Get answers to your questions about the SAT - From CollegeBoard
The SAT tests the skills you’re learning in school: reading, writing and
math. Your strength in these subjects is important for success in college and
throughout your life.
- The reading section includes reading passages and sentence completions.
- The writing section includes a short essay and multiple-choice questions on identifying errors and improving grammar and usage.
- The math section includes questions on arithmetic operations, algebra, geometry, statistics and probability.
The best way to get ready for the SAT is to take challenging courses, study
hard, and read and write in and outside of the classroom.
Cramming and short-term prep can’t substitute for hard work in school. The PSAT/NMSQT® is one of the best ways to begin preparing for the SAT, because it covers the same subjects under timed conditions.
Cramming and short-term prep can’t substitute for hard work in school. The PSAT/NMSQT® is one of the best ways to begin preparing for the SAT, because it covers the same subjects under timed conditions.
It does help to become familiar and comfortable
with the test format and question types. You should take advantage of our free online practice
tools, such as an online or printable practice test, sample questions, The
Official SAT Question of the Day™ and more.
The SAT is just one factor among many that colleges use to get to know you
better. It’s part of a comprehensive admission process that also takes into
account your high school academics, extracurricular activities, recommendations,
personal essay and other factors.
Every college and university uses a different
combination of criteria for admission. Research the schools you’re interested in
using College Search
to understand their unique admission policies.
The College Board is a not-for-profit education organization dedicated to
helping students discover their path to higher education. Our programs strive to
provide every student with an opportunity to go to college and the tools to
succeed there.
The SAT is one of the College Board’s best-known programs. In keeping with the College Board’s mission, the SAT provides an equal opportunity for all students to show what they’ve learned in school and how they apply that knowledge. This provides students an opportunity to demonstrate their problem solving and critical thinking skills necessary to succeed in college.
The SAT is one of the College Board’s best-known programs. In keeping with the College Board’s mission, the SAT provides an equal opportunity for all students to show what they’ve learned in school and how they apply that knowledge. This provides students an opportunity to demonstrate their problem solving and critical thinking skills necessary to succeed in college.
Each section of your SAT (critical reading, mathematics and writing) will be
scored on a 200- to 800-point scale, for a possible total of 2400. You’ll also
get two “subscores” on the writing section: a multiple-choice score from 20 to
80, and an essay score from 2 to 12.
But how do you get these scores? Two steps happen before you see a final score.
First, we figure out your raw score by:
Then we take your raw score and turn it into a scaled score. This is where the score of 200–800 points comes from, and it is done through a statistical process called “equating.” This process makes it possible to compare your score with the scores of other students who took alternative versions of the test, and to your own scores on previous tests.
But how do you get these scores? Two steps happen before you see a final score.
First, we figure out your raw score by:
- Adding points for correct answers.
- Subtracting a fraction of a point for wrong answers.
Then we take your raw score and turn it into a scaled score. This is where the score of 200–800 points comes from, and it is done through a statistical process called “equating.” This process makes it possible to compare your score with the scores of other students who took alternative versions of the test, and to your own scores on previous tests.
Visit How the SAT Is Scored to see exactly how your score
gets calculated.
The SAT is made up of 10 sections:
You’ll also get three short breaks during the testing, so don’t forget to bring a snack!
- A 25-minute essay
- Six 25-minute sections (mathematics, critical reading and writing)
- Two 20-minute sections (mathematics, critical reading and writing)
- A 10-minute multiple-choice writing section
You’ll also get three short breaks during the testing, so don’t forget to bring a snack!
Testing accommodations are available for students
with a documented need. Learn more about accommodations, like extra time.
Most students take the SAT during the spring of
their junior year of high school. Many students choose to take the SAT a second
time in the fall of their senior year after becoming familiar with the test day
experience.
Most students take the SAT once or twice. We don’t
recommend taking it more than twice because there’s no evidence that taking the
SAT multiple times significantly changes your score.
Every SAT question goes through a very careful review process before making
it into your exam booklet. Each question that you see has been:
- Reviewed by a team of experts, including math and English teachers, to make sure that it reflects what most college-bound students are learning in school.
- Thoroughly tested to make sure that it is fair for students of all backgrounds and ethnicities.
Each SAT exam includes an extra 25-minute critical reading, mathematics or
writing multiple-choice section that doesn’t count toward your score.
This section is where we try out new questions to make sure that future exams are fair for students from different backgrounds. It also helps us make sure that scores from students taking future exams can be compared to scores from students who took earlier versions of the test.
This section is where we try out new questions to make sure that future exams are fair for students from different backgrounds. It also helps us make sure that scores from students taking future exams can be compared to scores from students who took earlier versions of the test.
