Scholastic Assessment Test
Standardised test for high school students
What is the Purpose of SAT?
The main purpose of the SAT is to measure a high school student’s readiness for college and provide the admissions committee in universities with a common data point to compare all other applicants. Alongside the CGPA, letter of recommendations, extracurricular activities, interview, and personal essays, the committee will also review the standardised test score. The importance of the SAT score in the admission process varies from school to school.
The higher the score on the SAT, the better the chances of securing admission in one of the top-ranked universities abroad.
SAT Test Format
Each test section, Reading & Writing and Math is divided into 2 modules, and each module has a set of questions. Let us understand this with the figure given below.
| Category | Reading & Writing Section | Math Section |
|---|---|---|
| Format | Two stage adaptive design | Two stage adaptive design |
| No of modules | 2 Modules | 2 Modules |
| Adaptivity | Section wise adaptive | Section wise adaptive |
| Length of the test | Module 1: 25 operational questions and 2 pre-test questions; Module 2: 25 operational questions and 2 pre-test questions | Module 1: 20 operational questions and 2 pre-test questions; Module 2: 20 operational questions and 2 pre-test questions |
| Time per stage | 1st module: 32 minutes; 2nd module: 32 minutes | 1st module: 35 minutes; 2nd module: 35 minutes |
| Total number of questions | 54 questions | 44 questions |
| Break | 10 minutes after the 1st module | 10 minutes after the 1st module |
| Total time | 64 minutes | 70 minutes |
| Score reported | Total Score Reading & Writing score Math score | Total Score Reading & Writing score Math score |
SAT Scoring Pattern
Reading & Writing
| Content domain | Skill Tested | Question Distribution |
|---|---|---|
| Craft & Structure | Words in Context; Text Structure & purpose; Cross text connection | Approx. 28% 13-15 questions |
| Information & Ideas | Central ideas & details | Approx. 26% |
| Standard English Conventions | Boundaries Form, structure and sense | Approx. 26% 11-15 questions |
| Expression of Ideas | Rhetorical synthesis Transitions | Approx. 20% 8-12 questions |
Maths
AlgebraLinear equations & functions, linear inequalitiesApprox. 35% 13-15 questions
| Content domain | Skill Tested | Question Distribution |
|---|---|---|
| Advanced Math | Equivalent expressions, nonlinear equations | Approx. 35% 13-15 questions |
| Problem solving & Data Analysis | Ratios, rates, proportions, percentages, relationships, data distribution, scatter plot, probability | Approx. 15% 5-7 questions |
| Geometry & Trigonometry | Area & volume, lines, angles and triangles, right triangles, trigonometry, circles | Approx. 15% 5-7 questions |
Frequently Asked Questions
Most high school students take the SAT during the spring of the junior year or fall of their senior year. For Indian students, the SAT can be taken after grade 10 or before completing grade 11, as many students would require time to prepare for their 12th-grade board examinations.
The SAT is offered every year in August, October, November, December, March, May, and June.
The SAT is 2 hours and 14 minutes long.
Students can take the SAT as many times as they want. The recommendation, however, is to take the test twice, in case the student is not satisfied with the score obtained in the first attempt. Colleges will consider the highest score when making admission decisions.
Upcoming SAT test dates 2024-25 (registration yet to open)
SAT Test Date
August 24, 2024
October 5, 2024
November 2, 2024
December 7, 2024
March 8, 2025
May 3, 2025
June 7, 2025
