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Table of Contents |
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| What is the SAT Test? | The Current SAT Test (2016 - 2022) |
| The SAT Reading Section | The SAT Writing and Language Section |
| The SAT Math Section |
Strategies for the complete SAT test
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SAT Reading Test Tips
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SAT Writing Test Tips
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SAT Math Test Tips
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What’s More? |
The SAT Test is a standardized entrance test used by most colleges and universities in the US to make admission decisions. A good score on the SAT Test can also help you get an admit to some other universities in other parts of the world such as Canada and Singapore. The SAT is a multiple-choice, paper-pencil test created and administered by the CollegeBoard - one of the largest education companies in the world. The SAT evaluates students at language and mathematical reasoning skills.
The CollegeBoard - the administrators of the SAT Test - recently announced that the SAT will go DIGITAL starting March 2023. However, in this article we will focus on the current SAT Test.
The College Board overhauled the SAT Test in 2016 by making changes to the test structure and the types of questions. The SAT, before 2016, contained 10 sections testing on 4 different skills - Reading, Writing, English, and Math. When the SAT changed in 2016, it continued testing on the same 4 skills - Reading, Writing, English, and Math - but in just 5 sections. However, the SAT dropped the optional Essay writing in early 2021. Hence, now there are just 4 sections on the SAT - Evidence-Based Writing, Writing and Language Test, Math No Calculator, and Math Calculator.
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Reading |
Writing & Language |
Math No Calculator |
Math Calculator |
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Order on test |
1st |
2nd |
3rd |
4th |
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# of questions |
52 |
44 |
20 |
38 |
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Question format |
Multiple-choice |
Multiple-choice |
Multiple-choice (15) + Student-Produced Response (5) |
Multiple-choice (30) + Student-Produced Response (8) |
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Time |
65 minutes |
35 minutes |
25 minutes |
55 minutes |
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Skills tested |
Command of Evidence |
Command of Evidence |
Heart of Algebra Passport to Advanced Math Additional Topics in Math |
Heart of Algebra Passport to Advanced Math Additional Topics in Math |
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Scoring |
Combined with Writing and Language for a total Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW) score on a scale of 200-800 |
Combined with Reading for a total Evidence-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW) score on a scale of 200-800 |
No Calculator and Calculator subsections are combined for a total Math score on a scale of 200-800 |
No Calculator and Calculator subsections are combined for a total Math score on a scale of 200-800 |
The four sections always appear in the same order: Reading, Writing, Math No Calculator, and Math Calculator.
As you can see from the table, the Reading and the Writing sections have some similarities in the skills they test. These two sections were specifically designed to test a couple of the same skills — 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!
Each of the two math sections have multiple-choice and student produced response questions. The student produced response questions are also known as Grid-ins. For these questions, 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, letâs take a closer look at each of the four sections of the SAT.
The Reading section focuses on reading comprehension. You have to answer certain questions based on the passages. You'll be given five passages in total:
One of these comprehensions include a a pair of related passages instead of a single passage. You may also encounter graphs, charts, or other forms of data representation. However, you do not have to use any math skills to interpret these data.
These passages are followed by the following types of Reading questions:
The Writing and Language section looks similar to the Reading section. Passages on this section cover a wide array of subjects including careers, history/social studies, science, and the humanities.However, the questions on this section measure your ability to identify and correct grammatical errors and stylistic weaknesses within passages instead of measuring your reading comprehension skills. Think EDITING skills!
You are required to use your grammar and word skills to improve the sentences written in the passages.
The Writing and Language section measures the following skills:
This is the world of numbers. This section asks questions around practical, real-world problems. The Math section measures your problem-solving skills.
The Math section comprises two subsections:
The Math section is the only section on the SAT to contain a non-multiple-choice question format called the grid-in. You see a total of 13 grid-in questions on the math section. 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:
Now that you have understood the four sections on the test, let’s discuss some SAT Strategies to attempt the test.
Read section directions before the test
Use your time to do the test and not the test directions. Hence, read and understand the directions for each section before the test.
Ref: https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/sat-practice-test-1.pdf
Ref: https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/sat-practice-test-1.pdf
Ref: https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/sat-practice-test-1.pdf
Answer questions according to your POOD (Personal Order of Difficulty)Always answer the questions that you find the easiest. As you go through the section, mark the questions that you are not sure about to come back to them later.
