SAT Scores: About the SAT

Overview of SAT testing

The SAT is a standard college entrance exam that measures skills in math, reading, and writing. The first section is always a written essay, which takes 25 minutes, and the last section is always a multiple-choice writing section, which takes 10 minutes. The other parts of the test — six 25-minute sections and two 20-minute sections — can appear in any order. One of the 25-minute sections (you won't know which) will not count toward your score; it is used to try out questions for future SAT testing. Total test time is 3 hours and 45 minutes.

The SAT Critical Reading sections present you with reading comprehension questions about full-length and paragraph-length passages. They also include sentence completions.

The SAT Writing sections include multiple-choice questions on grammar, usage, word choice, and organization. The 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.

The SAT Math sections include multiple-choice questions and grid-in questions, which require you to generate a response. Topics include: numbers and operations; algebra and functions; geometry and measurement; and statistics, probability, and data analysis.

SAT scores

Each section (Critical Reading, Writing, and Math) is scored on a scale of 200 to 800. Essays, a sub-section of Writing, are graded on a scale of 2 to 12. Overall SAT scores can range from 600 to 2400.

The quickest and most efficient way to increase your SAT scores is SAT prep. Through SAT test prep, you'll learn strategies to increase your score, and you will also be able to identify weaknesses and target them for improvement.

SAT help: Test locations

Check with your guidance counselor or contact the College Board to find out where you can take the test.

SAT help: Test dates

SAT help: Test structure