The SAT is a college admissions exam used by nearly all colleges and universities to make admissions decisions.
Get to Know The SAT
The objective of the SAT is to quantify a high school student’s readiness for college and provides colleges with one conventional data point that can be utilized to evaluate all applicants.
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College admissions representatives examine standardized test scores in conjunction with a student’s high school GPA, classes/class rigor of subjects completed in high school, letters of recommendation from teachers and school college counselors, extracurricular activities, admissions interviews, and personal essays.
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The significance of standardized test scores in the college application process varies from school to school. However, in most instances, the higher you score on the SAT, the more opportunities you will have for an acceptance letter and receiving scholarships for college.
Understanding the test:
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Test Length: 3 hours
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Cost: $55.00
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Highest SAT Score: 1600
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The highest achievable SAT score is 1600.
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National Average SAT Score: 1060
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How is the SAT scored?
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Math-800 points
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Evidence-Based Reading and Writing- 800 points
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Each section (math & evidenced-based reading and writing) of the SAT is scored on a 200-800 point scale. The total SAT score is the sum of your section scores.
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The SAT is a multiple-choice, digital test created and administered by the College Board.
*(Beginning in 2025, the SAT will be administered digitally, and preparation for this exam will most likely vary more significantly from the ACT compared to previous years as the new digital SAT will be a computer-adaptive test.)
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Reading:
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52 multiple-choice questions
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65 minutes
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Passages or pairs of passages (literature, historical documents, social sciences, and natural sciences)
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Writing & Language:
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44 multiple-choice questions
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35 minutes
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Grammar, vocabulary in context, and editing skills
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Math:​​​​
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58 multiple-choice questions (broken up into a 20-question ‘no calculator’ section and a 38-question ‘calculator allowed’ section)
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80 minutes (25 minutes for the ‘no calculator’ section and 55 minutes for the ‘calculator allowed’ section)
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Algebra I and II, geometry, and some trigonometry