Welcome to this overview of the SAT®!
If you need help studying for the SAT or just want some more information about what the test is like, you’ve come to the right place.
How to Register
SAT Scores
Retaking the SAT
What Test-Takers Are Saying
SAT Online Course
FAQs
What’s on the SAT?
The SAT contains 98 questions total, most of which are multiple-choice. For some questions in the Math section, you’ll need to type in your answer instead of selecting the right answer from a list of options. The time limit is 134 minutes (2 hours and 14 minutes).
Let’s take a closer look at the two sections of the SAT.
1. READING AND WRITING
54 questions | 64 minutes
These are the four main topics you’ll come across on this section of the test:
- Information and Ideas
- Craft and Structure
- Expression of Ideas
- Standard English Conventions
2. MATH
44 questions | 70 minutes
The good news is that you can use a calculator throughout the entire Math section! You can bring your own pre-approved calculator, or you can just use the one that’s built into the testing program.
These are the four main topics you’ll come across on this section of the test:
- Algebra
- Advanced Math
- Problem-Solving and Data Analysis
- Geometry and Trigonometry
How to Register
To get started with the registration process, you’ll need to visit the College Board website. Before you finish the registration process, you’ll need to pay the $60 testing fee (unless you have a waiver!).
Usually, students take the test during the second semester of their junior year of high school, but you can take it at any time during your junior or senior year.
SAT Study Guide and Flashcards
Get practice questions, detailed study lessons, and complex subjects broken down into easily understandable concepts.
SAT Scores
SAT scores range from 400 to 1600, and the average score hovers around 1050. If you score above that, you’re doing better than average! If you manage a score of 1350, you’re in the top 10% of people who took the test, making your college applications shine a bit brighter.
Usually, you’ll be able to see your SAT scores two to four weeks after you’ve taken the test. If you took the SAT during the summer, you might have to wait a bit longer to see how you did.
Retaking the SAT
If you didn’t get the score you wanted on your first try, that’s okay! You can retake the test during the next available testing period.
Keep in mind that you will have to pay the full testing fee every time you retake the test.
What Test-Takers Are Saying
Don’t just take our word for it! See what real test-takers are saying about the SAT:
“There has to be one objectively correct answer for every question, so if you have to take some sort of leap of logic to get to an answer, it’s probably not right. For Reading questions, the only way it can be a correct answer is if it directly references the passage.”
Strik4r
“The issue I had with math was time management. If you read a question twice and do not know how to solve it straight away, just skip it. Do not even lose a second on the question. You will come back to it. That’s what I did for the December test, and it worked.”
Biderman_
“Particularly for English, I recommend studying standard English conventions, independent/dependent clauses, and sentence boundaries.”
jjschwagg
CollegeVine
“My advice for the reading section is to read anything. You can analyze anything critically. Just read anything and work out what the author’s purpose, attitude, and technique is. Note that, sometimes, what a piece of writing doesn’t say is as relevant as what it does.”
Elin Grimes
Quora
Online SAT Prep Course
If you want to be fully prepared, Mometrix offers an online SAT prep course. The course is designed to provide you with any and every resource you might want while studying. The SAT course includes:
The SAT prep course is designed to help any learner get everything they need to prepare for their SAT exam. Click below to check it out!
FAQs
How long is the SAT?
The test is timed at 134 minutes (2 hours and 14 minutes).
How many times can you take the SAT?
You can take the SAT as many times as you’d like. The College Board recommends taking it at least twice.
What is the average SAT score?
The average SAT score is 1050.
How many questions are on the SAT?
There are 98 questions on the SAT, most of which are multiple-choice.
What is the highest SAT score?
The highest score you can get is 1600.
When do you take the SAT?
The College Board sets aside specific days throughout the year to take the test.
SAT® is a trademark registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse, this page.
