (25 questions) Take some practice test questions here
• Identifying sentence errors (18 questions)Take some practice test questions here
• Improving paragraphs (6 questions) Take some practice test questions here

The multiple choice sections measures your ability to communicate ideas clearly and effectively, improve a piece of writing through editing and revisions, recognize and identify sentence errors and improve paragraphs.

There is an unscored section of the exam which is alloted 25-minutes. This “variable” section may have critical reading, mathematics, or multiple-choice writing questions. It does not count toward the final score but it is used to try out new questions and to ensure that scores on new eidtions of the SAT are comparable to scores in earlier editions.

After long hours of SAT prep, practicing and reviewing for the exam, it’s time to take the exam. Go into the exam confident and ready to take the test.

Good luck!

There are many SAT prep resources, study guide books and online SAT prep courses online. Here are a couple great sources:
College Board’s SAT Preparation Center
Yahoo Education Test Prep Center