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About the SAT
The SAT – The Ultimate Reasoning Test

The SAT is a ten-section test with three sections each of writing, reading, and mathematics, plus one experimental section. The experimental section is not scored and is used solely for research purposes by the College Board. It can be a reading, writing, or math section, but the student will not know which section is experimental. They must complete every section of the test with the belief that the section will count toward their scores.

Each portion of the SAT—writing, reading, and math—receives a score from 200 to 800. A perfect SAT score is now 2400 (3 sections x 800 points). These scores are calculated from a raw score; one point is awarded for each correct answer, a quarter of a point is subtracted for each wrong answer, and no points are assigned for an omitted answer.

The Writing Sections
The writing portion of the test involves one twenty-five minute essay, one twenty-five minute multiple choice section, and one ten-minute multiple choice question. The essay asks students to express an opinion by composing a response to a prompt, such as “Does financial wealth guarantee happiness?” The essay is judged on mastery of the English language and the ability to explain and support a point of view.

The two writing multiple choice sections make up a total of 49 questions, presented in three different formats. In one type of question students must simply determine if there is a grammatical error in a sentence, and if so, identify where in the sentence the error occurs. These questions are appropriately called “Identifying Sentence Errors.” For “Improving Sentences,” the test taker is given a sentence in which a portion of the sentence is underlined. Again, it must be determined if the underlined portion contains an error, but this time the student must select the answer choice that best corrects the underlined portion. The final format, called “Improving Paragraphs,” requires students to read a short essay (14 to 18 sentences) in rough draft form. The essay is followed by six questions which ask the student to choose the best corrections for specific lines of the essay. Most students report that these six questions are the easiest of the grammar questions.

The writing portion of the SAT is easily taught in the months leading up to the test. In fact, the highest score increases from test to test are often found in the writing sections. Although the essay requires higher-level thinking, the grammar multiple choice questions use little reasoning ability, and instead test a student’s ability to recognize and correct approximately twenty characteristic usage and construction errors. Examples of typical errors include subject and verb agreement, pronoun choice, modifier placement, and correct idiom. A quality test preparation company will have categorized these errors in their courses and books so that they are easily learned by the student.

The Reading Sections
The reading portion of the test contains two twenty-five minute sections and one twenty minute section, for a total of 67 multiple choice questions. Nineteen of these questions are in the “Sentence Completion” format. Students are given a sentence in which one or two words are removed; using context clues, the test taker must choose the words that best complete the blanks.

The remainder of the questions in the reading sections assesses a student’s comprehension skills. After reading a passage in humanities, social science, natural science, or literature, students must answer a series of questions about the passage. Passages may be a short paragraph or a longer article comprising two columns on the page. In addition, test takers will be asked to read two related passages and then answer questions that compare and contrast the main ideas and authors’ points of view. For the majority of former SAT students, reading comprehension passages have proved the most challenging of all the questions on the test.

These reading sections rely heavily on a student’s vocabulary skills and reading comprehension level. Because these skills are developed over long periods of time, reading is the hardest portion of the SAT to improve upon. There are many patterns, however, that can help a student identify correct answers. Certain vocabulary words are tested more frequently than others, and reading comprehension questions follow specific templates. Logic and reasoning also play a key role in many reading comprehension questions. The ability to eliminate easier answer choices can help pinpoint the correct answer, even if the student doesn’t understand or why it is correct. Most test preparation books and courses will discuss these reasoning processes in addition to the test patterns and trends.

The Math Sections
Mathematics is tested in three sections on the SAT. Two twenty-five minute sections and one twenty minute section comprise 54 questions in two formats. Important formulas and relationships are given at the beginning of each math section. Forty-four questions have standard multiple-choice answers, while ten questions require a student to find the answer on his or her own. These “Student-Produced Response” questions must be “bubbled in” on a grid system in order to earn credit, yet they are the only ones on the test in which students are not penalized for a wrong answer.

The math portion of the test is heavily-reliant on higher-order thinking skills. Test takers are expected to have a working knowledge of arithmetic, geometry, Algebra I, and Algebra II, but nearly half of the questions ask students to apply this knowledge to logical tasks. Calculators are permitted, but are rarely required. The average student will use the calculator on the majority of questions, looking for tried-and-true formulas and solutions, while the perceptive student will look for the analytical shortcut involving deductive reasoning. Tips, tricks, and logical connections are a part of the curriculum of quality test preparation materials or courses.

Although the SAT requires an understanding of the core concepts from college-preparatory classes, it truly is an intelligence test. Some questions are straight-forward assessments of high school course content, but many questions ask readers to make inferences, find logical connections, and use deductive reasoning.

PowerScore offers two types of nationwide SAT classes to review test content and foster problem solving skills. At 40 hours of class time, our Full Length courses run for five weeks, and take an in-depth look at the test structure and curriculum. Convenient evening schedules allow students to prepare for the SAT while maintaining their current academic and extracurricular actives. Our Weekend Course occurs over twelve hours on one weekend, offering a condensed version of our longer course. We also have 95th percentile instructors available for tutoring in most major cities. For more information about the SAT or test preparation, please visit our SAT Home Page.