Elimination is a super powerEliminating the answer choices can help you get to the correct answer quicker.
Example:
“Akira came directly, breaking all tradition. Was that it? Had he followed form—had he asked his mother to speak to his father to approach a go-between—would Chie have been more receptive?”
As used in line 2, “form” most nearly means
A) appearance
B) custom
C) structure
D) nature
Eliminate the answers that do not obviously work in the context.
A) appearance, and C) structure do not work in the context. Hence, eliminate them. Between B) custom and D) nature, custom fits much better in the context.
As the SAT does not have any negative marking, make sure that you don’t leave any question blank.
Be neatMake sure that you mark your answers clearly.
Always understand your mistakes
It is imperative to understand the errors that you make on practice questions while preparing for the test. The errors generally fall in one of the following categories:
- Content Weakness
- Time pressure
- Not understanding the question
- Careless error
Example: If 3x is an even number, which of the following must be true?
A) x is even
B) x is odd
C) x is positive
D) None of the above
Did you mark the answer as (A). If you did, then you fell for a trap.
What if x is a fraction such as 2/3.
Now that you understand your error, how will you categorize it? This could either be content weakness or a careless error.
Blurb is the small introduction provided before the passage in the reading section. The blurb can help you understand the connotation of the passage: whether positive or negative. This can help you to eliminate at least a couple of choices even if you have no idea which of the remaining choices is correct. You will learn more about this in detail in our SAT program.
Reading the blurb above, you understand that the passage will explore the history of an art - acting in silent films. Understanding this gets you ready to read and understand the passage better.
Lines in context questionsTo answer questions with line reference, always read at least a sentence above and a sentence below. Look for contrast words such as “however”, “rather than” or “still”. You should also pay attention to strong adjectives that might help you to determine connotation.
Example:
Part of the Passage:
Why do gift-givers assume that gift price is closely linked to gift-recipients’ feelings of appreciation? Perhaps givers believe that bigger (i.e., more expensive) gifts convey stronger signals of thoughtfulness and consideration. According to Camerer (1988) and others, gift-giving represents a symbolic ritual, whereby gift-givers attempt to signal their positive attitudes toward the intended recipient and their willingness to invest resources in a future relationship.
Question:
As used in line 2, “convey” most nearly means
Explanation:
If you just read the line reference provided by the question, it might be a little challenging to decide on the answer. However, if you read the next sentence too, the answer will be clear: communicate. The sentence suggests that “gift-givers attempt to signal their positive attitude” indicating that they are trying to communicate a positive message.
The new SAT has questions that ask you to choose an excerpt from the passage that serves as the best evidence for your answer to the previous question. These new questions can help you tremendously in identifying mistakes and clearing up ambiguities.
Reading through the lines referenced by the evidence questions can help you better understand the context and relate to the answer choices of the previous question. These questions act as a guide to confirm the answer.
Get interested in the passageThe best way to retain information from the passage is to force yourself to be interested in the passage. Take the passage as a way to learn something new rather than a chore and you will understand more of it.
Leave your opinions at homeNone of the questions on the SAT asks you to give your opinion about the topic. Hence, make sure to base all your answers on the evidence from the passage and not on what you think about the topic.
Take Dual Passage One at a timeDual passages are among the most challenging things on the SAT test. The easier way to approach questions based on these is to first answer the questions based on the first passage alone and then answer the questions based on the second passage alone. That leaves the questions based on both the passages for the end.
This section has direct questions on how to use correct grammar to make a sentence more effective. It’s not always what sounds good or looks good. For example: “He runs faster than me.” sounds and looks correct to almost everyone, but this is incorrect. The correct sentence: “He runs faster than I do.” The CL SAT program helps you understand every grammar rule in detail with real life examples.
Be Careful With NO CHANGE answer choiceJust because the sentence is underlined, it is not incorrect. NO CHANGE is the correct answer to certain of the sentences.
If two answers are both grammatically correct, pick the more concise oneOne of the skills SAT Writing tests is conciseness, or the use of as few words as necessary to convey meaning clearly. Being able to answer concision questions correctly requires knowing not just what the grammatically correct choice is, but which is the best grammatically correct choice.
Example:
Which of the two sentences is better?
I once believed and had faith in the power of love.
I once believed in the power of the love.
