Sat I®
The SAT® is a three-hour test that measures verbal and mathematical reasoning skills students have developed over time and skills they need to be successful academically. Many colleges and universities use the SAT® as one indicator among others-class rank, high school GPA, extracurricular activities, personal essay, and teacher recommendations-of a student's readiness to do college-level work. SAT® scores are compared with the scores of other applicants, and the accepted scores at an institution, and can be used as a basis for awarding merit-based financial aid.
The SAT® is scored on a scale of 200-800 (for math and verbal) and is typically taken by high school juniors and seniors. The test is administered several times a year.
SAT® Question Types
Each edition of the SAT® includes a Verbal and Math section, with a specific number of questions related to content. The question types and number of questions in each section are listed below.
Verbal
| Verbal Topics Covered |
Approximate Percentage of Test |
| Critical Reading (vocabulary in context, literal comprehension, extended reasoning) |
52% |
| Sentence Completion |
24% |
| Analogies |
24% |
Other Verbal facts
- 78 questions, 75 minutes
- Two 30-minute sections, plus one 15-minute section
Mathematics
| Math Topics Covered |
Approximate Percentage of Test |
| Arithmetic (Number and Operations) |
30-32% |
| Algebra and Functions |
28-32% |
| Geometry and Measurement |
27-30% |
| Data Analysis, Statistics, and Probability |
10-12% |
| Type of Questions |
| Five-choice |
58% |
| Quantitative Comparison |
25% |
| Student-Produced Response (Grid-ins) |
17% |
Other Math Facts:
- 60 Questions, 75 minutes
- Two 30-minute sections, plus one 15-minute section
- Calculator use permitted but not required
The Unscored Section
In addition, there is one 30-minute section that may be either a verbal or math section. This "equating" section does not count toward the final score, but is used to ensure that scores on new editions of the SAT® are comparable to scores on earlier editions of the test and to try out new questions for future editions of the SAT®.
Test Order
The first five (30-minute) sections can appear in any order, as can the two 15-minute sections. Test takers sitting next to each other in the same testing session may have test books
*SAT® is a registered trademark of the College Entrance Examination Board, which was not involved in the production of and does not endorse this site.
