Scholastic Assessment Test, commonly known as SAT, is a standardised test conducted for admissions into undergraduate courses in the US. The test is intended to assess the student's readiness to pursue higher education. The exam is most popular to get an education in countries like the US, Canada, Australia, India and the UK. SAT exam scores are between the ranges of 400-1600 points, including two sections of 200-800 points.
SAT mainly focuses on the aspirants' reading, writing, language, and mathematical skills. SAT focuses on these four skills, which are further divided into two sections – Evidence-based Reading and Writing and Mathematics. The two sections are further divided into two sub-sections each –Reading and Writing and Mathematics with Calculator and Mathematics with No Calculator. The College Board has now discontinued SAT Optional Essay and SAT Subject Tests. SAT General Test is now the only criterion to assess the college readiness and skills of the aspirants. However, to have more knowledge about the SAT Test, the candidate must know about the SAT syllabus to prepare well for the exam.
SAT Syllabus: Overview
SAT exam majorly includes scores from two sections –Evidence-based Reading and Writing and Mathematics. SAT exam is three hours duration. Below mentioned is the SAT Exam pattern to help you in understanding the number of sections, question and marks distribution, and exam duration.
SAT Exam Pattern
|
Sections
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Sub-Sections
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Number of Questions
|
Duration
|
Score
|
|
Evidence-based Reading and Writing
|
Reading
|
52
|
65 minutes
|
200-800
|
|
Writing
|
44
|
35 minutes
|
|
Mathematics
|
No Calculator
|
30 MCQs & 8 GRID-INS
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80 minutes
|
200-800
|
|
With Calculator
|
15 MCQs & 5 GRID-INS
|
|
Total
|
154
|
3 hours
|
400-1600
|
SAT Syllabus: Section-wise Analysis
SAT Evidence-based Reading and Writing
- SAT Writing and Language – The SAT Writing and Language section contains passages making it a total of 44 questions to be completed in 35 minutes. All the passages in this section are based on articles or write-ups related to Science, Humanities, History & Social Studies and Careers. A few passages may contain graphs, tables, and charts. Questions in this section are based on-
- Word choice regarding text, tone and style
- Sentence Structure and Grammar
- Sentence Correction
However, to ace this section, the candidate needs to focus on reading, analyzing, and time management skills.
- SAT Reading– SAT Reading contains five passages and a total of 52 questions, which candidates will have to complete within 65 minutes. To ace this section, candidates need to brush up on their reading and analytical skills to attempt the questions. Each passage in this section is 500-750 word long based on topics like
- Classic or Contemporary Literature, World Literature
- Speech or Document related Constitution of the US
- Economics, Psychology, Sociology
In this section, candidates will have to provide evidence-based answers. However, candidates are advised to be familiar with these topics, as it will help you answer the questions as directed and build your confidence.
SAT Mathematics
The Mathematics section of SAT is divided into two sub-sections –Maths with Calculator and Maths without Calculator. The section contains 58 questions and is 80 minutes long. The 'No Calculator' section has 15 MCQs and 5 Grid-ins, whereas, in the 'Calculator' section, there are 30 multiple-choice questions and 8 Grid-ins. Out of 58 questions, 80% of questions are MCQs, and 20% of questions are student-produced response questions, widely known as Grid-ins. In Grid-ins, the candidate will have to solve the questions and then provide the answer for the same in the box given and then fill in the answer in the OMR sheet. Candidates will also be given a cheat sheet containing all the formulas. The questions in this section are based on the following topics -
- Heart of Algebra
- Problem Solving and Data Analysis
- Passport to Advanced Math
To understand SAT syllabus better, a student can also look into the SAT exam pattern for better preparation guidance. Also, candidates can visit the official College Board website for more information.