Both the sentences are grammatically correct. However, the first sentence uses extra words to convey the same meaning. Hence, the second sentence - the more precise one - is a better sentence.
Be consistentMake sure that the verb tense, person, and the subject are consistent in the sentence. Generally, errors on comparisons test this.
Example:
Which of the two sentence is correct?
The new employee will be responsible for filing paperwork, answering phone calls, and take new orders.
The new employee will be responsible for filing paperwork, answering phone calls, and taking new orders.
A sentence that is consistent with the verbs is a better sentence. The first sentence uses the verbs “filing,” “answering,” and “take.” These are not consistent forms of the verbs. Whereas the second sentence uses “filing,” “answering,” and “taking” making it a better sentence.
You will be surprised but the most common error on SAT math is answering what is NOT asked. Read your question carefully and underline or circle what is asked in the question.
Example:
If x > 0 and x2 = 4, then what is the value of 2x?
A) -4
B) -2
C) 2
D) 4
Most students mark their answer as (C). However, that is the trap as the question is not asking the value of x, but 2x. The correct answer is (D).
Yes! You read it correct!
Most traps are designed around the use of algebra. Try replacing your variables with numbers. For example, if a question suggests that Adam is x years old, then think Adam is 10 (or any other number of your choice).
Example:
How old was a person exactly 1 year ago if exactly x years ago the person was y years old?
A) y - x - 1
B) x - y - 1
C) y + x + 1
D) y + x - 1
Can someone be x or y years old? No!
Hence, it is a good idea to replace these variables with numbers.
Let’s read the question with numbers instead of variables:
How old was a person exactly 1 year ago if exactly 2 years ago the person was 10 years old?
You already know the answer now. It must be 11.
Use the same numbers in the answer choices and find the correct answer.
A) 10 - 2 - 1 ≠ 11
B) 2 - 10 - 1 ≠ 11
C) 10 + 2 + 1 ≠ 11
D) 10 + 2 - 1 = 11
Hence, the answer is (D).
SAT loves to ask questions that would take minutes to solve the regular way, but can be answered quickly if you can spot a pattern.
Example:
If x + y = 3 and 2x + 3y = 5, then what is the value of 5x + 7y?
Most students will solve for x and y and then find the value for 5x + 7y. However, if you see the pattern, then you can simply find the value by multiplying the second equation by 2 and adding it to the first equation.
(2x + 3y = 5) * 2
4x + 6y = 10
x + y = 3
Adding the two, we get
5x + 7y = 13
The questions are arranged in increasing order of difficulty. Hence, it is a good idea to do the easy questions first. It gives you more confidence to do the difficult ones.
Be careful with the unitsMake sure when your questions change the units. Be aware when to move from minutes to seconds or hours.
Example:
In three separate 1-mile races, Olivia finished with times of x minutes, y minutes, and z minutes, respectively. What was her average speed, in miles per hour, for all the three races?
A) (x+y+z)/3
B) 3/(x+y+z)
C) (x+y+ z)/180
D) 180/(x+y+z)
If you marked your answer as (B), then you fell for the trap of not changing the units. Look carefully! The question provides time in minutes but wants the answer in hours. (B) is the answer in minutes.
Average speed = Total Distance/Total Time
Total Distance = 1 + 1 + 1 = 3
Total time = (x + y + z) minutes
Converting the time to hours, we get (x + y + z)/60 hours
Hence, Average Speed = Total Distance/Total Time = 3/(x + y + z)/60 = 180/(x + y + z)
The answer is (D).
Always draw a diagram, if required for the question. Do not skip this step as it can lead to falling for a trap. If you’re already given a diagram, label it. Use that information to help you visualize math problems.
Example:
In the figure above, AC is a diameter of the circle with center O and OB = 7. If the measure of angle ACB is 20, what is the area of the shaded sector?
Explanation:
Since OA, OB, and OC are all radii, tri- angles AOB and BOC are isosceles. Therefore, we can find all the angles with the Isosceles Triangle Theorem and the Angle Sum Theorem:
Since the central angle is 40, the area of the sector is 40/360 = 1/9 of the circle.
So, the area of the sector is 49π /9.
We are certain that using these tips will help you improve your performance on the SAT significantly. You should also pay attention to more in-depth strategies in your studying so that you can improve your content knowledge and feel more confident on the test!
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