About the SAT
Overview
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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 SATs. 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.
Test Dates
| Test Date | Registration Deadline | Late Registration Deadline |
| October 10, 2009 | September 9, 2009 | September 23, 2009 |
| November 7, 2009 | October 1, 2009 | October 15, 2009 |
| December 5, 2009 | October 30, 2009 | November 12, 2009 |
| January 23, 2010 | December 15, 2009 | December 30, 2009 |
| March 13, 2010 | February 4, 2010 | February 18, 2010 |
| May 1, 2010 | March 25, 2010 | April 8, 2010 |
| June 5, 2010 | April 29, 2010 | May 13, 2010 |
Test Locations
Check with your guidance counselor or contact the College Board to find out where you can take the test.
Test Structure
| Critical Reading | |
| Question Type | Number of Questions |
| Sentence Completions | 19 |
| Passage-Based Reading | 48 |
| Time Allotted: Two 25-minute sections; one 20-minute section Total: 70 minutes | |
| Writing | |
| Question Type | Number of Questions |
Identifying Sentence Errors | 18 |
| Improving Sentences | 25 |
| Improving Paragraphs | 6 |
| Essay Writing | 1 essay |
| Time Allotted: Two 25-minute sections; one 10-minute section Total: 60 minutes | |
| Math | |
| Question Type | Number of Questions |
| Multiple-Choice | 44 |
| Grid-Ins | 10 |
| Time Allotted: 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 to 800. Essays, a sub-section of Writing, are graded on a scale of 2 to 12.
