SAT EXAM

SAT is one of the popular standardized tests accepted at universities worldwide for accepting students for their undergraduate studies. Knowing the correct SAT Exam Pattern and Format is compulsory if you want to prepare well for the SAT. Here is all you need to know about the SAT Pattern.

SAT Exam Pattern

SAT exam pattern includes 2 major sections – Evidence-based Reading and Writing (EBRW) and Math section. Both sections of EBRW questions are multiple-choice questions. It comprises 96 questions to be attempted with an allotted duration of 100 minutes. Math is divided into 2 sets of questions. One math section is to be attempted without using a calculator and one with a calculator. Here are the details of each section:

Reading Section Structure

• SAT Reading is the longest section of the new SAT, having a duration of 65 minutes.
• All questions in the reading section are passage-based. 
• You will answer 10 to 12 questions on each of the 5 passages, for a total of 52 questions.
• All of the questions are multiple-choice and feature 4 answer choices: A, B, C, and D.

Writing and Language Section Structure

• The SAT Writing section is about half as long as the Reading section at 35 minutes. 
• All of its questions are passage-based.
• You will get 11 questions for each of the 4 passages, for a total of 44 questions in the Writing section. 
• All of the Writing questions are multiple-choice with 4 answer choices, A, B, C, and D. Since some of the questions ask you about changing a word or sentence, many will have an answer choice that reads, “No change.”
• You will find data interpretation questions on graphs and tables. One or more of the passages will have a graphic.

Math No-Calculator Section Structure

• This 25-minute section asks you 20 questions, and you are not allowed to use a calculator on any of them. 
• 15 of these questions are multiple-choice, and the remaining 5 are “grid-ins,” officially known as student-produced responses.
• The Math No-Calculator section asks questions that fall into 3 skills areas, Heart of Algebra, Passport to Advanced Math, and Additional Topics. 

Math With Calculator Section Structure

• You can use a calculator throughout this section though you don’t necessarily need to. 
• You will be given 55-minute to complete this section. 
• The Math with Calculator section is the longer of the 2 math sections. It asks 38 questions.
• On average it gives you about 1 minute and 17 seconds per question.
• The Math with Calculator section asks 30 MCQs (multiple choice questions) and 8 grid-ins.
• One of the grid-ins will be an Extended Thinking question, which has a word problem or graphic and asks 2 or more questions. 
• The Math with Calculator section tests the skill - Heart of Algebra, Passport to Advanced Math, and Additional topics - but it also tests Problem Solving and Data Analysis. 

You should not leave any questions blank as there is no negative marking for incorrect answers. This means that. With the sections being quite long, pacing and timing are important. You can then use the above information to help you figure out how to approach different questions, take notes efficiently, and get more questions right. SAT score ranges from 400 to 1600. It is a sum of the Evidence-based Reading & Writing score which is 200-800 and the Math score of 200-800.