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SAT Info

Overview

The SAT Reasoning Test is a standard college entrance examination that measures skills in reading, writing, and mathematics. The test takes 3 hours and 45 minutes.

• The first section is always a written essay, which takes 25 minutes.
• There are 8 middle sections that can appear in any order:
  • 6 sections, taking 25 minutes each (1 of these sections—you won't know which—will not count toward your score; it’s used to try out questions for future SATs).
  • 2 sections, taking 20 minutes each.
• The last section is always a multiple-choice writing section, which takes 10 minutes.

Subject	Description
Critical Reading	Reading comprehension questions about full-length and paragraph-length passages. Sentence completion questions.
Critical Reading	Multiple-choice questions on grammar, usage, word choice, and organization. Essay section asks you to respond to a prompt by developing a point of view, supported by clear, well-organized ideas based on your experience and observations.
Critical Reading	Multiple-choice questions and grid-in questions on the following topics: Numbers and operations Algebra and functions Geometry and measurement Statistics, probability, and data analysis

Important Dates and Test Locations

For current test dates and locations, check with your guidance counselor or visit the College Board site at http://www.collegeboard.com/.

Test Structure

Sections	Question Type	Number of Questions	Time Allotted
Critical Reading	Sentence Completion Passage-based reading	19 48	Two 25-minute sections; one 20-minute section Total: 70 minutes
Writing	Identifying sentence errors Improving sentences Improving paragraphs Essay writing	18 25 6 1 essay	Two 25-minute sections, one 10-minute section Total: 60 minutes
Math	Multiple-choice Grid-ins	44 10	Two 25-minute sections; one 20-minute section Total: 70 minutes

Scoring

Each section (Critical reading, Writing, and Math) is scored on a scale of 200-800. Essays, a sub-section of Writing, are graded on a scale of 1-6.

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